Lake County Gazette

Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 recently issued the following announcement.

At the May 1st, 2018 Board of Education meeting, the District 34 Board of Education gave consensus to move forward with the proposed District 34 Long Range Technology Plan for 2018-2024.  The plan will serve as a six-year road map that informs the District's decisions of present and future technology acquisitions, implementations, and support strategies.  The District recognizes the importance of utilizing technology effectively in the 21st century world.

 District 34 also believes in inspiring and empowering students to achieve personal excellence in today's global society.  That is, in fact, our mission in our strategic plan.  Understanding that students will take different paths and move at their own pace, our schools will support students as they move towards ownership and accountability for their own learning.  Our interdisciplinary and collaborative approach involves authentic, real-world learning experiences for all stakeholders.  We will continue to provide safe and secure environments where students can collaborate and communicate effectively as they continue to grow as responsible digital citizens.

 The goals of the long-range technology plan are as follows:

• District 34 will provide consistent communication among all stakeholders utilizing district identified platforms.
• District 34 will prepare our students to be contributors to the world while being responsible, safe and respectful digital citizens.
• District 34 will utilize the ISTE Standards for Students as well as TIM (Technology Integration Model) to meet the curricular needs of all learners by promoting personalized learning through individualization and differentiation.
• District 34 will provide differentiated professional development to support all stakeholders in the understanding and use of technology.
• District 34 values technology that is physically and financially sustainable.

In order to successfully implement the plan, District 34 will be investing in a dedicated iPad with a stylus for each student and teacher starting in the 2018-2019 school year.  The new technology will integrate seamlessly with the existing Apple TVs and infrastructure.  Through strategic professional development, our teachers will learn how to transform their classrooms, be innovative, and facilitate higher order learning activities that may not have been possible without the use of technology.  In addition, the district will be hiring two Instructional Technology Specialists to provide leadership and direction in developing and maintaining technology that optimizes teacher utilization and student access to technology, increase staff knowledge of current technologies, and coach school staff on the use of technology in the curriculum.

Original source can be found here.