How Wilmington achieved district-wide teacher buy-in for technology
Wilmington Area School District
Questeq partner gets teachers excited about technology-driven curriculum, is named Google Reference District and #1 School in Lawrence County
It’s not by accident that Wilmington became one of only 250 Google Reference Districts in the world or was named #1 School in Lawrence County! There was a careful, thought-out partnership strategy that lead to unanimous educator participation in the meaningful use of a technology-driven curriculum.
Inside the Wilmington-Questeq Partnership
Three years ago, Wilmington came to Questeq for a technology assessment. That assessment led to a new technology design – a new structure of the technology department based on Wilmington’s strategic curriculum and engagement goals.
Get more detail on what is working for Wilmington, including video interviews with key WASD stakeholders.
If you’d like curriculum to bridge the gap between technology and engagement, here are a few tips we learned from our partnership with Wilmington:
- Start with district-wide acceptance and enthusiasm. School board members, administrators, faculty and staff must align their goals and invite innovation.
- Curriculum must lead technology. Devices should only be acquired if they directly complement the curriculum.
- Install the right staff, infrastructure and back-end services
- [In Wilmington’s case] switch from legacy Windows environment to a Google environment
- Train teachers 1-on-1 or in groups and do it often. In Wilmington’s case, use a technology coach or engaging training sessions – such as TED-style talks
- Get a technology partner that works like a tightly unified engine to achieve the school’s strategic vision
