Schools Push Digital Convergence with Private Partner

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 12/03/15

Two school organizations have signed on with an education technology company to help them with their digital convergence. Michigan's Washtenaw Intermediate School District and Alaska's SERRC, an educational resource center that serves every district in that state, have signed agreements with Modern Teacher, which provides products and professional development services to guide schools through adoption of 21st century tools and instructional practices.

Modern Teacher offers a "digital convergence framework" and methodology for helping schools to advance in their use of new technology and teaching practices to encourage personalized and blended learning.

Washtenaw's Interim Assistant Superintendent for Achievement, Naomi Norman, said her district had a "moral obligation" to make sure its students were ready to "compete globally." Accomplishing that, she added, "will require rethinking teaching and learning. This partnership is one of our strategies to do so."

The district's Superintendent, Scott Menzel, noted that he expects the partnership to help his schools reach the next level of maturity in their use of technology. "We believe the school districts in Washtenaw County are on the cutting-edge of instruction and this is a natural next step in our work together."

The Alaska organization teamed up with the company, as well as the Teaching Channel and Sealaska Heritage Institute to pursue funding from the United States Department of Education. The consortium recently received that grant, worth $3.2 million, to expand the work of Culturally Proficient Schools, an initiative to identify and embed culturally relevant teaching into the classroom.

Gerry Briscoe, director of that initiative as well as director of professional learning at SERRC, called high-quality public education "a moral imperative." "The promise of...bringing the necessary and vital resources to all of our students is exciting," he said. Briscoe will focus on finding innovative ways to "promote culturally responsive strategies within today's technology tools. Digital convergence is the anchor for this."

SERRC Executive Director Sheryl Weinberg concurred. "We believe in equity when it comes to educational opportunities for our students. We are continuously looking for innovative ways to accomplish this. Leveraging today's advanced technology tools to deliver high-quality, relevant curriculum is a frontier we are deeply interested in pursuing."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • students using digital devices, surrounded by abstract AI motifs and soft geometric design

    Ed Tech Startup Kira Launches AI-Native Learning Platform

    A new K-12 learning platform aims to bring personalized education to every student. Kira, one of the latest ed tech ventures from Andrew Ng, former director of Stanford's AI Lab and co-founder of Coursera and DeepLearning.AI, "integrates artificial intelligence directly into every educational workflow — from lesson planning and instruction to grading, intervention, and reporting," according to a news announcement.

  • toolbox featuring a circuit-like AI symbol and containing a screwdriver, wrench, and hammer

    Microsoft Launches AI Tools for Educators

    Microsoft has introduced a variety of AI tools aimed at helping educators develop personalized learning experiences for their students, create content more efficiently, and increase student engagement.

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Reports Point to Domain Controllers as Prime Ransomware Targets

    A recent report from Microsoft reinforces warns of the critical role Active Directory (AD) domain controllers play in large-scale ransomware attacks, aligning with U.S. government advisories on the persistent threat of AD compromise.

  • Two hands shaking in the center with subtle technology icons, graphs, binary code, and a padlock in the dark blue background

    Two Areas for K-12 Schools to Assess for When to Work with a Managed Services Provider

    The complexity of today’s IT network infrastructure and increased cybersecurity risk are quickly moving beyond many school districts’ ability to manage on their own. But a new technology model, a partnership with a managed services provider, offers a way forward for schools to overcome these challenges.