The 2019-20 school year gave us the opportunity to envision and explore teaching and learning in an entirely new way at Mahtomedi Public Schools. In the winter, our schools completed their building-level strategic plans that called for removing barriers to learning and teaching, developing students as agents of their learning, and fostering student abilities to pursue their passions. During that time, a team of district technology leaders also met and identified the opportunities and barriers related to technology resources and support in our district. Distance learning during the spring of 2020, and the feedback we have since received from the school year and scenario surveys, have also informed the technology needs we have in our district for teachers and learners. Those experiences highlighted the need for our district to ensure all teachers and students have a reliable, common, district-provided device with a microphone and webcam. We are able to support all of our students with a district-provided device starting with the 2020-21 school year.
Device for Every Learner in District 832 Educational Impacts
Support for a Device for Every Learner is made possible by a multi-year district investment into infrastructure upgrades and device purchases, Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation (MAEF) grants for device purchases, and a lease payment plan that allows us to both budget for the devices and replace devices as they become obsolete. We are accelerating the timeline to provide devices for all learners out of necessity and the availability of funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. |