Instructional Technology

Welcome!

District 135 strives to promote 21st Century learning through the use of 1:1 iPads for students in Kindergarten-8th grade. 

Why does my child have a device?

• Learning Targets and Personalization

  • Learning targets define and guide all instruction in schools.  These learning targets are spelled out in documents such as the Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, as well as others. These look very different from years past.  These standards encompass 21st century skills and emphasize not what students should know, but rather what students should be able to do.  Even with availability of technology, these standards drive instruction.

  • The use of our 1:1 devices provide a way to empower our students and personalize learning to maximize their full potential as well as prepare them for all future endeavors wherever their educational journeys may take them. Our program is about learning, and that learning results from dynamic and engaging interaction among students, parents, educators, and the community as a whole. The technology allows us to better meet the needs of all students.  Accessibility for everyone allows students the ability to obtain and demonstrate content knowledge in a way unique to the student. The vital role of the teacher is not diminished as a result of the immersion of technology; it is actually transformed from being that of teacher-directed learning to teacher-facilitated learning. The integration of technology increases student engagement and ownership of learning, and allows for customization based on the needs of each student.

• 21st Century Skills

  • As society and the workplace have changed due to the integration of new technologies, an education preparing students for these environments must also change.  In addition to math, science and language arts, a 21st century education must also develop a student’s collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking skills.  Many of these skills are built into the learning targets and the activities designed to achieve the learning targets.

Assessments

The Purpose of Assessments

No longer should the mindset be that assessments are only assignments and tests for the purpose of earning a grade on a report card. Rather, a teacher takes an assessment to determine the current understanding of a learning target in order to determine what the next appropriate step for the individual student.  An assessment may be a simple observation of a student in a group or individual setting, a question a student asks, or a product a student creates. Conversations overheard during student collaboration can demonstrate understanding to a teacher.  Student-created audio and video recordings can also demonstrate understanding.  Additionally, these artifacts can act as a portfolio of student work that can be used to show growth over longer periods of time. This feedback provides the teacher vital information on what to provide the student next.  The next step can be unique for each student and can include reteaching, more challenging or deeper understanding of the current learning target, or moving on to the next target.

What assessments may look like the following:

• Online Quizzes and Tests Example: Digits assignments and quizzes

• Practice Apps Example: IXL Math, Spelling City

• Collaborative Communication Example: Dialogue between students on Edmodo, Seesaw or Google Classroom

• Digitally Submitted Work Example: Written work, reflection videos, screenshots, photos submitted to Google Classroom or posted on Seesaw.

• Teacher Observations During the Learning Process (Example: Teacher observes student understanding of learning target while student is in the process of collaborating or creating content that may or may not be submitted digitally or presented to the class.