Innovation in Action: How Spring ISD Elevates Learning with BenQ Education

Teach Your Way with BenQ Episode 6 Innovation in Action: How Spring ISD Elevates Learning with BenQ Education - Transcript Narrator: This is Teach Your Way with BenQ, where educators find ideas that work. Let's get started. Madiha Shamsi: Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of Teach Your Way with BenQ uh, my name is Madiha Shamsi I'm your host and I'm with BenQ's Marcom team. And today I've got spring ISD team with me and we're gonna talk about how, um.

Their classrooms are transforming with the partnership with BenQ and moving from traditional, uh, projectors to, uh, BenQ boards in their classrooms. They'll also be discussing how that's impacted, uh, the teachers and how they're re managing their lesson plans and, um, engaging with students in the classrooms, and also talk about the aha moments. Um, that they've, uh, seen and observed across their campuses. Um, I'd like to introduce our two guests from Spring, ISD, uh, let's, uh, hear about you.

Kevin Holiday: Okay. My name is Kevin Holiday. I'm the Director of Instructional Technology here in Spring, ISD. Madiha Shamsi: Welcome to our podcast.

Thank you. How about you, sir? Kevin Holiday: My Ryan Causey: name is Ryan Causey. I'm the district Constructional technology specialist.

Madiha Shamsi: We're excited to have you on our podcast. Thanks for taking the time out and being with us today. Um, it's exciting and, uh, we'd love for you to share your stories with our audience and explain what kind of a journey it's been for you with the transforming from or, and moving from projectors to the BenQ boards in your classrooms and how that journey has been from start to finish and how you. Continually are evolving with us.

So, um, why don't you, uh, kind of start off just, uh, telling us a little bit about how you guys, or what point you decided to ship from projectors to venue keyboard boards? Kevin Holiday: So, uh, we had a, a bond, uh, we, we were able to, uh, secure a bond. And so with that, the initial bond, uh, the projectors, uh, were purchased and then with the second bond, um. We decided to go with the interactive flat panels.

Okay. And so, uh, with that particular Bond initiative, we were able to get most of our schools and, uh. All of our schools and most classrooms outfitted with the BenQ interactive lab panels. And it has been a, a game changer, you know, going from a, a really cool projector, uh, where you're looking at this amazing image on the screen to now, uh, I don't just have to sit here and look at this image.

I can go up to the screen and actually touch and, and engage. Yeah. A bit more hands on. With it.

Hands on. Yeah. Madiha Shamsi: And get more creative Absolutely. And collaborative with it.

Absolutely. Versus the projectors. Yeah, that's, that's really, uh, a good point to move and improve technology in their classrooms. Um, Ryan, what do you think?

Uh. The districts was hoping with this switch in the long run, Ryan Causey: um, to encourage more interactive, um, interaction with the instruction being to get these kids out of their seat and up to the board so that they're actually a part of the learning process instead of a receiver of learning. Um, and really that's where the Big Q board really has stepped in. With a projector, you're just replacing something static analog, if you will.

And then when you move to the interactive panel, then you can interact with the learning, the materials, the different media types in a more, uh, intuitive and innovative way. Madiha Shamsi: That's a great point. Um, you talked about students getting moving out of their seats and like interacting and engaging. How did this.

Change impact the teachers in the way of their teaching? Ryan Causey: Absolutely. I guess it took them off the stage and made them have to change their role in instruction from the purveyor of learning to the guide of learning. So it allows them the opportunity to step to the side and guide the learning process through the board.

Um, that's really where it's allowed that opportunity for teachers to, um, allow the students to be, um, a more active role in their learning. Madiha Shamsi: So it's like they're not tethered to their desk or something and they're like taking a backseat and letting the learning just take its place in the classroom Ryan Causey: shift from the Industrial Revolution idea of the classroom to the 21st century classroom. Madiha Shamsi: Perfect. That's, that's really awesome.

