Clinton Public School District’s
Digital Learning Initiative
The Clinton Public School District’s Digital Learning Initiative is a new
and exciting plan focused on enhancing academic learning through new
technology resources. For years, our school district has long held the
motto – “Where Excellence is the Only Option." As one of only three “Star”
or “A-Rated” school districts in Mississippi, Clinton continues as an
educational pioneer by integrating technology into the teaching and
learning process. This 1:1 Digital Learning Initiative is on the leading-edge
in our state and serves as a model for other school districts throughout the
Southeast. Our technology philosophy is based on a holistic approach
where personalized, digital learning and technology skills are infused
throughout every classroom, at every grade – for every student and every
teacher.
Our process began in April 2011, as a thorough needs assessment
was conducted examining the current status of all technical equipment
(classroom computers, office equipment, wired infrastructure, etc.)
Conversations took place with each principal and administrator regarding
their staff’s readiness for and current efforts around technology
integration. The results of that initial evaluation showed that the majority of
our classroom computer equipment was outdated and limited in use, and
our network infrastructure needed to be upgraded.
In an effort to research the possibilities, a small group of
administrators attended the National Common Core Conference in June,
and the technology director attended ISTE 2011, the International Society
for Technology in Education’s National Conference. In July, Clinton hosted
an Apple Learning Tour, which was a full day professional development
event designed for administrators to explore new technologies and
classroom integration activities. These events provided insights into the
changing landscape of curriculum and how technology can play a vital
role in helping to meet the high demands placed on the classroom.
As the 2011-12 school year began, the Technology Committee
began discussions around the need for a wireless infrastructure and
additional mobile technology in every school. Principals requested the
ability to conduct performance evaluations using their personal iPad or
other wireless device. Classroom teachers needed the flexibility to
arrange the learning environment in various ways, and not be limited to
where cable drops were located. The Clinton Public School District’s
Strategic Plan was updated in October 2011 to reflect both these newly
identified needs and progress made toward plan goals and objectives.
During the fall of 2011, the technology department spent a great
deal of time planning for a complete network overhaul. Wireless solutions
were researched, including but not limited to Cisco, Brocade, Xirrus and
HP. A thorough examination of our current network capacity and
equipment was conducted, along with research on recommendations for
future network traffic. Requests for Proposals were issued in January 2012
for wireless infrastructure and the district’s wide area network internal
circuits. Bids were awarded in February to Next Step Innovation for an HP
wireless solution and InLine/Contact Networks for District WAN circuits. As a
result of this work, our network transitioned from 10 mbps frame-relay
connections between sites to 1 Gig fiber connections. Each school now
has wireless access points in every classroom with multiple AP’s throughout
common areas. Outdoor access points have also been installed at
Clinton High School throughout the Athletic/Extracurricular Complex.
The 2011-12 school year also served as a transition toward becoming
a mostly-Mac school district. In the spring, two mobile carts of MacBook
laptops were installed at Sumner Hill Junior High School. Clinton Junior High
teachers replaced their outdated desktops with MacBooks, and served as
our teacher 1:1 pilot project. In addition, ten teachers at Clinton High
School volunteered to transition from the PC to the Mac. These teachers
helped pioneer our efforts of transitioning toward digital curriculum
content, discovering interoperability practices between interactive
devices and MacBooks, and determining logistics of going 1:1 in a school
environment.
Professional development and communication efforts were
enhanced in the 2012-13 school year. The focus of this school year has
been to prepare teachers for the shift toward 1:1. We began by
continuing our planning efforts at administrator meetings and faculty
meetings. This 1:1 process was now coined the Clinton Public School
District’s Digital Learning Initiative. Our Alternative School served as our first
student 1:1 pilot school. Every student at the Clinton Alternative School
was issued a MacBook laptop, which they used to access online
instructional content through EdOptions. The technology director
presented at numerous teacher, administrator, and School Board
meetings to discuss the purpose and direction of the Digital Learning
Initiative. In October 2012, every classroom teacher and school
administrator received a MacBook Pro laptop. Procedures were
amended to allow (and encourage) teachers and administrators to take
their equipment home with them for planning and professional learning
purposes.
On January 7, 2013, all Clinton teachers and administrators attended
the CPSD Technology Symposium, which was designed as a specialized
professional learning opportunity. The purpose of the event was to provide
hands-on learning for our teachers and staff as they continue integrating
technology into the learning environment. Apple expert users and trainers,
as well as some of Clinton’s own teachers, delivered over 40 sessions.
Workshop session topics ranged from learning the basics of the MacBook
to creating digital musical content in GarageBand to examining Common
Core Standards.
A small group of school administrators and central office staff
traveled to Mooresville Graded School District, NC in early February 2013.
The site visit was extremely beneficial and encouraging. Mooresville is in
their fifth year of a 1:1 implementation for grades 3-12. We visited
elementary, middle, and secondary schools – all of which were seamlessly
integrating technology into the classroom environment.
In March, bids were accepted for digital devices, accessories and
backpacks and the School Board unanimously approved the bid
recommendations in April. After much research and planning, the
following equipment will be used as part of the Clinton School’s Digital
Learning Initiative:
Item
iPad mini on mobile carts
iPad w/ Retina display on mobile carts
MacBook Air laptops
MacBook Pro laptops
Brenthaven Tred backpack
Brenthaven ProStyle carry case
Speck 13” clear MBA case
Max Interactive Keycase 920
Max Interactive MaxMini 507
Audience
K – 2nd grades
3rd – 5th grades
6th – 12th grades
Teachers /
Administrators
6th – 12th grades
Teachers /
Administrators
6th – 12th grades
3rd – 5th grades
K – 2nd grades
In an effort to communicate with parents and our community, the
Clinton Public School District has used traditional print and news media,
advertising, and social media to share the message of our Digital Learning
Initiative. During the teacher deployment, various news stations
conducted interviews and ran segments about each teacher receiving a
MacBook Pro laptop. Ads have been placed in Parents & Kids Magazine
and the Coffee News, free publications that are available throughout the
Metro-Jackson area. The technology director and public relations officer
have written articles or been quoted for stories in the Clarion Ledger,
Clinton Courier and The Clinton News. We have used our district
Facebook page, Twitter account, Pinterest and Instagram to reach out to
the public about our technology implementation efforts. Additionally, fliers
about the Digital Learning Initiative have been distributed at teacher
career fairs at Mississippi College, Jackson State University, Mississippi State
University, and Ole Miss. The response from our efforts has been very
positive from potential teachers, families and our local citizens.