Learning Through Technology

Imagine an education system where teaching and learning are joyful.

“Imagine an education system where teaching and learning are joyful; where we reach students we never reached before; where students are drawn to and attracted by the use of technology; where technology levels the playing field for our poorest students; where our students and teachers talk to others around the world; and where we find new uses for federal and local funds.”

Jefferson Parish Public School System Superintendent Diane Roussel, Ph.D., spoke these words at a teacher training session in August 2009. By the time classes began, parents, teachers and students did not have to imagine this scenario. They were living it. Each of the 86 schools in the public school district now boast technological advancements ranging from teacher laptops, video screens, projectors and speakers to interactive white boards, handheld assessment devices and video conferencing.

The integration has put JPPSS in the top half of one percent of systems throughout the country for its use of technology. It is a far cry from the original technology implementation plan set by Roussel when she took the reins of the system in 2003. The original plan was something of a “band aid approach” to technology given the age of school buildings and financial limitations to implement a full-scale upgrade.

Immediately following Katrina, digital infrastructure took second stage to physical infrastructure as the school system dealt with wind damage and flooding. Technology-based curricula were replaced by more immediate concerns such as locating the system’s own students and educating displaced ones from neighboring parishes.

Once students were back in school (less than five weeks after the hurricane), Roussel once again directed her attention to technological upgrades. She recognized the opportunity to revise the original plan into a full-scale model of transformation. It was this plan that was the deciding factor in Jefferson being selected as recipient of a $20 million grant from Cisco.

Chairman of the Board and CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. John Chambers developed Cisco’s 21st Century Schools Initiative (21S) to help rebuild schools and communities along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. In addition to several systems in Mississippi, JPPSS was chosen to participate in the 21S recovery program.

What Cisco wanted in return was a model that the company could replicate. According to Mary Dewysocki, Cisco fellow for the JPPSS project, “The 21S model incorporates transformative technology, tools and training, backed by the expertise of a dedicated technology and business partner.”

By all accounts, Cisco got what it wanted. It is currently using the JPPSS plan as a shining example of how technology can and should be used in an educational setting.

“We wanted to do much more than buy technology with the Cisco funds,” said Roussel. “We wanted the investment to serve as catalyst for a holistic and goal-oriented approach to technology. We chose equipment that was best suited to achieve our goal of capturing students’ attention through engaging and rigorous digital tools.”

Cisco cites input from all parts of the system—administrators in charge of curriculum, central office personnel and teachers—as a vital component in the program’s success. “In order for education to be relevant in today’s environment there needs to be a shift in the way tutors teach, leaders lead and students learn,” said Dewysocki.

According to Roussel, there was concern that some of the older teachers would be resistant to utilizing technology in the classroom. Since many teachers were dealing with their own personal rebuilding efforts, JPPSS did not want to cause any more anxiety by implementing change without their input. “Bringing the teachers on board from the onset really helped those who may have been resistant to take part in identifying goals and considering the technology we would use,” Roussel said.

Teacher involvement extended well beyond the assessment and selection of technology, however. JPPSS asked Cisco for an additional $300,000 to not only help teachers and other personnel to adapt to the technology, but to also showcase teaching methods associated with it. With the funds, JPPSS partnered with the Schlechty Center, a private nonprofit organization that works with school leaders across the country to transform classrooms, schools, and school districts from places focused on compliance to those focused on engagement. Together, they developed the Instruction Technology Integration Institute (ITII), an intensive two-day training session for the 5,000 teachers and administrators in the entire system.

According to Academy presenter Tony Wagner, Ph.D., co-director of the Change Leadership Group (CLG) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the JPPSS training was the first and largest training session that he had ever experienced in his 35 years of working with schools and school systems.

While Cisco’s investment covered 16 schools, Roussel said JPPSS reallocated a total of $17 million to achieve wholesale transformation of the system. And while JPPSS has already achieved district-wide technology, JPPSS is now working to have 100 percent of the classrooms equipped with enhanced technology. To date, 40 percent of classrooms in every school have enhanced technology (interactive white boards, Kindals, student laptops, etc.) while 60 percent of the classrooms have basic technology.

Data from the original 16 schools shows that the investment is a sound decision. Attendance rates have increased, dropout rates have decreased, and overall student attitudes toward the learning environment have improved.

Roussel noted that the children are not the only ones responding positively to the changes. The teachers’ excitement over the new teaching methods has been contagious.
Parents also have the opportunity to participate with the ability to check attendance, test scores and assignments. In the event of another evacuation, parents will also have the opportunity to log on and have their children take lessons online.

“Technology has changed the way we educate our youth. As administrators, we also need to change the way we assess learning,” said Roussel. “A different set of skills, those focusing on collaboration and problem solving, needs to be included in our measurement tools.” Toward that end, JPPSS is embarking on a pilot program at the Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy to more accurately assess academic achievement in the digital age.