According to a report in the Porterville Recorder, the Burton School District in Porterville, California, has dedicated significant resources to installing cutting edge technology in its classrooms. Of the district's 175 actively used classrooms, 76 percent have advanced devices, including document cameras and projectors.
The Burton School Board developed a classroom template to implement technology system-wide. Access to devices in a classroom, like an interactive whiteboard, tablet computer or
DLP projector, drives student engagement at schools across the nation with comprehensive, multimedia-infused lesson plans.
The district provides about $80,000 a year to support technology upgrades in classrooms, 20 percent of which is dedicated to maintenance, repair and replacement for existing equipment, according to the source.
"If there are dollars left over from that 20 percent at the end of the year, it can be used to purchase new items such as more projectors or document cameras," said Michael Burkey, director of information technology at Burton School District.
As the district continues to expand the capabilities of its classrooms, it's developing a network to connect classes across both schools and buildings. Projectors purchased within the last three years are equipped with wireless network access capabilities, and upgrades on existing projectors will eventually connect teachers and students throughout the system.
