TYLER ISD
“ We are located about halfway between Dallas , Texas and Shreveport , Louisiana , right in the middle of the East Texas Piney Woods ,” explains Jacks . “ Being the largest district in the area means that we serve a very diverse population of students . Those students come from very different backgrounds . It is important that every student has access to the same learning experience , regardless of their background .”
“ The great equaliser is technology ,” says Jacks . “ By providing every student with a Chromebook and access to a virtual desktop , Tyler ISD ensures that every student has the same opportunity to access all available resources , which levels the playing field and ensures equitable access to all .” " Like many school districts , funding isn ’ t always available to perform upgrades when you need them , and our classroom technology had become extremely dated ," explains Jacks , a challenge that was addressed with a district-wide classroom digital transformation . While they may have been top-of-the-line 20 years previously , Tyler ISD ' s smartboards , ceiling-mounted projectors , teacher stations and a great deal more technology were all in need of replacement .
" Over the past year we were able to secure funding to upgrade all our classroom technology ," says Jacks . " We replaced 10-year-old staff workstations with brand new Dell thin clients to facilitate the connection to our Virtual Desktops . We also revitalised the AV experience by replacing the old smartboards and projectors with beautiful Cleartouch interactive flat panels ( IFPs ) with onboard PC , webcam and wireless keyboard ."
“ This classroom revitalisation means teachers are at the front of the classroom more often than teaching from behind
124 June 2023