Video: Digital Learning Heads to Lowndes County

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NORTHEAST, Miss. (WCBI)- This school year, education is going digital for students in Lowndes County.

“One to one digital learning initiative is where every child in the school will have a digital learning device and what we’re planning to do is to copy the same model that Clinton Schools has,” said Dr. Robin Ballard Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.

District leaders say they’ll start with phase one this fall, providing iPads to all of their teachers. The following year, they’ll hand them out to students.

” The elementary school students will have an ipad and those will remain at school. The 6th-12th grades will have a macbook and they’ll be able to take that home and use it after hours too. There will be an insurance policy that the students will purchase that replaces any lost or damaged. But the devices are on a lease program so that after four years, it will be turned back in and we will get a newer device for the next round of students that come in,” said Dr. Ballard.

3 years ago Amory School District implemented their “Bring Your Own Device Initiative” but it was later banned.

” Because there wasn’t a wireless infrastructure they weren’t able to monitor what sites students were going through and making sure that they were filtered and not going to sites they didn’t need to. So we took it away for a couple of years,” said Tony Cook, Amory School Superintendent.

But they’re giving it another try.

” We’ve been allowing teachers to use their devices and do some research with students. we’re going to allow students to bring them but They will have to be on our filtered wireless network or they won’t be allowed to use them,” said Cook.

School leaders plan on using the devices for testing and research, instilling lifelong lessons for their children long after they graduate.

” To be confident in using a device like that, it will carry them a long way in the workforce or as they go into the next round of their education,” said Dr. Ballard.

District leaders say Phase One is being funded by the Lowndes County School System. Phase Two will be funded with a bond issue if approved by the county.

Categories: Local News

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