I am the authorized K-12 representative in South Carolina for eInstruction by Turning Point.
Bill McIntosh
SchoolVision Inc..
Authorized South Carolina K-12 Consultant for eInstruction by Turning Technologies
Phone :843-442-8888
Email :WKMcIntosh@Comcast.net
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1. CRAFTING THE 21ST
CENTURY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Midland Independent School District CASE STUDY
USING TABLETS AND INSIGHT 360 TO INFORM AND INSTRUCT
CHALLENGE
Dennis Haynie is the Director of Instructional Technology for the Midland Independent School District,
located in Midland, Texas. He has been with Midland for over twelve years and currently leads a team of
nine technology coaches that train and work with teachers to implement educational technology into their
lessons. After passing a bond that enabled the district to purchase tablets for their elementary school
students, Dennis was challenged with finding a learning solution for their tablet initiative that would also allow
mobile presentation options for the teachers.
SOLUTION
Dennis researched the options available and found that only one solution would meet his needs - Insight
360. Insight 360 provided the students with the ability to respond and construct answers with their tablets.
Through the Insight 360 Student app, connecting to a class is both quick and easy for the young learners.
Students are able to annotate and construct a full response with the tablets, as opposed to just submitting a
one letter answer.
Insight 360’s Teacher app allows the instructor to stay flexible throughout their lesson by providing remote
access to their desktop. Teachers are provided with the ability to launch assessments and view real-time
results from students – all on their teacher tablet. They gain immediate feedback of what concepts students
understood or struggled to comprehend and can instantly redirect instruction. When visiting the classrooms
and talking with the teachers, Dennis says, “They like the interaction and I see more engagement in the
classroom and with Insight 360, every student is engaged. The user-friendliness for the teacher is the most
beneficial because they can pick up the tablet and start teaching immediately. They love it.”
CONCLUSION
Dennis plans on expanding the Insight 360 use through the entire 35-school district. Through phase one of
the adoption, grades K-6 (a mix of over 7,200 students and 700 teachers) would be using the tablets with
Insight 360, daily. He hopes that all 24,000 students and 1600 teachers in the district will be using Insight
360 at some point. With an adoption to that scale, network planning must go into the implementation of
the devices and software. Dennis had a realistic idea of the amount of broadband width needed and the
number of wireless access points required in order to avoid system overload. They ran test cases and would
try different wireless scenarios to ensure success. Dennis says, “We didn’t buy the product first and test the
network second. We tested everything before the purchase.” He reiterates that, “Infrastructure is a breaking
point. Even with high-dollar equipment, it must be configured correctly and with enough access points to
make it work.” Dennis implemented and deployed his district’s technology in the best way possible, allowing
their students and teachers to learn and instruct in a 21st century classroom.