Mimio Classroom Technology Blog

Our Takeaway From 2024: Big Solutions Lead to Small Wins for Educators

Written by Demetrius Handelih | Wed, Dec 18, 2024

 

At Boxlight, we focus on solving big problems. Campus communication. School safety. Improving student engagement and comprehension. Facilitating hands-on STEM learning. We’ve spent decades helping schools and districts tackle immense challenges with our solutions and look forward to continuing this journey in 2025.

We’re also inspired by the stories educators share about how our technology and products solve classroom-sized challenges. These remind us that our big-picture solutions create meaningful opportunities for impact, even in smaller, more localized settings, addressing the unique needs of individual students and classrooms. Here are a few examples.

“I have done drawings on boards, still magnets, I've used beads—the beads go bouncing all over the place.”

Teaching teenagers abstract concepts like meiosis is not easy. For Bob Wallace, a high school biology teacher in Crawfordville, Florida, traditional tools often left students disengaged, struggling to make connections, and groaning about having to do tedious tasks like graphing.

Then he brought in 3D-printed hands-on resources that allow students to physically explore complex processes, and his classroom environment completely changed. “These kits solve a big problem—they spark curiosity and make science both fun and meaningful,” he says. “It’s a low-cost, high-impact solution every teacher should consider.”

Today, he’s finding students energized and eager to use the materials, which makes some of the more tedious tasks feel relevant and—dare we say—fun? “Because they get excited about having something that's cutting-edge 3-D technology, they're willing to do the graphing,” he said. 

External Noise Problem Solved

Monique, a teacher at St. Aloysius College Junior School, had a different kind of challenge. Her classroom was situated near a busy road, and the external noise often made it hard for students to hear her. She was also ending each day with a headache and a general feeling of stress, having spent hours projecting her voice.

Monique decided to try classroom microphones for herself and her students, and immediately felt a weight lifted. Students in the back of the room no longer had trouble hearing. She could quickly call the class to attention. And the student microphones noticeably boosted engagement by giving everyone—even the quietest learners—a loud, clear voice.

“I know that I'm making a good choice for my health when I wear the microphone, so it's been a really great benefit for everybody in the room,” she said. 

Other teachers in the building followed her lead and gave it a try. “After they use them for a little while, they see that they'd never go back,” Monique said. “I would recommend them for the benefit of the teachers, of the students, of anybody who comes into the room.”

Less Clutter, Better Learning

“We like to do things differently,” said Daniel Thompson, a middle school science teacher at the Ron Clark Academy in Georgia. One thing his students learn is that there's more than one way to achieve a goal, and he likes to make that come to life with engaging, hands-on experiments.

However, he was facing some cumbersome storage problems. Teaching units on everything from human body systems to electrical circuits required multiple devices and a variety of lab tools—not to mention the significant setup time that took away valuable teaching moments.

Then he introduced an all-in-one data logger that transformed how he conducted experiments. “The simplicity is a game-changer,” he says. “Having everything in one small device reduces clutter and makes science more accessible for students.” 

From measuring heart rates during exercise to exploring temperature changes and pH levels, Labdisc made it easy for his students to engage with digital tools and see themselves as future scientists.

Since then, Labdisc has become a schoolwide cornerstone for simplifying labs, fostering creativity, and making science education both fun and practical for everyone.

As we reflect on 2024, stories like these remind us why we do what we do. With the right tools, these educators addressed individual challenges and created more engaging, inclusive and effective learning environments for their schools.

At Boxlight, we know that big solutions can lead to small-but-powerful wins that ripple outward, improving not only teacher experiences but also school culture and student outcomes. As we move into 2025, we remain committed to supporting educators in solving big and small challenges alike, and we look forward to hearing more stories like these. 

If you have a similar experience to share, we’d love to hear about it. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn and tag us with your story!