Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools Sept/Oct 2015 | Page 21

Classrooms of Tomorrow: innovative technology + futuristic teaching = engaged students cont.

that retirement is not even part of my
vocabulary. The excitement of teaching
and all the limitless possibilities
that are in front of me, I don’t see
retirement.”

Thomas said COTs are
reinventing the learning spaces. “They
make every inch of the classroom
an area to learn for individualized
instruction for students, utilizing the
devices in those rooms.”

UCPS partnered with Panasonic
to provide the technology in the
classrooms, (the company donated
the interactive displays); while
Audio Enhancement provided audio
equipment.
“It’s exciting to have our technology
in the classrooms, to get teachers
Fifth-grade students at East Elementary take turns
and students collaborating together,
sharing their knowledge during a discussion about
and really bringing the classroom
weather patterns across the United States.
of tomorrow vision to life – having
students get up and move around
Kevin Mitchell of Audio Enhancement said
and not just be physically sitting in a desk,”
there are four speakers strategically placed
said Panasonic solutions specialist Melissa
in the ceiling around the classroom. When
Westphal. “The students get excited when
the teacher (equipped with a microphone)
they see the technology. They’re so used to
speaks, everyone in the class can hear
using technology so when they see it in the
her. When students speak on a mobile
classroom, it gets them excited.”
microphone, their voices will also be carried

across the classroom so they, too, will
be easily understood.
“That way, every students hears the
teacher as if he or she was sitting right
in front of them,” Mitchell said. “It’s
actually proven to improve academic
achievement.”
So successful is the COT concept, ѡ