Join the conversation

Today is Digital Learning Day, designated to celebrate the innovative use of digital technology in classrooms across the country. A key element of the celebration is to inspire a national conversation, one that can support educators and officials as they incorporate digital technology into individual school buildings and classrooms. Digital Learning Day is an initiative of the Alliance for Excellent Education’s Center for Secondary School Digital Learning and Policy. The success of this initiative relies heavily on continued implementation efforts over the next five to ten years.

In the lead-up, or countdown, to February 1, 2012, the Center compiled and produced an array of resources that are live on www.digitallearningday.org/toolkits. They are free and available for public use for a variety of audiences: students, educators, parents, principals, librarians, administrators and many others.  For example, teachers can find lesson portals, collaboration opportunities and project-based learning resources. Principals will find showcases, strategic planning materials and information on digital technologies. Outreach materials and additional toolkits are also available.

The site also showcases promising practices from schools and districts across the country that have integrated technology into classrooms and teacher professional learning. Eminence Independent Schools (KY) is using technology to improve student achievement across the board, but especially for literacy. In Pasco County (FL), teachers demonstrate the changes they made in classroom instruction through the use of technology, and in Bozeman MT, elements of video game design are being used to improve learning in AP Biology. These and the other exemplars are inspiring and serve as powerful advocacy tools available in a world where expected outcomes include standardized test scores in math and reading.

Today’s programming includes a morning webcast at 9am that highlights school-sites nationwide who effectively use technology for instruction delivery (and it will be re-broadcast at 3pm EST)  and then at 1:00pm EST, there will be a National Town-hall (register here) with special guests U.S Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski. We invite you to tune in and you can participate in the discussion on Twitter with @DLD2012 and #DLDAY.

The Learning First Alliance is a core organizational partner for Digital Learning Day, and as part of a month-long countdown, we also assembled a collection of resources primarily from our member associations to support a wide range of audiences; the collection is available through our Facebook page. We’re optimistic that Digital Learning Day marks the last time we must ‘start the conversation’ on the importance of digital technology in classrooms and that efforts will now focus on supporting local efforts as this day comes to a close. Through best practices, collaboration and continued support, we hope that technology becomes an integral and empowering part of every child’s learning experience. 

Image from www.digitallearningday.org