The Digital Difference

Here in Delaware, when we talk about improving technology in the classroom, our minds and our conversations often go first to improving internet speeds or the tangible infrastructure—the wires, cables, towers—that carry those signals.

But in some cases—like the CityBridge Foundation’s ‘Breakthrough Schools’ design contest in Washington, D.C.—innovation is treated as a fundamental principle behind school buildings and models. Here, it’s about starting with personalization and equity as keystones, rather than trying to shoehorn them in once a school is built.

To be clear, technology isn’t a magic bullet. It’s a vastly powerful tool that can enhance and supplement great teaching. Access to learning resources, customization, student engagement, and agency are bolstered by technology. But its most valuable byproduct is the freedom it gives teachers to provide one-on-one support to students or small groups in a personalized or blended environment.

As we step into this work on personalization in Delaware, there’s a lot of great work underway. There are the members of our Rodel Teacher Council, who for several years have done yeoman’s work pushing the ideas policies behind personalized learning. There’s the BRINC Consortium, which has expanded to nine districts this spring, and schools like First State Montessori Academy Charter School that utilize a personalized approach.

And until we get there, there are critical improvements that need to be made to our existing system of schools. Studies show that only about 52 percent of Delaware schools are ready for digital learning today. To meet 2018 demand, a typical school district in Delaware will need to grow its bandwidth at least threefold. Given the current budget situation, this may be a challenge.

We are only at the beginning of this journey. Tech-enhanced learning is more than a technical fix; it’s an adaptive change. More and more we’re considering the delivery of education from the student perspective first, and the next stage will be moving beyond brick and mortar buildings, and into more online platforms and community-based extended learning opportunities. Eventually, I see a world where students can access the best content on the planet 24/7—letting them drive their own learning and interests. And our RTC members remind us that technology is only as good as the educators behind it.

Where can this work take us next? It will be interesting to watch how the concepts of personalized learning begin transferring into other areas of student welfare. My guess is we’ll also begin thinking about new ways to customize the holistic services that kids need to maximize their learning—things like housing, health care, nutrition, mental health, and so on. So if a student is homeless or has a chronic health issue, the right person will have the right access to the right information when it’s needed.

When it comes to the ever-broadening definitions of student success, technology can keep us connected to the resources we need—both inside the classroom and out.