The Maricopa County Education Service Agency in Phoenix, Arizona, recently announced that it is expanding on a $400,000 pilot program that tested remote classroom instruction, according to AZ Central. The program uses live webcasts to connect instructors with students from miles away, while students perform work using iPads, allowing instructors to monitor the students' processes remotely.
"That one tool replaces hundreds of tools," Laurie King, director of innovative practices at the Maricopa County Education Service Agency, told the source. "We can hire one teacher and extend the reach of that teacher 10 times."
Students who have access to classroom technology, like a tablet computer, interactive whiteboard or
DLP projector, are given an advantage because their teachers can follow their thought processes and apply more individualized didactic methods based on an understanding of a student's natural learning style. In Phoenix, the remote eighth-grade math teacher, Eric Hockman, downloads free iPad applications that students can use to draw graphs and record their problem-solving steps, allowing Hockman to access this information digitally.
Officials say that the program's initial success left teachers optimistic about potential applications in other area schools. Many school districts in Arizona are rural, and connecting students remotely to educational resources saves time and money.