Um, and you're. I'm sure seeing drastic change in the learning curve in the classrooms as well. Um, can you share what the teachers are experiencing with the board, uh, when they're doing their lesson planning versus when they were doing their lesson planning? For lessons in the classroom with a projector?

How is that different? Kevin Holiday: Uh, so teachers, uh, especially those teachers that are early adopters and they're very proficient, uh, with the boards, uh, as they're designing their lessons, they're looking for opportunities to integrate the board. Mm-hmm. And so, uh, any time, uh, anytime, uh, we use.

Uh, various resources, uh, during our instruction. So anytime there's an opportunity, like let's say in a science resource, if there's some sort of a digital lab, that the board lends itself to making that experience such an engaging one for students. Madiha Shamsi: That's, that's a great example. Like I would love to like see how like a science lab is using the board because that's like out of the box, very different, um, to see how that's like getting students involved in a lesson or an experiment or something.

Kevin Holiday: Absolutely. And, you know, in the science, you know, and just extending that with science, uh, you know, the lab experience is so important, uh, to just, you know, the seat content. You know, kids need opportunities to have the hand on experiment. Experience.

And of course it doesn't replace the actual concrete side, but it's a great bridge, uh, going from that pictorial, from the concrete to that pictorial representation to the actual hands-on experience in the lab. Madiha Shamsi: Ryan, have you seen anything exciting or a like wow aha moment with the board in like a different kind of setting that kind of surprised you? Ryan Causey: Well, you know, initially when you're talking about instructional technology, you have the SAMR model in which we base all of the different levels of technology integration.

You start off with substitution, right? And we're moving up that chain. Mm-hmm. The board supplies, uh, support for all levels of the samra model, but it also is innovative and, um.

Allows for that innovative, um, I guess creativity when coming up with instruction that they can move and use that board for redefinition and provide learning opportunities that, um, previously were not available. So I think the technology really is, um. Fits all levels of users. Madiha Shamsi: I, I like that, that you brought out that point.

Like it, um, the boards are like built in a way where teachers get, start at whatever their comfort level is, whether it be down here or midway, or they're ready to just accelerate it or go beyond, Ryan Causey: and it naturally helps them progress up that chain. Mm-hmm. So, you know, they'll find themselves augmenting and then modifying and then before, you know, they're moving naturally up to the re redefinition, just. From the board itself and having that opportunity, Madiha Shamsi: and I'm sure you two are very instrumental in like.

Escalate, uh, taking them to the next stage. Kevin Holiday: Oh, absolutely. Madiha Shamsi: And utilizing the board, right? Absolutely.

We Kevin Holiday: try our best. Yeah. We like to look for opportunities in the classroom for teachers to be able, uh, to use the device. Uh, and so, uh, I always like to say that our teachers are the content experts and will the tool experts.

And so, uh, yeah, we definitely try to focus on Sam model, especially as we look at blended learning. And always reminding teachers that, you know, you don't necessarily have to be at the top, that it just depends on, you know, what the student needs are. Ryan Causey: Right. And those early adopters also provide examples of how BenQ boards and the software can be utilized with our curriculum and our instructional pieces.

And it's better for them to learn from their coworkers and people that are teachers than to hear a step sheet from me. You understand what I mean? Yeah. So it's more natural and, and, um, it.

Comes as a support and as a collaboration between peers and coworkers. So I, I think that's been, um, pivotal, you know, and, and just, you know, getting the support out there and seeing these changes happening on the board. Madiha Shamsi: And what kind of like, uh, training support are you providing or are they reaching out to the BenQ team or re using BenQ resources to like, kind of enhance their learning and, uh, move along with their journey with the board in their classrooms?

Kevin Holiday: So, pretty much, you know, uh, we get a lot of calls, a lot of calls, emails, uh, from principals, uh. From, from instruction, instructional leaders on the campus to come out and do trainings, you know, PLC trainings. And typically, uh, what we try to do is always start at the foundations. You know, always tell teachers, let's just pretend you left Friday.

You showed up Monday at the board there. Lemme show you how to bring this thing from dart to light and get logged in and get started. Okay. And then we also look at, uh, because there are varying levels, let's look at who's doing what.

