Host of the “Educator Pineapple Podcast,” Juliana Finegan talks about the rise of personal devices and shares highlights of her conversation with Jean-Claude Brizard, where the pair discussed what is needed to foster learning and equity around digital transformation.
Leveraging the power of technology in the classroom is not unlike getting the keys to the Magic School Bus. It’s a way to spark young imaginations and introduce difficult concepts in the classroom — effectively bringing curriculum to life.
Nowhere is this opportunity more tangible in K-12 education than through the rise of 1:1 devices. A survey from EdWeek Research Center revealed nearly 90 percent of educators reported having at least one device for every middle and high schooler by March of 2021, and an additional 84 percent said the same was true for elementary school students. In the same survey, nearly half of teachers, principals, and district leaders said the expanded use of school-issued digital devices significantly “changed teaching and learning in their schools.”
These sweeping educational changes haven’t come without their challenges, however. Educators and districts alike face mounting pressures in the learning environment, including navigating the complexities of digital transformation, stemming the impending teacher shortage, and strengthening whole-child support for the next generation of learners — all at once.
To discuss what is needed to support digital transformation in the classroom, we talked with Jean-Claude Brizard, president and CEO of Digital Promise Global, and a former Senior Advisor and Deputy Director in U.S. Programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Watch the full podcast episode in the video below.
