Success Stories

• Margon School Case Study
• City School
• Central Catholic

City School

School District chooses a Super Close Projection System for ease of installation



While cost savings was a deciding factor for the Board, teachers and students fell in love with the 3M system’s interactive capabilities.

“Kids are very sophisticated about technology,” says Carelton Lyon, Johnson City Schools Technology Coach. “They like the interactivity of the 3M system and we have no apprehension about them getting their hands on it. In fact, we really encourage it, because any time there is interaction, student engagement is going to increase.”

Lyon says that students use the 3M projection systems for everything from practicing their penmanship to presenting research projects. Teachers use the system to deliver lessons incorporating streaming video, BrainPOP™ animated educational segments and good, old-fashioned writing – 3M’s annotation feature allows users to jot virtual notes on the projected image.

And, with 3M Vikuiti Super Close Projection Technology, teachers and students don’t have to worry about a projector light shining in their eyes.

“Everybody is very happy with the 3M system,” Lyon says.

When Johnson City Schools wanted the latest in high-tech media for their teachers and students, the district’s Board of Education chose 3M™ Vikuiti™ Super Close Technology. The district purchased and installed one-hundred fifteen 3M projection systems in 2007 with plans to purchase more.

Johnson City Schools, the school district for Johnson City, Tenn., which is about 100 miles northeast for Knoxville, educates more than seven thousand K-12 students.

“Finding the integrated solution with a projector, speakers and digital board is what first brought me to 3M. The 3M system’s ease of installation won over district officials.” says Technology Director Melony Higgins

“Originally we had looked at ceiling-mounted projectors, but we would have had to add an electrical outlet in each classroom,” Higgins says. “When you’re talking about more than a hundred classrooms, that’s pretty daunting from both a cost and logistical standpoint. The 3M product could be easily installed on the wall and plugged into an existing outlet.”

The Board also appreciated the fact that the 3M system could turn existing whiteboards into interactive whiteboards with their Annotation Sensor module, eliminating the need to invest in projection screens or interactive whiteboards.

Central Catholic

3M™ Digital Board ease of use and flexibility lead to better engagement in high school classrooms



Technology in the classroom is only valuable if teachers will use it. So, no matter how sophisticated the tool, if a teacher finds it difficult to incorporate their lesson plans, then they won’t, and the investment in technology is wasted.

That’s why Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Mass. chose 3M Digital Boards. Central Catholic is a college-prep high school with approximately 1,350 students.

“Prior to purchasing the 3M Digital Boards, we were using another leading brand of interactive board,” says Jodi Linnehan Kriner, director of technology, Central Catholic High School. “Our teachers prefer the 3M boards. Ease of use is the most important factor. They find the 3M board much easier to use in terms of maneuvering around and accessing what they need.”

“It’s very, very easy to learn how to use it,” says Andrew Nikonchuk, a science teacher at Central Catholic. “It’s self-explanatory and simple.”

Teachers also appreciate 3M Digital Board’s options. The board’s dry-erase surface can be used with any marker and easily cleaned. Or, teachers and students can use the digital presentation pen to make notes, which can be instantly saved and distributed.

“I like the flexibility of being able to write on the board itself or use the digital pen,” Nikonchuk says. “It makes the lesson much more interactive, so it’s not just a presentation, it’s a learning experience.”

Bottom line for the educators at Central Catholic: The 3M Digital Board’s ease-of-use and flexibility translates into enhanced learning for their students.

“Teachers love how the 3M board has brought a new dimension to their classrooms and their lesson plans, and they feel that the students are really engaged,” Kriner says. “It has really made the classroom more exciting and more interactive. When you’re talking about high school students, it’s great to see more engagement. That’s not an easy thing to achieve.”