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