Giving Compass' Take:

• Frederick County Public Schools in Virginia enlists the help of Hapara Highlights to promote student-centered learning while implementing new technology in the classroom. 

• How does digital citizenship play a role in education technology? Why is it essential for students to understand these concepts?

• Read about the effects of student-centered learning.

While there’s no exact formula for a seamless digital transformation, certain school districts are providing examples of how to take this on while keeping learners at the center of everything. Student agency is a top priority at Frederick County Public Schools in Virginia, and it definitely shows in their approach to technology implementation.

“If you don’t have a strong intention or purpose to use the technology, then don’t,” says Rod Carnill, Supervisor of Instructional Technology for Frederick County Public Schools. School district leaders are inundated with proposals and pitches for the hottest new trends in edtech on a regular basis—all promising to revolutionize learning and make it more student-friendly. Even with the best of intentions, you cannot force tech into a lesson.

When Frederick County Public Schools started the shift toward one-to-one learning, they first needed to know what kids were doing online. So, they looked for a way to monitor that activity. They selected Hapara Highlights for its focus on visible personalized learning, which aligned with their goals.

While Hapara Highlights does monitor online activity, the company stresses the importance of a model of gradual release to all of its customers: close monitoring at the beginning of an adoption—while teaching good digital citizenship skills—and over time, allowing the student to exercise more autonomy online in a safe and responsible way.

Process—and how it differs with each learner—is at the center of Frederick County’s educational philosophy. Learners have the opportunity to improve executive functioning skills such as time management and organization during every project or assignment. As a result, teachers and district leaders have seen students take more ownership of their learning, and common problems like lost assignments and chronically late work have dissipated.

Read the full article about students are the center of digital transformation by Lindsay Dixon Garcia at EdSurge.