Prior to the pandemic, more and more schools and districts across the United States were shifting to 1:1, meaning they had one device for every single student. As a result of the pandemic, an even greater number of schools and districts have gone 1:1, so we ask the question: Now what?
In this week’s podcast, we begin to shift the conversation from how we get technology into the classroom to how we might create an inclusive, technology-rich environment that fosters student agency and student ownership. Our special guest, Theren Hayes—a National Board Certified Teacher and PK–12 Instructional Technology Specialist from the Tukwila School District in Washington—shares his strategies for enabling students to become global communicators, innovative thinkers, and engaged problem-solvers with the support of technology in the classroom.
The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.
Bill Clinton, 42nd U.S. President
Resources
The following resources are available on AVID Open Access to explore this topic in more depth:
- Empower Students Through Creativity and Choice (article collection)
- Break Down the Classroom Walls (article collection)
- Empower Students With Digital Study Skills (article collection)
- Get Started With Blended Learning (article)
- Use the Best of Both Worlds: The Hybrid Model of Blended Learning (article)
- Game-Based Learning as a Medium to Connect With Every Child (podcast episode)
- Engage Students With Project-Based Learning (podcast episode)
Enabling Student Agency With Digital Teaching and Learning
Through the course of our conversation, we examine the technology-powered shifts that you can integrate to create space for student-centered learning. We explore these shifts across three levels: in the district, in the classroom, and with families and the larger community.
In this episode, we give thanks to the tremendous strides that we have made in education. We recognize that the educational landscape looks much different today than it did at the start of the pandemic over a year-and-a-half ago. Technology is now available in many more classrooms across the United States. We now have the opportunity to learn how to meaningfully integrate digital teaching and learning to engage, personalize, and differentiate learning for all students.
Join us as we explore the following topics with Theren to learn how districts across the U.S. are incorporating educational technology into the curriculum:
- Technology as a Game Changer
- Digital Teaching and Learning to Engage and Motivate Students
- Easy-to-Implement Strategies to Personalize and Differentiate Learning
We understand that today’s students experience life differently and come from diverse backgrounds. As teachers, we need to expect that their learning process is going to be different. We appreciate all of you who are not just doing the same old thing, but changing, growing, and truly using technology to amplify student learning.
Extend Your Learning
- ISTE Standards: Students (ISTE)
- What Is Blended Learning? (The Blended Learning Universe)
- Personalized and Blended Learning (The Clayton Christensen Institute)