By Adam Petrovsky, GovEd Practice Leader, Logicalis GovEd
As K-12 students approach their end-of-year (around late May), teachers and staff are busy with exams, supervising end-of-school activities and packing up their classrooms. Behind the scenes, however, school administrators are using the summer-break session for implementing innovative technologies, planning for next year’s initiatives and moving one step closer to a fully digital learning environment.
This is a daunting task. Each stage of the digital learning road-map is interdependent. Network infrastructure, data center virtualization/convergence/hyperconvergence, voice/video readiness, cybersecurity management (including identity), pervasive Wi-Fi, and many other considerations, must be implemented before layering on software applications and ultimately the end-devices students use to interface with the digital environment. Many schools implement other digital devices in the classroom which are dependent on these key foundational steps as well. These may include solutions like: interactive white boards, short-throw projectors, large-scale displays, streaming digital video (AppleTV, Chromecast, Roku), document cameras, audio/visual control systems and more.
If your school district hasn’t created a Digital Learning Framework that takes a comprehensive, prescriptive approach, it’s time to contact a K-12 specialty technology provider that partners with learning consultants and educational curriculum providers. The end-user experience (in this case, the student), directly correlates with student outcomes and student achievements. With initiatives like Personalized Learning (flipped classroom, blended learning, 1:1 PC’s, classroom modifications, etc.), federal broadband expansion to schools and greater focus on student engagement, a Digital Learning Framework enables each district to create a customized, step-by-step, documented road-map for success.
Digital Learning is the outcome of implementing many different technical, curricula and modified teaching processes. Once achieved, student outcomes improve dramatically. Teachers, staff, and administrators cannot act on data until it is first digitized. With real-time student data ultimately available, learning gaps become more readily visible. Analytics provide opportunities for schools to adjust teaching based on actual student behavior.
What does your Digital Learning Framework look like? Where is your school district on the voyage towards a fully digital learning environment? Contact the K-12 specialists at Logicalis to understand our point-of-view.
Want to learn more? Read this blog post about “K-12 Education Challenge: Surviving Personalized Learning.” You can also read related blog posts about what digital transformation means to CIOs worldwide.