BCS Advantage Magazine Special Edition #1 | Page 20

DIGITAL LEARNING
Our goal is that all students will graduate as high-achieving and globally competitive learners
with 21st Century skills. To this end, state-of-the-art infrastructure investments totalling over $5
million in the last five years have allowed us to focus on implementing, supporting and sustaining
an aggressive Digital Learning Initiative to prepare students for their tomorrow.
A practical aim of Digital Learning is to make a digital
device available to every student in our classrooms.
Our implementation of student devices began in
January of 2016 with a fourth through sixth grade
rollout of Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 11e laptops, and
in October entered the second phase for grades
seven through nine. Implementing this plan ensures
students will actively engage in Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) across the
curriculum, leading to a world-class global education.
In 2016, students have benefited from SMART
Interactive Teaching Stations in every classroom, and
a Makerbot Replicator 3D printer in every school Media
Center. Buncombe County Schools has strategically
upgraded all of its network infrastructure to support
the system’s teaching and learning needs, which
includes over 30,000 users and devices. Equipping
teachers to bring digital tools into the curriculum
continues to be realized through the professional
development
program,
Blending
Educational
Strategies Together (BEST). These investments in
state-of-the-art training and infrastructure- including
devices, operating systems, and high-speed Wireless
Access Points in all classrooms and school common
areas – have positioned BCS on the leading edge of
education.
1:1 DIGITAL LEARNING INITIATIVE
DEVICE ROLLOUT
4th - 6th Grade in 2015-16
7th - 9th Grade in 2016-17
10th-12th Grade by October of 2017
K-3rd Grade in 2018
View the complete Digital Learning
Initiative Timeline: tinyurl.com/BCSDLP
Programs • Services
Academics • Athletics • Arts
Human Resources • Budgets
“I think the 1:1 Digital Learning Initiative
is a unique experience we are offering
Glob At al a Ed
ucat age,
ion students
students.
young
• Digita work
l Lear on ning
multi-functional [convertible] laptops that
S.T.E.M to . • Tra
nsporta assignments
tion • Nutri in tion
allow them
complete
various Gr
ways, giving them more freedom in
aduation get • Pu
rpos these
e & devices
Direction
their learning. They
to use
that might not otherwise be available to
them. The devices open up so many new
opportunities for learning!”
- Sarah Knowles, 4th Grade Teacher, Emma Elementary
18
BuncombeSchools.org