Device for Every Learner in District 832

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.

• Wildwood Elementary School students will be provided a district iPad.
• O.H. Anderson Elementary School, Mahtomedi Middle School, Mahtomedi High School, and Passages Transition Program students will be provided a district Chromebook.

Device for Every Learner in District 832 Educational Impacts

• All K-21 students will have equitable access to common devices allowing any time, anywhere learning.
• Students and teachers will be prepared if the school scenario shifts during an outbreak.
• All students and teachers will now have reliable devices with webcams and microphones making online, face-to-face learning possible across our school buildings.
• When each student has their own device, we eliminate the demands on time and labor required to sanitize shared devices and focus energy toward supporting the classroom.
• If a student is sick or it is necessary for them to quarantine, they will have a reliable device to connect with their teachers, and lessons and learning can continue seamlessly.
• When each student has the same device, teachers can create uniformed experiences and expectations, which allows a better focus on student learning rather than technology.
• When each student has their own device, they have a greater ability to drive their learning experiences based on individual learning styles and needs.
• All students participate in a variety of learning activities both online and offline and their device will be one tool to enhance their educational experience.

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.