A Learning Path Curved Via Technology

Monika Davis, Chief Information Officer, DeKalb County School District

Monika Davis, Chief Information Officer, DeKalb County School District

Can you shed some light on your journey and experiences in the education industry?

I was always interested in working with students and serving the education community, so after completing college at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, I applied for the role of a mathematics teacher. But, during my interview with the educational institute for the position, the interviewers looked at my technology background and hired me as a technician instead.

The internet had just started to take off. With the ability to assign static IP addresses to devices, I was able to install electronic devices in classrooms and monitor them through their IP addresses; no one was using them at the time. After that initial modernization project, I started looking at educational and instructional technology more from a business growth standpoint rather than just a piece of technology. I pursued my master’s degree in instructional technology, and soon after its completion, took up a job as the manager of instructional technology, where I was later promoted to the Director’s position. My fascination for edtech and virtual learning brought me to where I am today as the

CIO of a school district.

What, according to you, are some of the biggest challenges concerning K12?

One of the biggest challenges in the K12 education space that the pandemic exposed was the inequalities in accessing technology. It was a challenge for a few students to access virtual learning, but with the government’s funding, students could buy laptops and get high-speed internet. On the other hand, even school districts faced issues to move to a completely online learning paradigm due to lack of or underdeveloped infrastructure and equipment. So, they had to update their devices, IT infrastructure, and connectivity to support efficient teaching and learning.

While bolstering the technology aspects, another critical challenge was attending to the security parameters. Now that everyone is connected via online platforms, the question of how to handle and secure data started arising. In our school district, we conducted assessments to ensure that our online IT network was always protected while staying prepared for any attack.

“I would encourage all edtech professionals to stay focused on the needs of your students, and you will automatically make the right decision”

The last piece of challenge was training the staff, students, and parents. Teachers and students were trained on various cybersecurity aspects and on ways to surf the internet safely so as to avoid cyber fraud. The administrative staff were also trained on technology integration, how to use technology to do any job, and how to utilize technology to support online learning.

We undertook a digital dreamers initiative for our students to help them understand how to use devices and the network to get higher-order thinking and leverage technology to become globally competitive citizens. We also conducted a program called Comparison Community, where we helped parents be on par with the digital-savvy students. The aim of this program was to ensure parents are empowered to utilize technology and do their part in supporting their children’s learning.

Can you tell us about a recent project initiative you have been working on where you leveraged new data trends to make that project successful?

We are transforming our infrastructure to support more hybrid and agile teaching and learning. A major project that we worked on recently is our infrastructure modernization. The shift to a cloud strategy is necessary to support agile and hybrid learning and provide more options for our students. You cannot use AI, ML, and edge computing without the presence of proper IT infrastructure and strategy to support future activities.

Additionally, we are working on improving our IT governance and looking for ways to better engage our students with updated equipment and devices. We are also looking at incorporating career and technical education (CTE) and agricultural education to provide diverse learning opportunities to our students banking on the online learning pedagogy. We are partnering not only with technology vendors, but also with other schools to create a more immersive cross-cultural learning ecosystem.

Do you envision a particular future for your company?

In this regard, I would want to talk about data strategies. A critical question I aim to solve in the next few years is around data sharing. We need to understand the importance of data and data interoperability in the education space, and hence it is also important to look into the possible ways to modernize the data strategies to support future data requisites.

But at the same time, to modernize and make specific changes in the organization, you need to look at change management as a whole to increase workflow productivity, decrease risk, and improve profitability. So, as a roadmap, I am looking at adding agility, flexibility, and empowerment to students’ and teachers’ data.

Do you have any last piece of advice for edtech professionals on how to be successful?

I will share a piece of advice that my mother gave me as an educator. She said that if all your decisions are focused on what’s adequate for your children, you will always reap the desired outcome. As a leader in any space, you must stay focused on what a leader is supposed to do and understand the strategic planning and goals to ensure that all the pistons are firing in the right direction to meet the organization’s needs. Also, you need to be very aware of your role in the community and ensure that the digital village is equipped to support the students. So, as an ending remark, I would encourage all edtech professionals to stay focused on the needs of your students, and you will automatically make the right decision.