Highlighting Digital Learning Day
Today, February 5, is Digital Learning Day, a nationwide celebration of innovative teachers and digital learning in America’s schools. The initiative focuses on technologies that support teachers, improve student outcomes, and provide options for students to achieve at their highest potential. Across the US, schools are leveraging technology to personalize instruction—a student centered approach which discards the notion that “one size fits all.”
In recognition of Digital Learning Day, the Delaware Department of Education is hosting its second annual Online Professional Development Conference this week. Designed for educators (and open to the public), the conference offers sessions such as “Smarter Choices for Personalized Learning,” “Flipping Your Classroom: Getting Started,” and “Content Delivery in a 1:1 iPad School.” And the Department isn’t the only place in Delaware that’s celebrating Digital Learning Day. At Shields Elementary School in Cape Henlopen School District, students today are participating in a flipped Language Arts Class. Additionally, Shields’ students are participating in differentiated workgroups to complete paperless assignments. And at Pleasantville Elementary School in the Colonial School District, students are using social media to communicate with peer, pen-pal students in Spain.
It’s important to note the idea of Digital Learning Day is more than just one day—it’s mean to spawn a different way of teaching and learning, every day of the school year. Digital Learning Day supports a mindset that its harnessing technology is one way to personalize instruction for all students. Through the work of last year’s Digital Learning Day, the initiative has collected tool-kits from teachers, librarians, and instructional coaches from across the country. We encourage you to participate in Delaware’s Digital Learning day activities and “think big.” By leveraging technology, we can provide all students access to high quality, student specific instruction; facilitate collaboration; and give educators more flexibility and control in their classrooms.