Introduction
Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, has made significant strides in integrating technology into education. Under the leadership of Chief Technology Officer Lesley Coe, the school adopted Vivi, a digital solution designed to change how teachers interact with their classrooms. Coe’s mission was clear: find a technology that could allow teachers to move away from the front of the room and engage more directly with their students. “Vivi was the end of a long personal quest to find screen sharing in classrooms that would untether teachers,” she states, signifying a pivotal shift towards more interactive learning environments. As an added benefit, this integration also paved the way for enhancing the school’s safety protocols, showcasing Vivi’s versatility beyond educational improvements.
This initiative significantly transformed classroom learning at the school and laid the groundwork for a crucial enhancement in emergency communication systems. Understanding the importance of efficient and effective safety protocols, Coe spearheaded the integration of Vivi with the specialized emergency management system offered by Raptor Technologies. Initiated in 2022, the partnership leverages a seamless API integration through Raptor Connect, enabling the school to quickly broadcast visual alerts through Vivi-equipped screens during emergencies.
Background
Technology is a cornerstone of Cardinal Gibbons High School, where Coe’s leadership has steered its integration into every facet of learning. From her start as a Teach for America educator to becoming the school’s CTO, Coe has been on a relentless quest to push educational technology forward. “I started as a classroom teacher… which then led to this current position,” Coe reflects on her journey. Her experiences laid the groundwork for the school’s technological evolution, leading her to Vivi—a platform designed not only to transform teaching but also to streamline school-wide communication and enhance emergency preparedness through its integration with Raptor Technologies.
The challenge: enhancing classroom engagement and communication
At Cardinal Gibbons High School, navigating the technological landscape presented distinct challenges that required innovative solutions. Spearheaded by Coe, the school identified critical areas needing improvement to elevate the educational experience:
- Inconsistent technology in classrooms: The diverse mix of hardware across classrooms, including Promethean Boards, Smart boards, screen beams, HDMI cords and TVs, led to a patchwork of screen sharing experiences. This inconsistency hindered the ability to provide a uniform, dynamic learning environment across all classrooms.
- Limited teacher mobility: Traditional teaching setups often restricted educators to the front of the classroom, limiting their interaction and engagement with students. Coe emphasized the need for a solution that would free teachers from these physical constraints, stating, “This is something that teachers need.”
- Cumbersome school-wide communication: Existing methods for updating and disseminating information were inefficient and relied heavily on outdated technology. This system was not only time-consuming but also failed to ensure that important messages reached the entire school community promptly.
- Emergency communication gaps: The school’s ability to communicate quickly and effectively in emergency situations was hampered by the limitations of their current systems. A more comprehensive solution was desired to ensure the safety and security of students and staff.
These challenges underscored the need for a more effective solution that could seamlessly integrate into the classroom, enhance learning experiences, and foster a sense of community and safety among students and staff.
The solution
After thorough research, Cardinal Gibbons High School, under Coe’s direction, chose Vivi for its excellence in wireless screen mirroring and its potential to integrate with emergency management systems. Vivi’s implementation marked the beginning of significant improvements across the school:
- Seamless classroom integration: Vivi’s technology was deployed across classrooms, offering a unified and reliable screen mirroring solution that supported dynamic teaching methods. “I read a tweet about this product that claimed it was going to do all of the things,” Coe shared, highlighting the solution’s promise to transform classroom engagement.
- Empowering teachers: With Vivi, educators are no longer bound to the front of the classroom. The system’s ease of use and reliability enables teachers to interact more freely with their students, creating a more immersive learning experience.
- Efficient and targeted communication: Vivi’s live video announcement capabilities allow the school to communicate effectively across campus for morning prayer and daily student news broadcasts.
- Strong Safety Protocols: Implementing Vivi and Raptor Technologies for seamless emergency alerts, enhancing school-wide safety and communication.
Strengthening emergency response with Raptor integration
In response to the critical challenge of filling emergency communication gaps at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Coe identified a need for a more robust system. The solution came in the form of integrating Vivi with Raptor Technologies. This integration was facilitated through an API, enabling automatic visual alerts on Vivi-enabled displays during critical emergencies.
Addressing the initial communication gaps, the integration between Vivi and Raptor Technologies markedly improved the school’s emergency response capabilities. This setup facilitates silent communication strategies that are invaluable not just for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing but also in scenarios where discretion is crucial to maintain calm and ensure safety.
Coe, speaking wishfully about the broader application of silent alerts, states, “If we find ourselves in a situation where we might need to silently communicate to a room, I’d want to be able to send that message.” This method would ensure critical information is shared without causing undue alarm or attracting unwanted attention, ensuring that all students and staff, regardless of their hearing ability or the situation at hand, are informed and can respond appropriately to any emergency. “Sometimes you don’t want it to be said out loud,” Coe remarks, highlighting the importance of discretion in certain situations.
The deployment of Vivi and its integration with Raptor Technologies directly tackled the initial challenges, marking a leap forward in the school’s commitment to maintaining a secure learning environment. This strategic move highlights Cardinal Gibbons High School’s dedication to leveraging technology not only to enrich education but also to enhance safety protocols, setting a benchmark for emergency preparedness within educational settings.
Outcomes and benefits: elevating education
In addition to enhancing safety and preparedness, the adoption of Vivi has significantly improved the on-campus experience at Cardinal Gibbons, creating a more engaging and interactive learning environment. Teachers now enjoy the freedom to move around the classroom, fostering a more immersive teaching experience. Moreover, the school has leveraged Vivi’s communication features for celebrating achievements and enhancing school culture, demonstrating the system’s value beyond the classroom.
Future vision: expanding capabilities and enhancing safety
As Cardinal Gibbons High School looks ahead, the successful implementation of Vivi has laid the groundwork for further technological advancements, with Coe at the forefront of these initiatives. The integration of Vivi for wireless screen mirroring and emergency communication, in partnership with Raptor Technologies, has already made a significant impact. Moving forward, Coe has several enhancements in mind:
- Extending Vivi to communal spaces: Recognizing the importance of effective communication across all school areas, Coe plans to deploy Vivi in communal spaces, such as hallways and common areas. This expansion aims to address current communication gaps and ensure that Vivi’s visual emergency alerts are accessible throughout the entire campus, further solidifying the school’s commitment to safety.
- Leveraging advanced features for targeted communication: With the foundation of Vivi and Raptor Technologies integration in place, Coe is exploring the potential for more sophisticated, zone-specific emergency communication. This capability would allow the school to tailor messages to specific locations during emergencies, providing clear instructions based on the situation and location, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of their response protocols.
- Continual improvement of safety protocols: The partnership between Vivi and Raptor Technologies has opened new avenues for improving emergency preparedness and response. Coe is committed to continuously evaluating and enhancing these systems, ensuring that Cardinal Gibbons remains at the forefront of educational safety and innovation.
These plans underscore Cardinal Gibbons High School’s dedication to not just maintaining but actively improving and expanding the use of technology for education and safety. With Coe’s vision and leadership, the school is set to further integrate technology into the educational experience, demonstrating a proactive and forward-thinking approach to school safety, communication, and engagement.
