Case Study

District story
Impacting Student
Success with ēno®
Groesbeck, Texas Independent School District (ISD)
Impacting Student Success with ēno
Groesbeck, Texas Independent School District (ISD)
Groesbeck ISD teachers choose ēno
interactive whiteboards by PolyVision
to engage students, increase
achievement and bring learning to life.
At Groesbeck Independent School District (ISD) in Groesbeck, Texas,
there was one thing that Superintendent Dr. Harold Ramm and
Technology Director Cathy Koenig desired: 21st century classrooms
that utilize the most advanced educational technology to drive higher
student achievement.
Interactive whiteboards are a critical component of the 21st century
learning environment — and Koenig was determined to !and which
board worked best for the instructors in her district. So after a team
of Groesbeck teachers conducted a hands on, technical evaluation
three competing products to find the perfect fit, Groesbeck selected
PolyVision’s ēno board as the district’s interactive whiteboard
of choice.
“In the end, the durability and ease of use of ēno made it the clear front
runner. Coupled with PolyVision’s Forever Warranty™ on the writing
surface, the total cost of ownership made our decision very easy,” said
Ms. Koenig. “We like that PolyVision’s ēno is made of indestructible e3
environmental ceramicsteel™, and that the technology is in the stylus,
not the board. Should something happen, we will not have to send the
whole board back — the stylus can be replaced the same day.”
The goal of integrating interactive whiteboards is to create the focal
point (the technology “glue”) that ties all of the new technology in the
classroom with established curriculum. Although the district already
Schol
Why Groesbeck ISD chose ēno:
• Accommodates all types of learners
• Low total cost of ownership
• Prior success with PolyVision and developmental support
had a few interactive whiteboards, they were not completely satisfied
and the search began.
“The process started with inviting three candidates that we felt were on
the cutting edge of interactive whiteboard technology, but also offered
a board that would be durable enough to be installed in all of our pre-k
through high school classrooms,” said Ms. Koenig. “The contenders
included Promethean, PolyVision and Smart, and each company
allowed Groesbeck teachers to evaluate their interactive whiteboards
in the classroom.”
Why Teachers Gravitate Toward IWBs
In the 2008 America’s Digital Schools survey, more than 350
school districts were queried regarding key technology factors
driving change in schools — one of which was interactive
whiteboards. The survey found that this technology is quickly
entering U.S. schools from kindergarten through high school,
and are increasingly seen as standard education equipment. In
the America’s Digital Schools 2008 survey, teachers had many
reasons for using interactive whiteboards in the classroom,
but the top three “extremely important” factors were student
achievement oriented, as shown by the following graph.
ēno does everything teachers need it to do
and they are not afraid to use it, which is what I
wanted. In addition, since ēno does not require
cords or cables, we don’t have to worry about
kids tripping over wires or costly installation.
Cathy Koenig
Technology director, Groesbeck Independent School District
With the other interactive whiteboards, Ms. Koenig said just about
every teacher in the district was giving up part of their whiteboards in
the classroom, which wasn’t ideal since other interactive boards cannot
be used as traditional whiteboards —without damaging the surface.
% Of Respondents Using Whiteboards
Stronger collaboration among teachers
Teacher productivity
Stronger collaboration among students
Whole group instruction
“Before ēno, we were mounting an interactive board over a traditional
whiteboard, so when teachers found out they could use ēno as a
traditional whiteboard and interactive board, they were very happy,”
Address different learning styles
Student interaction
Improved student performance
Student Engagement
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Please indicate the importance of the following factors in
your decision to use interactive whiteboards in the classroom.
Extremely Important
Important
Somewhat Important
©2008 America’s Digital Schools 2008 The Greaves Group, The Hayes Connection
Because ēno is a three-in-one interactive whiteboard, teachers can
combine many teaching methods to reach students of all learning
needs. Teachers can:
• Use magnetic manipulatives, letting students conduct problemsolving activities
• Use the wireless stylus, computer and projector to make the
whiteboard interactive; and
• Use traditional dry-erase markers on ēno’s surface, just as they
would a traditional dry erase board
Teacher Support
In addition to the functionality found in ēno, Polyvision also
supports districts such as Groesbeck Independent School District
(ISD) with comprehensive support. Education Consultants, who
are teachers skilled in PolyVision solutions, work with districts
to integrate instructional strategies and support learning for
PolyVision solutions.
“The consultant worked with the teachers together and in their
classrooms one-on-one,” said Kathy Koenig, technology director
for Groesbeck ISD. “We certainly benefitted from their experience,
and the training sessions have helped Groesbeck become a
totally technology-immersed district.”
Impacting Student Success with ēno
Groesbeck, Texas Independent School District (ISD)
We feel all the pieces are in place to provide a
positive teaching and learning environment to
ensure that every kid is a winner.
Dr. Harold Ramm
Superintendent, Groesbeck Independent School District
she said. “ēno does everything teachers need it to do and they are
not afraid to use it, which is what I wanted. In addition, since ēno does
not require cords or cables, we don’t have to worry about kids tripping
over wires or costly installation.”
Installation was flawless, and ēno was mounted in all classrooms in the
district, which included 110 boards. From a facilities point of view, ēno
is a very simple installation, due to the fact that it requires no power
or cables to be connected to the board and the boards are able to be
installed over the existing writing surfaces in each classroom.
Groesbeck ISD’s technology initiatives, which include laptops and
interactive whiteboards, are being funded by $2 million of a $23 million
bond election, Dr. Ramm said.
“Through this bond, Groesbeck ISD can now put cutting-edge
technology in the hands of all students regardless of their economic
background. The district wants to give every student the best possible
opportunity to succeed,” he said. “Our goal in the end is to prepare
our students to be successful by providing them the first-in-class
technology that is easy to use and has a direct impact between the
learning experience and student achievement. With our efforts over
the last year, we feel all the pieces are in place to provide a positive
teaching and learning environment to ensure that every kid is a winner.”
Protecting Our Environment and Yours
ēno helps support a green classroom and preserve the Earth:
It has Cradle-to-CradleSM Silver certification, which means:
• it uses environmentally safe and healthy materials;
• it is designed for material re-utilization, such as recycling; and
• it establishes strategies for social responsibility.
ēno is actually the only environmentally-certified writing surface in
the world, and is certified to improve indoor air quality and provide
a safer classroom.
eVision PolyVision is committed to move toward sustainability in all areas of
environmental stewardship—to protect people, replenish natural resources, and
restore the communities in which we work and live.
©2011 PolyVision Corporation. All rights reserved. Trademarks used herein are the property of PolyVision
Corporation or of their respective owners. PolyVision Corporation reserves the right to make changes in
product design, construction or detail, and to discontinue any product or material without notice.
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