By Dr. Don Gemeinhardt, Grant Specialist

The latest Nation’s Report Card, provided by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), recently shared some troubling news about student achievement across the United States.

EdTech is constantly evolving, shaped by visionaries whose ideas push boundaries and redefine possibilities. Many of the tools that power today’s schools—communication networks, interactive displays, AI-driven learning and collaborative applications—were developed by Black innovators whose contributions have reshaped science, mathematics and engineering. Their work continues to drive advancements in classroom technology today and into the future. Here are just a few examples.

Empowering Schools with Unmatched Flexibility

At Boxlight, we believe innovation should be driven by the real needs of educators and organizations. That’s why we’re excited to introduce the Clevertouch Max 2—the first interactive display under our unified Clevertouch brand. This interactive panel represents a major step forward in our commitment to delivering seamless, intuitive, and future-ready technology for classrooms and collaborative spaces.

The leadership team at Horizon Christian Academy wasn't looking for a quick fix or flashy gimmicks. They wanted to find practical ways to genuinely improve teaching and learning campuswide. For a school dedicated to preparing more than 500 students for the future, that meant getting technology that would support teachers, engage students and make every classroom more immersive and impactful.

How Technology Can Make Every Student an Active Learner

When students are actively engaged in learning, they perform better—and this doesn’t only apply to academic achievement. They also gain valuable critical thinking and collaboration skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Are you navigating any of these challenges at your school?

• Emergency instructions aren’t always clearly relayed to everyone on campus.
• Response times can be delayed due to lagging equipment and lack of integration.
• PA systems are unreliable, hard to maintain and lack features like zone-specific alerts or mobile management.
• Bells, intercoms, access control and classroom audio don’t all work together seamlessly.
• Resources that could be used for instruction are going to frequent repairs and technician visits.

If so, it’s time to take a fresh look at your technology.

Every school faces its own set of challenges, shaped by its unique environment, needs and community. But addressing these challenges isn’t just about installing new tools—it’s also about crafting thoughtful solutions that work together to keep everyone safe. 

You can achieve that with the right blend of integrated technology, thoughtful leadership and close collaboration, and Boxlight can help. Here are some solutions that make it possible.

“They love the 3D printers,” said Riann Offutt-Price, STEM teacher at Cheatham County School District in Tennessee. “They love to watch them. They like to see what we're printing, how long it's going to take. It’s pretty mind-blowing for them.”

Since the district introduced MimioSTEM solutions, learners have been immersed in innovative technologies that spark curiosity, foster creativity and bring science, technology, engineering, and math to life. As a result, student engagement and hands-on learning have reached new levels. 

In 2019, the El Paso, Texas community was shaken to its core by an unthinkable tragedy. A 15-year-old sophomore from Horizon High School, Javier Amir Rodriguez, was the youngest victim of a horrific mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart. It was a devastating loss for everyone at Clint Independent School District, including its Superintendent, Dr. Juan Martinez, who delivered an emotional address at his memorial. 

The shooting hadn’t taken place on a school campus, but it did bring that possibility to the forefront of many minds. As the community continued to heal, Dr. Martinez and his team worked to update and fortify the technology infrastructure throughout the district to streamline communication and build safer, more connected learning environments on every campus. 

Teaching is an art, a science and a continual learning process. The rapidly changing world of classroom technology has created new challenges for many educators, but it has also opened up opportunities for innovation and collaboration. 

In this episode of Unbox Innovation, Michelle Dawn Mooney welcomes Taylor-Ann Charles, a Training and Development Specialist at EOS Education by Boxlight, and Bernadette Moreno, an Education Mentor and Adult Learning Coordinator at Phoenix Union High School (PXU), to discuss a refreshing approach to teacher professional learning. Listen to hear about what’s making it so successful.