mimio Case Studies

Empowering Special Needs Children through
mimio® Interactive Technology
North Shelby School, NC

mimio® with a "Can Do" Attitude

When Donnie Peeler goes to work in the morning, it’s with one thought in mind: "We never give up on student success."

Donnie is a technology specialist at North Shelby School, a K-12 special-purpose school within the Cleveland County school district in North Carolina. At North Shelby, the mission is to "provide specialized and individualized educational and support services uniquely designed to empower students with the skills needed to function as self-reliant and productive citizens in the 21st century." One of Donnie’s favorite tools for accomplishing that mission is mimio® Interactive technology.

Goals and Challenges

North Shelby's students range in age from 3 to 21, and all are special needs kids with a wide variety of learning issues. The challenge to stimulate learning and retention in these students is daunting. But achieving the school’s mission soon became easier when an administrator from another Cleveland County school recommended implementing mimio technology in the classroom. Readily accepting the recommendation, the school chose the mimio Interactive system because it is portable and flexible, doesn’t cost a ton of money, and is user-friendly for both teachers and students.

Meeting the Challenge

Donnie and his colleagues use mimio Studio software to expand the teaching experience and create an interactive and exciting learning environment. From mimio Gallery, teachers can select from a vast array of ready-to-use lessons and alter them as needed. Dynamic lessons are the hit of many classes, with teachers using audio, video, and Flash to impart knowledge and illustrate concepts. Visually impaired students do particularly well with mimio technology, since the huge visuals allow them to see and participate in lessons. And because mimio software works so well with other standard software, teachers can still rely on their existing lessons in applications.

Outcome

Today, North Shelby is a beehive of mimio activities. Donnie has trained over 80% of the school’s staff in the mimio Interactive system, and most classrooms use it several times a week, if not daily. Their uses of the technology are so innovative and wide-ranging that they are regularly reported in the school newspaper. For instance, in the Intermediate 1 Math classroom, one of the students’ favorite lessons involves using the mimio Interactive whiteboard to let each student get in front of the class and play a math game from the computer. This allows the students to show their classmates the goals they are currently working on and the progress they have made.

Another newspaper story reported that junior students in the Occupational Course of Study and the Extensions of the Standard Course of Study were learning and applying the concepts of perimeter and area. Using the mimio system along with websites such as www.shodor.org and www.bgfl.org, students can work on mastering the concepts as well as find practical uses for perimeter and area in household projects such as buying paint and carpet.

And then there’s the hairstyling session. Just ask North Shelby students for one example of why they love the mimio technology, and chances are you’ll hear about the practical life session in which students were able to "try on" various hairstyles to see which they liked and which were the most flattering. After all, part of North Shelby’s mission is to "empower students with the skills needed to function as self-reliant and productive citizens in the 21st century." And what could be more empowering than having confidence in the way you look?