In a piece for eSchool News, a Discovery
Education executive lays out her case for school districts not to let a lack of
instructor buy-in stifle efforts to transition to digital learning materials.
Karen
Beerer, vice president of learning and development for the provider of digital
content and assessment tools, writes that waiting to get teachers aboard on new
education technology can stall innovation and do a disservice to students by
not preparing them properly for an increasingly digital world.
She acknowledges legitimate barriers, such as some students
lacking digital access at home or tight budgets that may prohibit a 1:1 device
rollout. “No matter our concerns,” Beerer says, “we need to recognize that our
students are ready—they want to engage with textbooks that are replete with
immersive and interactive experiences. They want access to up-to-date
information and they want opportunities not only to consume content but to create
content as well.”
Her suggestions include integrating digital approaches with
traditional teaching strategies, and using new technologies—whether apps,
virtual reality, or digital personal assistants such as Siri or Alexa—to help
students discover new ways to learn.
Students will also help transition the classroom, she notes, "because when it comes to buy-in with digital, they are leading the charge."