| | 9 OCTOBER 2020that she always thought her good teachers who didn't use technology were still good teachers. But now, they could no longer be effective without it. She recognized that going forward she could no longer allow any teacher not to use technology. Everything was in place in my district: the infrastructure, the devices, the software systems. Even with everything in place, there was no compelling reason for everyone to use technology for learning before April. Now, there is a compelling reason.Since April, we have added some software solutions to our digital learning ecosystem to fill some of our gaps. For the first time ever, we have identified the students who did not have internet access outside of school, and we have committed to finding a solution for them. We have customized some of our software systems to incorporate workflows that were previously paper-based. All of these actions required acting in partnership with others in the district (all working from home), and none of them could have been completed in such a short period of time without the urgency presented by COVID-19.As we move into the new school year, we must take this opportunity to continue to improve the use of technology for learning. I hear many people saying that our experience in April and May was not the quality of education that we want for our children. We now have the opportunity to make it better. What do we need to do?Every student must have an equal opportunity to learn at home, wherever that may be. Equitable access to the internet is a problem in our society. We should be looking at solutions across our greater populace. Right now, however, we must make sure that all students have access to the internet and a digital device appropriate for learning whether they are learning from school or home.Our students must be prepared to use technology. If we aren't regularly using technology in school, there's no way that we will be prepared when learning must occur outside of school. Even if we take every precaution, there will be times in the coming school year when every child won't be able to come to school. We must be prepared for those times. We must use digital tools when we are at school so that students will be prepared to use digital tools when they cannot be at school.The right digital tools must be available for both teachers and students. It's possible for quality learning to occur anywhere, but we must have the right tools to enable it. Digital devices, internet connectivity, digital content, communication and collaboration software, and content creation software must be procured to enable every student including those with special needs to participate in learning enabled by technology.The support that teachers need must be available at all times. Some teachers are ready. Other teachers may need a few hours to learn on their own. Some teachers may need a few hours of professional development while others may need many hours of professional development along with coaching. We must be prepared to meet every teacher where she is and help her move forward.Let's seize this opportunity to support and enhance student learning by engaging students through meaningful use of technology tools. Every student must have an equal opportunity to learn at home, wherever that may beTom Ingram
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