So what's something exciting you're doing in your classroom? And then try to replicate that so that we all learn something, uh, and then try to allow them to walk away with something amazing. Uh, BenQ has done an amazing job with updates, and so there's always some really cool tools, uh, that comes with the updates that we try to also showcase as well. Ryan Causey: You know, and being two or three instructional technology specialists for the district, it's uh, it's very imperative that we, um, leverage the CITs on the different campuses and we put them in a place so that they can support the work being done.

We're, we're almost a grassroots, um, um, system here where we have to find any opportunities to get in the classroom to, to provide these examples for 'em, even if it's just walking by a classroom and saying, well, did you think about this? You know, and then moving on. It's very. Um, almost natural, you know what I mean?

And once they Madiha Shamsi: start using it, they get their comfort level with it. Absolutely. And then they start exploring more and adding more to it Kevin Holiday: Absolutely. As well.

And I'll be transparent. Sometimes I walk by a room and like, oh, that's very cool. How'd you do that? Yeah.

Yeah. Madiha Shamsi: Uh, so we talked about the teacher impact with the teachers teaching with the board. Um, can you give us a little bit of insight at how it's like. Impacted the students in the classrooms?

Oh, yes. Um, across all your campuses, like, oh, Kevin Holiday: yes. So one of my favorite tools is Team Post. And so competition as a teacher, competition was something I did in the classroom.

Uh, we were competitive within the classroom, uh, classroom against classroom. I mean, that like has changed at all levels, you know, from the, from the pre-K kids all the way up to our, our 12th graders, uh, at our early college where they can. Bring up that team post and they put a problem up there. Uh, it was an ude problem, so I have no idea what they were doing, but the competition, the trying to get it done quickly, they're having so much fun.

And then they're learning and they're becoming a lot, a lot becoming a lot more proficient, uh, and deeper, uh, as far as their understanding, deepening their understanding. Madiha Shamsi: That competitive, uh, spirit when, you know, when you get that going, students even don't even know that they're learning, but they're learning a lot, doing that and just, uh, having fun along the way. Ryan Causey: Absolutely. That's the trick, right?

You don't want them to, to know that they're learning. Just wanna be a part of the process. Madiha Shamsi: I know we've talked a lot about like. Teacher experiences, but, uh, as you visit campuses and see how the board is being implemented and, uh, utilized on across campuses, um, what are some of your aha moments there?

Like, just like, oh, wow, I didn't even think of this, that the way the teacher or the student is using the board. Can you give us some examples or, uh, share some of your. Experiences like that. Ryan Causey: I mean, we're focusing on students and teachers as stakeholders, but there are, you know, instructional leadership, there is school leadership.

And so, you know, when we're talking about BenQ and training, we're not also, we're talking about students, we're talking about teachers, we're talking about how they can use it during PLCs and a group of professionals, how they can capitalize on the tools to dig into data or share or collaborate with each other in a professional setting. And so, you know, we not only. Instruct teachers and students, but we also find ways to implement it in all areas and, and with all stakeholders.

Kevin Holiday: And for me, I was at, uh, one of our elementary schools and the teacher gave the students, uh, the task of creating their own anchor charts. And so there were students, you know, students actually had agency, so she had the students in groups. She passed out, uh, chart paper, so you can do it. No tech.

Narrator: Right. Kevin Holiday: Or you could use the Bin Q board. And so it was amazing that kids could come up and, uh, create an anchor chart of their learning. And that goes up either, uh, as he would always say, analog on the, with the old style.

Mm-hmm. Post-it, note that I created the large post, or I can have this digital version of. Uh, my anchor chart. So I thought that was like really ingenious that kids get an opportunity to create a, a, an end product of, of the learning that could be shared with the class at some point.

Mm-hmm. Madiha Shamsi: Wow. Yeah. That, that is, uh, pretty cool.

Like kids are doing it two different ways and kind of seeing the differences in the, the variations of how you can do a simple task or like one given, um. Scenario to work on our project or something. So that's, that's, that's pretty cool. Um, I think what I would like to.

