Vance Middle School students served as hosts for visitors to their school’s Common Core Meets Digital Conversion day on Thursday, April 3. Beta Club students led tours of classrooms to view students and teachers implementing Tennessee’s Common Core State Standards utilizing new laptops, which were provided to each student in January as part of the first phase of Bristol Tennessee City Schools Digital Conversion. Common Core State Standards outline what students should know and be able to do each grade (K-12) in math and English language arts in order to be prepared for college or a career. Common Core has changed the learning landscape for students in Tennessee. There is a much greater focus on thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. With the increased expectations of Common Core, there is also a shift to personalized learning environments. Personalized learning is a more student-centered approach designed to further individualize instruction for students. Teachers in Bristol Tennessee City Schools were already individualizing instruction, said Dr. Amy Scott, principal of Vance Middle School. The laptops and other technology simply provide additional tools that are extremely relevant to the world in which our students live.” The Digital Conversion also gives students an advantage on new state assessments. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, state assessments will be computer-based, and students will be expected to demonstrate learning digitally. “Given the current and future workforce demands, students need to be prepared to use technology and adapt to the latest innovations in technology,” said Dr. Gary Lilly, director of schools. “This is an instructional priority to change the way our teachers teach and students learn. Beyond the change in the format of assessments, investing in technology in our schools is vital to ensure students are prepared for their futures.” The visitors for Common Core Meets Digital Conversion included parents, community members, and elementary and high school teachers of Bristol Tennessee City Schools. Students also had the opportunity to showcase their new digital projects. Tennessee High School students will benefit from the second phase of BTCS’s Digital Conversion. All Tennessee High teachers received laptops in March, and all students will be issued laptops at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. The timeline of the third phase has yet to be determined but will include laptops for students in fourth through sixth grades.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 15:05:39 +0000
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