During the first week of October, new Promethean Technology Boards were distributed throughout Wakefield. The interactive boards are large, TV-like pieces of technology. Classroom teachers and students alike were overjoyed by the new equipment and are adapting to the performance of the boards in comparison to the traditional projector.

Contrasting opinions have emerged since the introduction of the new technology within the school. However, many believe that the boards will have a positive impact on students.

Jacara Poole, a history teacher, feels that the Promethean boards will help students with their education.

“I think they will help improve student learning and understanding,” Poole said. “They are easy to use and clearer than the projectors that were used previously.”

While teachers relied on projectors for years, they were often unpredictable and had a short lifespan. Though the projectors did an efficient job in presenting important information to students, they often died after just 20 months, compared to the Promethean Boards’ average lifespan of ten years. On top of the shorter duration of the projectors, they also were enervated and in need of replacing. Although the boards have a longer lifespan, some issues have arisen.

¨I like that they are easy to display to students and have speakers embedded for videos,” Poole said. “However, I dislike that sometimes my screen will randomly disconnect.”

Jack Tan, a sophomore, agrees that the projectors were impractical.

¨[Projectors] lack the interactivity of the Promethean boards which helps many kids learn better,¨ Tan said.

Purchasing the new boards was most certainly not cheap for Wake County, considering each board costs about 1500 dollars. The Wakefield has received roughly 94 boards–enough for every classroom.

Media Specialist John Smith explains why Wakefield has not advanced their technology sooner.

¨The cost to the school has been what has limited us getting them sooner,” Smith said. “These devices were up for consideration in 2019, but then the pandemic hit and the district had to focus on making sure every student had a device they could use at home.”

Wakefield students, teachers, and administrators agree that the new Promethean Boards are a step in the right direction. The Promethean Boards are helping to improve the education system one day at a time. Senior Halley Murphy is excited to learn from the possibilities of this new technology.

¨I think that they are a great new addition to the classrooms,” Murphy said. “I hope that in the next few months teachers can get a better understanding of how to use the boards for more beneficial educational purposes.”