Look into and see is, um, as a whole spring ISD district, with the boards now being implemented and teachers starting to utilize them and getting familiar and comfortable in the long run. What are the learning goals for Spring ISD with the boards, uh, in the future? Going forward. Kevin Holiday: Uh, so again, we are all about, uh, trying to push blended learning, especially as we look at many of the gaps that our kids are experiencing, uh, especially post COVID.

And so just really looking at how we can leverage BQ and all other tools, you know, the projector as well as the board and all other, uh, devices that we have along with the resources to really. Personalize that learning experience for the students. Madiha Shamsi: I'm, I'm glad that you mentioned about that learning gap. Mm-hmm.

So the boards have like really helped teachers identify mm-hmm. Um, coming up with a more personalized plan for each kid by utilizing the board at identifying that. Could you shed some light on that a little bit? Yeah.

So Kevin Holiday: like, really, um, we have, uh, access to lots of digital resources, uh, like, uh. Like, let's say some of the math software, uh, that's adaptive. And so, uh, teachers can put students on these software programs to gather data. Uh, and then based on that data, come up with activities that you can use, uh, with the board and.

With whatever other resources we may have so that students can, uh, have a learning experience that's tailored to whatever their need is. And so, uh, the board is not necessarily, uh, providing the activity, but it's providing a different way to, for the student to access and learn it like, or like take the Madiha Shamsi: input. Absolutely right. Absolutely.

Can Ryan Causey: I add to that? Madiha Shamsi: Yes, of course. I mean, what Ryan Causey: type of learners do we have in the classroom these days? Ones that start off at three or four years old with an iPad in their hands in.

In Walmart watching and learning from the iPad. So we're taking them from the way they've been trained as learners and now we're able to provide them with the technology and an experience that's very similar to it. I call it educational hijacking 'cause they are learning those skills and the way to interact with the interfaces and it just seamlessly transfers over to the Banque. And so now they're.

Learning in, in a format that they're used to in, in chunks that they're used to. And so it's, I believe that the Big Q is providing them with the proper learning environment. Madiha Shamsi: That is an excellent point. Like if you look at that way, that's just like a natural, like our kids generally, right?

And like you said, like two three year olds, they know how to maneuver your cell phone and Yeah. And all of that. And the board is really pretty much mimicking what they're so used to. So it's the natural, the learning comes really natural and there Ryan Causey: is no learning curve.

'cause you already have the skillset. That's Madiha Shamsi: That's right. That's a great point. I really appreciate you sharing that.

For people who are trying to, or districts who are trying to like, look and evaluate, is it time to remove on from projectors and, and adopting to new technology that's more future ready for, for them, for the kids especially it's time to be Ryan Causey: Netflix and no longer blockbuster. Kevin Holiday: Absolutely. And one last thing too that I had too is that, um, our kids are really good with consuming with technology. Mm-hmm.

They, that's the natural. That's right. But we wanna also look for opportunities for our kids to be able to create. Uh, using these devices and so with giving them learning experiences, using the board as an extension and providing kids with those opportunities to be able to create, we're definitely setting them up for success.

Mm-hmm. In the fu in a future that we don't really know. Madiha Shamsi: That's right. That's a great point too, like getting them used to technology and stuff so that they're ready to be out when like, like ready to roll.

Right. When they're out there. Um, great, great points. I really appreciate you sharing those sides with us.

Um, I wanna like, thank you for joining us at our podcast today and, um, we look forward to working and continue our partnership with Spring ISD and, um. I just wanna thank everybody to joining us for our podcast and, uh, we will be back soon again with another great episode. Make sure do you follow all of our social links on, um, uh, LinkedIn, our YouTube page, and we look forward to seeing you again next, uh, episode. Thanks.

Narrator: Thanks for joining us on Teach Your Way with BenQ. For more resources and teaching inspiration, visit us online@benqboard.com. Don't forget to follow the show, so you never miss an episode.