Teching it Up K-12 -- Success Stories, Part 1

We see districts who have an established learning culture, and their classrooms are filled with authentic learning experiences. How did they get there?

Our story

Jon Castelhano and I have the privilege of presenting at the Arizona CIO/CTO Forum 2011 on October 6th. We are going to share how our district closed the door on the 20th century and opened 21st century student-centered classrooms. Our district started teching up the classrooms with engaging, standards-based, student-centered learning, despite the financial climate we are in.

The next three posts will share about our journey, and some of the key game-changers for us.

The focus and the vision

Our district focuses on our learners. We ask, what's good for our learners? What do they want? What can we do to improve their education? If you listen to their answers, they will tell you about our vision.


Leadership

Those in leadership roles in the district believe in building relationships as the foundation for working together towards our 21st century learning-centered goals.

Our decisions reflect our vision. For example, despite having to close two schools due to decreased enrollment, we are moving forward with one-to-one environments and opportunities. Why? To prepare our students for their future.

  • How do your decisions reflect your goals and vision?
  • What would your students share about their favorite things they learn in the classroom?

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