Imagine
a school where each child has a curriculum plan adapted to their individual
needs, can progress at their own pace, and will graduate having learned all the
core concepts needed for whatever they choose to do in life. Visualize a school
where parents know what their child is learning, can see the work their child
has done, can give feedback and help where needed, and can easily communicate
and collaborate with the teacher. Dream of a school where the teacher has
access to unlimited resources and updated curriculum to ignite the minds of
individual students, where progress for each individual student can be
monitored easily and help can be focused where it is needed. Now imagine that
school available to every child no matter where they live or their economic
status. We look at our current educational system with all its faults and
think, it is impossible. Maybe some children can have that type of school, but
it will never be possible for all children. That “vision of an education” can
become a reality for all children by understanding the benefits and properly
implementing “digital learning” in our mainstream schools.
What
is digital learning? Digital learning is using technology to transform how
teachers teach and how students learn. According to Digital
Textbook Playbook,
hereafter referred to as DTP, students learn thirty to eighty
percent faster using technology. An example of that in my own life would be
using my Kindle to read a book. Anytime I come across a word I don’t
understand, I can click on it and get the definition right then and increase my
comprehension of the text. Other examples of technology being used to
facilitate learning would be online lessons that have links to:
·
interactive
games
·
videos
that show people, places, things, science experiments, etc.
·
questions
to be answered as you read along
·
audible
pronunciations and definitions of new words
·
quizzes
·
additional
resource links for further study
Teachers
have access to monitor how students are progressing through the lessons, online
chalkboards that the student could save for future reference, and collaboration
with many other teachers to share the best resources and ideas. Collaboration
with others helps to solve one of the problems of transitioning to digital
learning.
Anytime
there is a change of this magnitude, there are all kinds of problems. Most
people would rather use what is familiar even if it is ineffective.
Administrators, teachers, and parents need to catch the vision before they will
be motivated to change. Only then can the real problems, of implementing
digital learning into the mainstream schools, be addressed. Some of those major
problems would include, teacher training, transition costs, and internet safety
issues.
What
a tragedy it would be if administrators spent money to put all the necessary
technology into place only to have it barely used because the teachers did not
know how to implement the changes effectively. Teachers, most of all, need to
catch the vision of the potential of digital learning for their students. Teachers
need to be trained on how to use the technology. In many cases the students
will probably master the technology before the teachers. One of the most
crucial changes is learning how to facilitate the classroom to allow each
student to progress at their own pace. Digital learning makes it possible to
change the classroom so the learning conforms to the individual and becomes
mastery based rather than grade oriented. Being aware of the resources and
taking advantage of collaboration with other teachers will maximize those
changes exponentially.
Administrators
and lawmakers need to support teachers in focusing on mastery based learning.
Funding will be one of their biggest concerns. All students will need to have
their own digital devices like a tablet, laptop, or some other comparable
device. They will also need to have access to the internet and enough
supporting bandwidth to run all those devices
efficiently. Transitions cost money, but understanding the cost benefits of
digital learning will help convince administrators to make that investment. One
example of the cost benefits of digital learning is the savings of textbook
expense. According to DTP, using the digital textbook will save about
$600 per student per year. There are several options for helping with the
transition costs listed in the DTP. One
option is to have the students bring their own device.
Some
concerns with having the student bring their own device are the potential
incompatibility across the various devices, internet safety issues, and
emphasizing economic inequality amongst the students. If the school purchases the devices, all
students have the same access and safety issues could be handled by password
protection and not allowing access to unsafe internet content. Those are issues
that will have to be discussed and decided by each school administration in the
transition.
Making
the transition to digital learning in the mainstream schools is not without
challenges, but it is possible. Parents who have the time and are motivated can
have that “vision of an education” for their children now and most of the time
for no additional out of pocket cost. All our children deserve that same
opportunity. We need to take action to have digital learning available in our
mainstream schools. It starts with sharing the vision and letting teachers, administrators,
and lawmakers know how to make it happen. Imagine every child graduating high
school with the core knowledge they need for a productive future!
List of
resources:
K12.com An innovative company actively engaged in
making the best curriculum available to schools and individuals
ProjectRED A place for teachers and schools to
collaborate and find resources
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