MISSOULA – Some Missoula school students will be getting more interactive in class this coming school year, as the district begins to purchase more interactive classroom displays.
A handful of classrooms have already been using the panels, which allow teachers and students to come forward and interact in a variety of new ways.
Far more than just a digital replacement for the old chalkboards and whiteboards, the SMART panels actually allow the students to interact with data, providing visualization and a new approach to collaboration and problem solving.
Missoula County Public School Trustees were updated Tuesday evening on a plan to add up to 45 additional SMART panels for classrooms across the district. Those acquisitions will be geared to classes where teachers have already been trained in the technology.
"The idea this time around was that as we begin to disseminate these around the district we don’t to just purchase them and assume that teachers are going to get trained and use them," said MCPS Superintendent Mark Thane. "Instead, an invitation for teachers to receive the training was issued. Forty-five exercised that option to train and now those 45 teachers will get the panels."
The district is expected to award bids for the new panels after review.
