Before the COVID-19 pandemic, slightly less than half (49 percent) of schools implemented one-to-one technology device programs, according to a 2019 survey by OverDrive Education and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, as reported in EdTech. But the use of technology has quickly grown. By 2022, about 90 percent of middle and high schools provided students with tech devices, and 84 percent of elementary schools were doing the same, according to a 2022 EdWeek survey.
Effectively designed connected learning environments requires coordinated implementation and adoption of varied education technologies to achieve the best student outcomes.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District.is an example of the technological evolution. With 36,000 students, CMSD is the third largest public school district in Ohio. Some students were provided digital device before the pandemic.
CMSD kicked its digital efforts into high gear when the pandemic forced remote learning, Jeanelle Greene, executive director of IT strategy execution and governance for the district, told EdTech. Investments were made in next-generation digital whiteboards, such as Clevertouch for teachers, and tablets and laptops for students.
“The digital whiteboards incorporate applications and make it easier to display and share information digitally while allowing students to engage with their teachers and with other students in the classroom,” Greene told EdTech.
The district ramped up its networking infrastructure with Cisco Meraki and has extended Wi-Fi service to school buses. Resources are needed to help students meet educational goals through consistent, reliable access to the technologies — in the classroom, on the school bus, at home and elsewhere, Greene said. The intent is for kids to take advantage of these different connection points to stay engaged in the learning process, she said.
