The final draft of a statewide plan promoting the use of digital technology in education has been released by the Wyoming Department of Education.
The 2017 Digital Learning Plan is a voluntary guide to assist school districts in the digital age.
Wyoming is in position to be a leader in the use of educational technology, and currently ranks first in the nation in broadband connectivity.
At the Wyoming Broadband Summit in Cheyenne on Tuesday, Gov. Matt Mead noted that as part of the Wyoming Classroom Connectivity Initiative, every school in the state now has double the Federal Communications Commission’s per-student bandwidth goal for digital learning.
“Improving Wi-Fi connections in our schools will improve the digital learning experience for Wyoming students and ensure that they can access the educational tools they need from any device,” Mead told attendees.
The Advisory Panel overseeing the effort has adopted the federal Future Ready Framework as the foundation for the plan. The framework identifies seven broad categories for schools to consider as they expand the use of digital resources in the classroom.
A survey cited in the plan found 62 percent of Wyoming’s schools currently have a “moderate” digital learning environment, 15 percent have an environment where each student has a computer, and 23 percent have a media-rich environment. Some teachers reported a lack of devices, and administrators spoke of the need for more technical staff.
One of the main aspects of the Future Ready Framework is providing the infrastructure and technology schools need to accommodate intensified access to the internet.
While no costs were given in the plan, the Advisory Panel thought it could be implemented within a school district’s current budget.
One factor that could drive up costs, however, is most Wyoming schools are of brick or cinder block construction that interferes with Wi-Fi signals, creating a need for expensive additional wiring. Meanwhile, some school districts are struggling just to maintain their current buildings and digital infrastructure.
Some 22 percent of school administrators indicated to the Advisory Panel they did not have the money to accomplish the goals for digital learning, while another 40 percent only had some of the necessary financial resources.
Another key area identified in the plan was curriculum and instruction, with a need to find digital programs and resources that align with a district’s courses and school plans.
One of the advantages to using digital and online courses, however, is they can be tailored to match an individual student’s educational interests and goals. It was noted that online instruction can also speed up improvement. For example, a student can know immediately how he or she has done on a test or exercise, rather than waiting for a teacher to grade the paper.
In a panel survey, two-thirds of district staff said there are also distance education programs available that would benefit their students. The majority cited gifted and talented programs, advance placement, foreign language and technical training.
Digital learning was also seen as a way to re-engage students at risk of dropping out and change the nature of the classroom.
However, some educators said governmental “red tape” was hampering the use of digital education.
“Why do we have to have ‘x’ number of minutes of seat time for a kid to get a credit?” one participant at a Panel listening session said. “And again, that’s back to the regulations that tell us that we have to have certain things that we (have) to do in order for a kid to get a credit.”
Another part of the plan calls for professional training for instructors and staff on how to best use the technology. The panel found that 98 percent of the teachers felt their computer skills were intermediate or better.
The plan has been in development for the past six years under a directive from the state Legislature, which also requires annual reports on its progress.