District reports expansion of classroom technology: 1:1 iPads, nearly 760 ClearTouch panels and PRISMS VR pilots
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Summary
District technology leaders told the board the district is 1:1 with iPads in kindergarten through third grade (pilot expansion), has deployed roughly 760 ClearTouch interactive panels across classrooms and is piloting PRISMS virtual-reality modules in several schools for math and science. Staff emphasized teacher training and phased rollouts.
Okaloosa County School District technology staff updated the board on classroom-device deployments, interactive panels and virtual-reality pilots aimed at increasing student engagement and supporting state assessments.
District instructional staff said the district is 1:1 with iPads for kindergarten through third grade and has two pilot schools operating as full 1:1 Apple sites. The district still maintains Chromebooks in many classrooms where keyboards are needed; leaders said the longer-term plan is to gradually increase iPad presence while honoring existing device-management contracts.
Technology director Hillary Baron and her team reported roughly 760 ClearTouch interactive panels installed so far and listed schools that now have a ClearTouch in every classroom. "We have right now a total of about 760 ClearTouch boards in our school district," Baron said. The district prioritized third-grade ELA/math, algebra and geometry, foundational math and ninth- and tenth-grade ELA for recent ClearTouch rollouts because those were areas identified for improvement on state assessments.
Staff described PRISMS VR headsets (initially funded by an FPL grant) in elementary and secondary classrooms for math and science modules. The district expanded the VR curriculum to include science and said VR has provided access to virtual labs and experiences that improved engagement and accessibility for some students.
Baron emphasized training: since last summer the district reported dozens of school-sponsored trainings and hundreds of teacher consultations. "Teachers are so excited about the technology that they're willing to go after school on Saturdays and during the summer to be able to use them to engage students," she told the board. Staff said they will continue piloting 1:1 Apple school rollouts and evaluate results before expanding to more schools.
Provenance: Presentation and board Q&A recorded in the transcript during the technology section and device demonstrations, beginning with the district's technology overview and concluding with training and pilot follow-up.