Annual report 2020–2021 | 9
Education Technology incorporated home technology support into its plan. New responsibilities included providing
The Covid-19 global pandemic transformed our teaching and learning community during the 2020–2021 school year. While the abrupt shift to remote learning occurred in March 2020, our educators and administration spent the summer months planning for an unprecedented school year. Recognizing that the use of technology was a crucial component to a successful year, the Department of Educational Technology (EDTech) prepared to take on the difficulties that were likely to occur. EDTech’s first objective was to provide each student a technology device to support their learning from home . Our kindergarten and 1st grade students were provided with iPads loaded with apps needed to support teaching and learning throughout the year. Students in 2nd–12th grade received chromebooks that seamlessly integrated with our ABschools Google platform. While the work to prepare and distribute the devices felt insurmountable, EDTech accomplished this feat which also resulted in completing a long-term goal of a “1-to-1” (one device per student) program . Based on the current technology plan, the district would not have reached this goal for another three years without the pandemic spurring this forward! EDTech’s second objective focused on providing all members of our learning community with excellent customer support , a common goal we strive for every year. With the addition of the Remote Learning Program, EDTech quickly
families with Internet connectivity, trouble- shooting home networks, working with parents to update devices (especially the students with iPads!), and replacing devices that didn’t work well on Zoom. Throughout the year, we worked with the Department of Teaching and Learning to deliver professional learning on the digital resources needed to support remote and/or hybrid learning . The Digital Literacy team frequently attended Zoom classes to support both teach- ers and students and provided on-demand training when requested. Further, they created a standardized digital toolkit that focused on re- sources that align with district learning goals and protect student data privacy. By consoli- dating our resources and targeting our profes- sional learning, the district saw an increase in teacher proficiency in the use of technology. Technical proficiency by our educators has long been targeted in the district technology plan as a crucial area for growth so it will be important to maintain this momentum into next year. EDTech appreciates this opportunity to share some of the challenges of last year with our learning community. The strategies and initia- tives that took place provided an opportunity to greatly advance the district’s three-year technology plan. Our efforts will continue to move the district forward with our technology goals into next school year and beyond.
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