Case Study: Hickory High School

Implementation

Barnhardt implemented the Activclassroom System in February 2003. Today she uses the system to deliver instruction aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study in biology and to the AP curricula in biology.

“The Activboard is very intuitive. I plugged it in and was ready to go after 15 minutes,” she said. “We had several other interactive whiteboards in the school and the teachers needed professional development before they felt comfortable implementing them in the classroom.”
 Barnhardt and the science department head explored the built-in curricular materials and familiarized themselves with the tools available in the Activclassroom System. She created a number of flipcharts for use in her biology classes and made extensive use of annotating software programs, Internet sites and PowerPoint presentations.

“I’ve used the Activboard and Activslate every day since they arrived. The Activslate is one huge advantage that Activboard has over other boards because it’s such a powerful classroom management tool — particularly in a one-computer classroom,” she said. “Using the Activslate, I can be anywhere in the classroom and still direct and control the whiteboard. I have large classes this year. There is no way I could use an interactive whiteboard if I couldn’t be in the midst of students and move around to them while I’m teaching.”

Barnhardt also utilizes the Activote in her classes. The Activote, which comes in class sets of 32, works wirelessly with the Activboard to allow for class feedback and participation.

“The Activote has altered the way I view my role in the classroom. I feel empowered with the knowledge that, finally, all students are held accountable for their responses, and that both my students and I are given immediate feedback about their level of understanding. I have seen individual students grow through the use of these devices and see them as a means of addressing the accountability standards of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ legislation. It gives me a way to teach, assess and meet the needs of every student,” she said.