Classroom ‘eye in the sky’ boosting instruction, cutting disruptions

Four Veterans Elementary kindergarten teachers gathered in a classroom Thursday to watch footage from their lessons and brainstorm together.

The session was made possible through cameras and “interactive panels” installed throughout the new school this fall.

Every classroom in the Bibb County school district will be equipped with a 70-inch interactive panel by the end of 2016 and a camera by the end of March.

The projects are being funded with proceeds from an education special purpose sales tax initiative. Each classroom setup costs $9,000 — about $4,500 for the camera and $4,500 for the panel, said Jason Daniel, executive director of the system’s capital programs.

“Our intent is to maximize E-SPLOST opportunities and ensure the district is the best it can possibly be,” said Mike Kemp, Bibb County’s assistant superintendent of technology services. “We recognize the needs of our students and staff to meet our goals.”

Cameras were installed in middle schools over the summer. They were recently put in the high schools, and the final phase is 22 elementary schools, Daniel said. Audio devices that amplify teachers’ voices are being added at the same time.

Instructors can use the cameras — which resemble a smoke detector to the untrained eye — to tape their lessons and review their delivery, and they decide what gets recorded, Kemp said. Faculty members can collaborate and get ideas by watching film of each other.

“It’s done for teachers. It’s not a ‘Big Brother’ or ‘I gotcha,’” he said. “It’s an opportunity to improve teaching in the classroom.”

On Thursday, Veterans kindergarten teachers Christine Jones, Heather Sickman, Teresa Jones and Beth Zoumberis watched footage of some of their lessons together on an interactive panel, which is like a digital chalkboard or a standalone computer on the wall.

Bibb County is one of the first districts to use the devices, Kemp said. Up to 10 fingers can touch the screen at a time, keeping students engaged and helping them work together, Bibb County Schools Chief of Staff Keith Simmons said.

The recordings help teachers brainstorm and show them how their peers are teaching, Christine Jones said. The videos can also be used for assessment if student groups need to be adjusted.

Teachers see ways they can improve their methods and practices, Zoumberis said. Teresa Jones said the cameras have been especially useful to her as a first-year teacher, as she can watch recordings without having to leave her classroom.

“In the school building, you can see a higher level of teacher engagement,” said Veterans principal Cleveland Johnson. “(The cameras are) mostly so they can learn from each other and share the great things they are doing in the classroom.”

The cameras also monitor school safety and security through a 24/7 live stream. In the event of an emergency, teachers can alert school administrators and Kemp through the system. Kemp is the only person who has access to this feed, which is stored for 14 days. Principals can ask for the video footage in the event of an incident, but just a little more than 50 requests have been received since last summer.

The numbers so far show that classroom disruptions are down since last year, although results may not be completely tied to the cameras, Kemp said. There were 329 incidents reported in middle schools this time last school year and 225 so far this year, Simmons said. School officials expect those number to continue to decrease.

Perimeter cameras, separate from the classroom systems, are being updated at schools as needed and are monitored by campus police.

The district is also updating its key-card entry system for buildings. Employees will eventually get new badges, which will have different access hours for administration, teachers and maintenance. The system will allow officials to keep track of who is coming into the schools and set alerts for people who should not be there.

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Classroom ‘eye in the sky’ boosting instruction, cutting disruptions."