NetSmart Plus is honored to work with Western Michigan Christian Schools on a unique opportunity to increase student engagement, ease the minds of parents, and streamline technology for teachers.
With the school year recently starting, there had been several challenges with virtual learning (lack of collaboration, insufficient technology, and concerns of low student engagement being a few). Applied Imaging worked with Western Michigan Christian Schools to implement a truly interactive educational experience, which included a fully customizable Virtual Kit for each of the 30 classrooms. These kits were packed with tools such as crystal-clear wireless microphones, several cameras (one facing the whiteboard, one facing the class), projectors, stands and podiums, and mixers to make sure everything worked together.
Armed with this new kit from NetSmart Plus, Western Michigan Christian Schools is able to change the game with virtual learning. Parents have commented how confident they are with this platform and students have found that it’s much easier to participate with the rest of the class, making them feel more included.
The benefits to the students are that they can not only see the teacher but also see their fellow students (if it’s a hybrid model where some are in class and some are virtual.) This will help with inclusion and to keep students engaged while at home and allow for collaboration and participation.
“This saves me a ton of time, because now, I don’t have to prepare two separate lessons – one for in-seat students and one for virtual students. They’re both getting the same quality lesson,” said Mark Hill, a teacher at Western Michigan Christian Schools.
“We were excited that Western Michigan Christian Schools partnered with NetSmart Plus to bring an enhanced virtual learning experience to their students. It was evident from the first meeting that their staff was keenly focused on the best education experience for their students and we were proud to design and implement a solution that would have a big impact for years to come,” said Bryan Teipel, NetSmart Plus general manager.
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About Western Michigan Christian Schools
Western Michigan Christian Schools was founded in 1948 by parents from three area Christian elementary schools desiring Christian education through the twelfth grade. These three schools were: Fremont Christian, Grand Haven Christian, and Muskegon Christian; they were joined shortly thereafter by New Era Christian. These schools were united by a desire for Christian education from a Reformed perspective. The current makeup of our school is a result of an intentional focus on reaching out and building community. In fact, each of the past seven years we have seen an increase in enrollment, currently 355, grades 7-12.
About NetSmart Plus
NetSmart Plus, a division of Applied Imaging, is one of the largest full-service Managed IT Services providers in the Midwest. NetSmart Plus offers a large portfolio of solutions such as fully managed services from 24/7 IT Help desk support, Network and Security Operation Centers, backup and recovery, IT hardware, data center, co-managed services and more. With over 3500 managed workstations and over 400 services managed, NetSmart Plus has the experience and combined tenure from 30+ employees across 13 offices in Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. Their main goal is to ensure your network is secure and problems are resolved before you realize it.
About Applied Imaging
Applied Imaging was founded in 1987 by John and Sandy Lowery of Grand Rapids, Michigan. With over 400 employees and 13 offices in Michigan, Florida and Northern Ohio, Applied Imaging is in the business of streamlining your processes and helping organizations achieve their desired efficiency and productivity goals. Offerings through Applied Imaging include: copiers and printers, managed print services, content management solutions, managed network services, facilities management, and document destruction services.
