Dive Brief:
- In order to guarantee an organization's long term success with ed tech devices or platforms, a good first step is to analyze what infrastructure already exists, Peter West, director of e-learning at Australia's Saint Stephen’s College, writes in eSchoolNews.
- The first point to consider is whether or not a solid, reliable, and well-designed network exists, West writes, as well as a "fast, stable, campus wide wireless network."
- An existing IT team also plays a crucial role and should be friendly, supportive, and genuinely interested in problem-solving and troubleshooting.
Dive Insight:
The National Education Technology Plan recently outlined best classroom practices in “Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education,” a 21-point guide to tech use in the classroom released in December. It advises that digital learning is best used to advance “a vision of equity, active use, and collaborative leadership to make everywhere, all-the-time learning possible.” The common-sense place to start for districts, as West writes for eSchoolNews, is by examining what already exists.
It can also be helpful for districts to communicate and share their experiences with tech rollouts. For example, in North Carolina, three districts with a variety of ed tech purchases had different experiences. Overall, the districts that implemented slow and thoughtful rollouts were met with the most success.
