Photo by Tim Hacker
In 2012, voters approved a $230 million bond issue for Mesa Public Schools.
These funds are providing much needed upgrades to their facilities, technology infrastructure and transportation services. A critical need currently being addressed is the issue of aging computers for instruction and productivity.
Technology with a purpose
As the demand for technology increases and new software programs are adopted, older computers do not have the required processing power. The initiative currently under way far exceeds the scope of a traditional computer refresh project. Mesa Public Schools stands to fundamentally change the way in which instruction is facilitated in the classroom through technology. Teachers will employ a device, which takes full advantage of the recent advances in mobile Windows technology, a well as the district’s ongoing initiative to provide all school and administrative sites with wireless Internet access by August 2014.
The district’s Information Systems and Education Technology departments will provide a Lenovo Helix Ultrabook powered by Windows 8.1 to every certificated teacher and administrator through a series of four consecutive deployment cycles. The rollout will be completed by end of the fall semester.
According to Nathan Myers, educational technology department specialist, “This is an exciting initiative as Mesa Public Schools has the opportunity to provide each teacher with an educational technology tool for engaging online content and digital resources to students while facilitating teaching and learning in a manner not previously possible.”
Facilitating classroom instruction
The Helix is a powerful tool with incredible flexibility. Each classroom will be outfitted with a docking station, which connects the Helix to a full-sized monitor, mouse and keyboard, providing a traditional desktop workstation. By simply removing or untethering the device from its docking station, the Helix becomes a tablet, freeing teachers to move about the classroom. The school’s wireless infrastructure supports access to online resources, while a wireless display receiver, or WiDi, attached to a projector, allows broadcasting both audio and video content from anywhere within the room. With the flick of a wrist, a teacher can share content with the class by projecting it onto a SMART Board.
Teachers on the go
Teachers will have access to a single device wherever they are. From classroom, to staff meeting, professional learning communities, to late-night grading, the mobility of the device will provide access to needed information and materials.
Mesa Public Schools is committed to providing the best learning environment supported by proven technology. The Helix project will increase efficiency and effectiveness, and change the instructional landscape in Mesa Public Schools.