Educators Use Technology to Expand Learning Opportunities

According to LaTanya Greer, principal at the district’s Curtis Middle School, where students with disabilities take engineering and manufacturing electives, kids are “able to shine in these classrooms and then use what they learn in other settings.”

In “Connected STEM Classrooms Break Down Learning Silos for K–12 Students,” students interested in science, technology, engineering and math are getting a jump start on their futures as well. At Central Union High School District in El Centro, Calif., for example, these students learn in an all-new STEM building where ubiquitous technology supports interactivity and collaboration.

“This is an effort to give our students industry-standard experiences, not simulations, because we want them to be as prepared as possible,” says Ward Andrus, district superintendent.

READ MORE: Superintendents share collaborative strategies for K–12 digital transformation.

Students are not the only ones benefiting from integrating technology in the classroom. In “Is Dated Technology Contributing to the Great Teacher Resignation?," educators share how robust, upgraded technology can benefit teachers in the classroom — and how it can help attract and retain them overall.

Crystal Wielenga, a third grade teacher at Bay District Schools’ Lucille Moore Elementary School in Florida, says her new wireless devices and mobile workstation offer more freedom and flexibility. No matter where she is in the classroom, she says, “I can see the kids on the periphery of the classroom, and I can engage them more, to make sure that each student has the best chance at learning.”

The connection is clear. When we give students the ed tech tools that empower and inspire them to learn today, we are giving a wider array of students their best chance at a better tomorrow.

Ryan Petersen
Editor in Chief