“Changes call for innovation, and innovation leads to progress.” By Li Keqiang
I had a goal that I wanted teachers to see technology tools as not as a another thing but how it could enhance lessons. Previously, I would tell educators that technology was a tool but I realized that wasn’t working. I decide to change my thinking and SHOW them HOW technology could be a tool. This is where my idea for creating a digital learning playground came from. I wanted to share my experience so that other schools or districts could build one too.
- Find a space where you could house the technology in a “showroom” type of atmosphere.
- We chose to create ours in our Professional Development Center in a classroom.
- Create a list of technology tools that you think teachers would like to utilize in the classroom.
- We started our list with items we knew some schools already had but did not know what to do with; they had purchased them because they “looked” fun such as Spheros.
- Start to contact technology companies to see if they would donate their technology tool to your playground; understanding the return could potentially be that teachers/schools would purchase the technology for their classroom.
- Not many technology companies donated but it was a good place to start
- As donations came in and while you make purchases, learn how the technology tool works and start to build lesson plans that incorporate standards.
- We played with the tools to learn them and then created lesson plans based on NC standards for all different grade levels and subjects.
- When educators visit the room allow them to play with the resources and see the lesson plans that connect to the curriculum.
- We created a schedule to allow teachers to know the times the room would be open. We also created a professional development around the tools and soon had a smaller digital playground “on the go” (via a bin) so we could recreate the room at different schools when giving PD. We also created guidelines to help educators design their own learning experience when they came to the room.
- Tweet out what we you are doing.
- Tweeting allowed us to “shout out” the companies that donated along with helping other educators see how the technology tools were being used in classrooms.
- Example of products in a Digital Learning Playground, but not limited too: