Digital Teaching and Learning

Overview

Our DTL plan is aligned to the vision and guiding principles within Utah’s Master Plan. We have established technology-rich classrooms, making large investments in infrastructure, hardware and applications. We have provided significant teacher training but recognize the need to deliver increased and ongoing job-embedded support to our teachers as they continue to implement what they have learned, and work to advance their skills in digital teaching and learning. To this end, we hired three full-time elementary coaches for the 2019-20SY and plan to hire two additional instructional coaches for our secondary schools. We will continue to train, develop, and utilize coaches for the benefit of every teacher, and every K-12 student in our district.

We will be braiding funds from CBE, TSSA, Land Trust, general budget, and DTL grant to place a full-time instructional coach in each school. Two additional coaches will be hired by April 2020. We will provide extensive training for coaches during Summer 2020 so they are adequately prepared to engage and support teachers by Fall 2020.

JSD has contracted with International Center for Leadership to provide training for teachers, coaches and administrators specifically around utilizing technology to increase efficiency and support quality pedagogy. Training is scheduled for May 2020. ICL will provide ongoing professional development for the next two years. They will be auditing every classroom during Fall 2020, and again in Fall 2021, to provide feedback utilizing specific metrics about the level of personalization currently provided. Subsequently, they will help us use this data to develop a plan for improvement. Finally, they will re-audit our classes Spring 2021 and 2022 to measure growth and inform next steps. After each visit, ICL will work with coaches, school and district leaders to co-create a plan addressing how we can best support our teachers.

Our coaches will work daily to develop the capacity of classroom teachers by delivering timely effective instructional support. They will help teachers develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively integrate devices and digital curriculum in their classrooms, subsequently moving students to higher levels of learning and achievement powered by technology. They will also collaborate regularly as a coaching team to support each other in their own professional learning, and to develop ideas that will move the needle in our district around effective personalized learning.

Our DTL plan is well-aligned to the district’s long-term strategic vision which focuses on providing a robust whole-child experience for all students, resulting in high levels of learning as demonstrated through mastery of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions outlined in our Portrait of A Graduate. Our mission is for students to graduate from Juab prepared for success in the workforce, college and careers, and life beyond. We recognize that the key to quality instruction is the teacher. Highly effective teachers are vital to meeting this goal and ensuring that all students leave our district as self-directed, assessment capable learners, who possess global digital citizenship skills, and are prepared to use technology innovatively, independently and ethically. Providing targeted, job-embedded professional support through the utilization of instructional coaches is essential. We are confident instructional coaching will greatly enhance the capacity of teachers to deliver effective instruction and to create the conditions for powerful personalized learning. Ultimately, the result will be a positive impact on the achievement, growth and preparedness of all K-12 students in the Juab School District.