In an effort to increase engagement with students and expand teacher flexibility and activity in classrooms, Frisco ISD has decided to remove teacher monitors and distribute Chromebooks and other mobile devices to educators across the district for the 2022-2023 school year and beyond.

“The Frisco ISD philosophy has always been to leverage technology that will allow the teacher to teach from anywhere in the room,” Digital Learning Coach Nicole Lotz said. “The technology refresh supports a more learner centered environment, allowing for flexibility that is needed in an agile learning space.”

However, the district’s plan to create a more active and engaging environment for teachers and students alike, doesn’t stop at the removal of monitors and implementation of mobile devices as the district is investing in new and mobile furniture and equipment in the next year. 

“Starting next year, with our investment in mobile technology and new furniture, we are going to have new modular desks that are not rectangular shaped, but curved and that are on wheels, so kids can move around however they want,” Instructional Coach Jeff Crowe said. “[Furthermore], there is going to be somewhat a hospital tray for teachers to move around the room wherever we want, so that remote keyboard and mouse will come in very handy to use.” 

Because of these new technological and classroom advances that have and will be implemented, teachers have been trying to find ways to adapt to various methods of teaching. 

“The biggest difference for me is that I now have to use the Chromebook this year for emails and attendance as opposed to last year, I could freeze the screen on the projector,” math teacher Kathryn Schalla said. “[However], I am still using the same platform that I have always used, a Mobi, which is a stylist, that allows me to write on the screen from the back, the side, or the middle of the room, allowing me the freedom I always had.” 

Despite the adjustments being made in the classroom, Crowe believes that more activity and flexibility among teachers will help focus more on the students and their progress.

“I think that the benefit of not having a ‘teacher station’ is that we are able to turn the focus more on the kids as opposed to looking at the front of the room where the leadership of the room is,” Crowe said. “So, I think that this would sort of change the mindset of how we approach teaching and how we make teaching more student-centered as opposed to the teachers giving the students information and them writing the notes down for the test.”