Ready and Relevant

Love them or hate them, Digital Learning Days are here again. For the past three years, the district in which I work has taken on the task of providing students and teachers the opportunity to use technology to hold school digitally, rather than within the walls of a school building. We hold these days in response to inclement weather situations, as well as to accommodate the need for professional development and parent-teacher conferences. Why? Because we can and should.

We Can: 

We've had devices in our classrooms and in the hands of students since 2011. Our teachers had devices prior to that. With the rollout of devices we've provided teachers with tools and consistent teacher training, covering digital workflow and the creation/curation of digital content. As a district, we have embraced the ISTE standards, providing insights for how students and teachers should work and learn in a digital age. Our in-class instruction is infused with technology and our students use tech tools and resources with ease, just as they would a pair of scissors or a protractor. (Remember, at some point there is learning curve with these tools as well.) With the technology that our teachers and students have at their disposal, and with the training and support that is offered by the district, Digital Learning Days are a logical way to provide our students with a well rounded 21st century learning experience. 

We Should: 

I was in high school 1990-1994. During that time, college preparedness was a big push. We were told that if we graduated from high school with the required courses, got into college, did well and graduated, we would be employable in our field. And that was pretty much the case. Twenty years prior, when my parents were in high school things were different. Folks graduated from high school and secured quality, well paying jobs. During each of these eras, students received an education relevant to the time in regard to courses offered and instructional practices. Fast forward twenty plus years from when I graduated from high school. We now live in a world dominated by technology. The careers that our students are preparing for WILL require the use of technology at some level. While some people still try to dispute it, the fact is we cannot provide students with a relevant education and ignore technology. It is our responsibility as educators to acknowledge, accept, AND embrace this. 

Admittedly, when our district held our first Digital Learning Day in 2014, we were ahead of the game. Few districts (at least in Indiana) had implemented such days. It was a bit of a shock to the systems of our students, teachers, parents, and yes, even our administrators. The growing pains were real. Questions of, "should we be doing this", and "is this appropriate" needed to be addressed as we transitioned into this new platform for K-12 learning. With every eLearning event held in our district, we learned and adjusted in an effort to improve the process. Meanwhile technology continued to be integrated into our classrooms daily. Now in 2016, many districts around the state and nation have begun implementing such days. With the experience we've had in our district, questions surrounding Digital Learning Days should no longer focus on whether or not we should have these days, but rather how we can continue to design them in a manner that keeps the learning relevant to our students. Today as I am buzzing around making final preparations for the Digital Learning Days that will take place the remainder of this week, I am excited about the online lessons that our students will experience. I've looked at all of them and they are darn good! I hope that our stakeholders keep in mind that as a district, we are READY. I hope that they consider the importance of providing our students with an education RELEVANT to the world we live in. Finally, I hope that they embrace the opportunity to be part of a district that both challenges and supports students and teachers as they learn and grow.