Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A total of 12 Colfax teachers are now testing out the use of a MOBI, a tablet-like device which allows a teacher, or student, to write on a “chalkboard” from anywhere in the classroom.
Colfax School District Technology Director Margie Hamilton arranged for the 90-day free trial, for which she obtained the MOBI devices from a conference in Spokane.
The experiment began Jan. 24.
With the trial period past the halfway point, Hamilton is now gathering preliminary feedback.
The MOBI (“Mobile Integrated Whiteboard”) devices are provided by C.I.M. Technology Solutions.
“As far as the kids’ response, they love it, but the teachers have given mixed reviews,” Hamilton said.
Some teachers have embraced it fully and talk about buying one out of their classroom budget, while others have reported motion sickness, connectivity issues, glitches, overall ineffectiveness and/or inefficiency.
The wireless devices, made by E-Instruction, project through a computer. That allows the message or illustrations to be saved for future use or review.
Classrooms in Colfax are now equipped with white boards which are compatible with the black and white projects from the MOBIs.
In addition, teachers can do layers, such as a multi-step process which can be repeated or reversed with the frames saved as a file.
While giving a lesson, a teacher is able to walk around the classroom, and hand the MOBI to a student to perform a problem which projects onto the whiteboard at the front of class.
Jennings sixth-grade teacher Julie Kincaid uses her trial MOBI for math, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and other lessons.
“I like it very much. I’m excited to have this technology in the classroom,” said Kincaid. “It increases the kids’ engagement and participation, and thus their learning.”
She notes her sixth graders have picked up how to use it quicker than she has. She likes the classroom freedom it allows.
“There’s something going on at the front of the room that’s not me standing there,” she said.
She also points out drawbacks.
“There is only one MOBI and 29 students so making sure everybody has a chance to use it, and with technology glitches it tends to slow down the class,” said Kincaid. “That does pose a problem.”
Hamilton said the device is advantageous for a student who is sick, so they can access the same teaching material from a school-day as students in class.
“Not every piece of technology is right for every teacher,” said Hamilton. “So for a teacher it works well for, it’s worth the money. That’s the part that’s exciting to me.”
Robin Huff of C.I.M. spoke at the monthly tech roundtable which Hamilton attends with other school technology directors. The December meeting was at Educational Services District 101 in Spokane. Huff offered to come to Colfax and do training on the dozen devices for trial.
Hamilton brought a sample MOBI back from that meeting and showed it around to Colfax teachers. A total of 15 expressed interest. Hamilton felt it was a device which was ready for classroom testing.
“I like to wait until technology has proven that it’s stable,” she said.
Huff came to Colfax Jan. 24. She said that MOBIs have been used in 150 schools in the state of Washington in the past year.
The MOBI units cost $300 to $350 per unit, depending on how many are ordered at one time.
“I think it’s a good tool, I really do,” said Colfax High math teacher Christopher Clausen, who is part of the trial. “There are others, but this is a great start.”
Clausen uses the color change feature on his test MOBI to review students projected work in an alternate color.
Hamilton reported on the MOBI test project to school board members in January and plans to give a followup report after the 90-day trial is complete.
“I do think we’re going to move forward, but it’s not going to be overnight,” said Hamilton, now in her eighth year as tech director for the district.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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