LETTER: Community Tech Nights

Dear Editor,

I am writing to let you and your readers know that the Technology Team at the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District have developed "Community Tech Nights", which happen the third Thursday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm at the high school library.  These events will focus on how we are integrating new technologies into the current curriculum. We will also present mini-workshops on applications that our teachers and students use daily. These events are not just for parents of students - these nights are free and open to the general public. Ultimately, these events are about sharing what we do and giving back to the supportive communities of Groton and Dunstable.

We are often asked "Why do we need all of this technology in the schools?" I am sure you have read many articles on how districts have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment only to have it just sit there.  Sadly, this is the case in many cities and towns across America.  However, in the Groton-Dunstable school district the administration had the foresight to realize that purchasing equipment without having the professional development and technology support for teachers and students would lead to the same outcome.  So along with the new equipment purchased through the special warrant article, the Technology Team has been running on-going after school professional development opportunities for teachers, a weekly "drop-in" Genius Bar (we rotate through all schools) to answer questions and focus on specific needs for their age students, as well as "Tech Tuesday and Thursdays" where a teacher can drop-in during their prep period to find out about new apps, get answers to questions, and find more innovative ways to teach. After all, it's not about the hardware or device, rather, it's about teaching and learning, as well as, preparing our students for their future - not ours.

Technology is a literacy that is expected in higher education and in our economy.  It is ever present and is a universal language spoken by the entire world regardless of the profession.  The contemporary job market requires us to adapt, continually learn, and apply various skill sets in many different directions. This also means that we need to collaborate and connect both locally and globally.  While I am promoting that exposure to technology and digital tools are essential, we must do so responsibly.  Teaching students how to balance technology usage along with offline socializing and interpersonal skills is essential.

The focus of our March tech night will be on "Digital Health and Wellness in K-12".  This session will highlight ways for teaching students how to make good choices online, much like they would when learning to eat a healthy diet.  The GDRSD Tech Team will be on hand to share ideas about what students have access to in school, what applications and networks to be aware of, and how to facilitate conversations and lessons for using digital tools and social networks at home.  In order to leverage digital tools in an educational context, we must also educate and guide our students through these concepts both in school and at home.

Participants are welcome to bring their own device, or we can provide one for you to use. So please join us on March 13 at the high school library from 7 - 8:30 pm.  We look forward to connecting and sharing with community members and parents of students.

Respectfully,

Andrew Marcinek

Director of Technology

GDRSD