Newton County School System (NCSS), Georgia, and SAFARI Montage were awarded the 2014 Learning Impact Gold Award at the annual IMS Global Learning Impact Leadership Institute. The award recognizes the district’s outstanding achievement using VIEWPath classroom technology systems to increase teacher effectiveness, decrease student misbehavior and provide students with access to lessons from home.
“We have been thrilled with the educational benefits we have received using the VIEWPath System which includes the SAFARI Montage Learning Object Repository,” said Dr. Gary Shattuck, Director of Technology and Media Services at NCSS. “We are increasing teachers’ effectiveness through self-reflection and peer coaching. In addition, after controlling for other variables, our discipline referrals dropped 18%, and our tests scores are increasing significantly.”
The VIEWPath systems, which consist of the SAFARI Montage platform coupled with Audio Enhancement’s voice amplification tools, silent alarms and classroom cameras, were implemented in 552 classrooms throughout NCSS in September 2013, following a successful pilot the previous year. Since the district-wide launch, NCSS teachers and administrators have been using the system to manage student behavior, record classroom activities and create digital resources to support blended learning and professional development.
The IMS Global Learning Impact Awards recognize the most powerful and influential uses of technology worldwide that address the most significant challenges facing the global education segment. Winners are selected by a panel of experts who use a series of rubrics to evaluate eight dimensions for improving teaching and learning impact, including improving access, affordability and quality of learning.
