As school districts across the country continue hybrid and distance instruction into 2021, the Canutillo Independent School District (ISD) in El Paso, Texas has deployed robotic cameras to improve the remote learning experience.
Canutillo ISD has invested $273,000 into purchasing nearly 300 Swivl integrated robotic cameras, intending to improve remote instruction by keeping students engaged and connected. The cameras integrate with the Zoom video conferencing solution. The technology “allows teachers to have real-time smart cameras that would follow the learning environment for synchronous lesson delivery while simultaneously creating a recording for asynchronous learners,” according to a Canutillo ISD press release.
“We are really able to bring the classroom to the students learning at home,” said Oscar Rico, technology executive director of the Canutillo ISD. “The smart camera system makes the classroom more interactive and they very much get a sense of being in the classroom itself.”
The new cameras allow teachers to move freely around their classroom and still be on camera for at-home students. In addition to helping teachers, the cameras also allow groups of students to collaborate in-person and online.
“We need to provide safe learning spaces for our teachers and students,” said Pedro Galaviz, superintendent of the Canutillo ISD. “This helps us teach in-person to a reduced student population while also serving students, not in the classroom. And, teachers don’t have to be chained to their computer to do it.
