This summer, the Department of Technology & Digital Learning led a major initiative to modernize classrooms across the district. The project required extensive planning, the careful removal of outdated projectors, and the installation of Ockers TouchView Interactive teaching panels. Building on past upgrades at Swallow Union and Florence Roche Elementary Schools, this year’s work marked the next phase of a multi-year effort to bring cutting-edge instructional technology to every school. Thanks to this work, students and teachers now have access to state-of-the-art tools that enhance engagement and support innovative teaching practices.
To prepare staff for this transition, teachers took the time to test out panels last spring, piloting them in their classrooms. Network Technician Shelley Petricca played a key role in supporting teachers throughout the transition. She worked tirelessly to meet with staff, schedule training sessions, and answer questions during the spring pilot, ensuring they felt confident exploring the new technology. As Ms. Petricca reflected on the teaching panels so far, she shared, “I’m glad I was able to give the teachers a preview of the panels so that when they returned from summer break, they weren’t overwhelmed by this exciting new technology.”
Over the summer, early access and training allowed a handful of educators to explore features, give feedback, and consider new ways to connect with students. Interest in professional learning was high, with over 40 GDRMS teachers applying for the summer workshop. However, the district was able to select a group of seven teachers to take part in the second, paid training session. These educators received a stipend, a professional development certificate, and the distinction of serving as TouchView Ambassadors, helping to guide their colleagues in integrating the panels into daily instruction.
GDRMS Band and General Music Teacher James Shetler shared, “I find the interactive panels to be intuitive and easy to use… The tools I have used have been extremely helpful in running my classes. I love being able to save my whiteboard writings as PDFs and share them wherever I need them.”
Mr. Shetler, one of the TouchView Ambassadors, continued saying, “I’ve used the panel to run Jeopardy games, operate it using the built-in browser, and show YouTube videos of band recordings with the full score visible…then freeze and annotate the score to show students what’s happening throughout the ensemble. This saves me from having to scan every page of the score with the old projectors.”
With the recent installation of 69 new panels at Middle School North, the Marion Stoddart Building, and the Boutwell Early Childhood Center, Groton-Dunstable now has over 150 interactive teaching panels throughout the district. This expansion underscores the district’s commitment to equipping classrooms with modern tools that support universal learning design and empower teachers to showcase student work in dynamic, engaging ways.
As Tracy Weeks, a veteran Sixth Grade Teacher at GDRMS, noted, “I am looking forward to integrating some opportunities for students to use the board during lessons in the future." Eighth-grade teacher Maureen Connery enjoys the mathematics access the panels provide, sharing, "The panels have allowed me to rotate, translate, and reflect objects live in front of the students."
The Department of Technology & Digital Learning is proud to have fully supported this project from planning through installation and training, ensuring both staff and students benefit from the district’s investment in modern learning environments!
