The New Richmond Exempted Village School District is investing in new technology that will replace aging Smart Boards and associated projectors with interactive instruction panels.
During its July 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved the purchase of 125 Newline Interactive Smart Displays from Bluum of Minnesota, enough to equip all district classrooms with the new technology.
The 75-inch Interactive Smart Displays offer functionality that’s not possible with the old Smart Boards (which are aged out and many failing) and better suit today’s teaching and learning needs. The features include:
A built-in web browser.
Remote viewing capabilities that can enhance remote teaching and learning.
The ability to have multiple students cast their work simultaneously.
Access to hundreds of interactive apps.
Elimination of the need for projector bulbs.
They also offer a safety/security component. In the event of a critical situation, the district/school can push important and timely emergency messages to the interactive smart displays.
The purchase includes a five-year warranty plus unlimited teacher training on the use of this new technology.
The cost of the $272,000 investment will be covered by: federal COVID-19 relief funds; the technology department budget, which spent $20,000 annually on Smart Board maintenance/repairs; and unspent funds appropriated to the buildings for the 2021-2022 school year. The displays have a projected life span of 11 years.
The goal is to get as many interactive panels installed as soon as possible. All teachers will receive training.
Bluum of Minnesota was the lowest of three bids. The remaining two bids each exceeded $300,000.
To see the discussion about the interactive smart displays, click on the link: https://youtu.be/XvddI2WtK5s?t=2230