New boards put into service

San Jon Municipal Schools recently put into service high-tech Promethean boards from prekindergarten through 12th grades at a time when many schools across the state and nation are doing remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The San Jon school board purchased the Titanium Promethean boards, valued at about $4,500 each, after voters passed a bond issue last year. Teachers were trained how to use them last month.

The boards can be used as an extension of a computer, allowing students a surface on which they can annotate, interact or manipulate what is on the screen by touch.

A Promethean board also can be used as a computer itself where teachers and students can use a variety of apps and programs. Students participating in virtual learning can see what is being done on the screen because it is projected on their computers at home. In turn, what is done on the screen can be saved and viewed later or virtually sent to students to review.

"The Promethean Boards have allowed all students and staff the following: a more convenient way to review/revise lessons, more ease for teachers to structure their lessons, making the learning process more fun, increasing the level of engagement between teachers and students, allowing better opportunities for students with various disabilities to learn better, making learning convenient and flexible, and they are proving to be a real asset in virtual schooling," superintendent Janet Gladu said.

Sharla Rusk said she was excited to use the boards.

"We are always looking for new tools to help our students learn. With virtual education taking place, these boards have proved to be a very valuable tool for students, both in the classroom, and at home," she said.