A first-grader receives immediate feedback from a program that helps students learn vocabulary words.
Imagining—and Creating—Solutions BEC Fiber enables blended learning at Bandera ISD PH OTOS COU RT ESY OF BAN DE RA I SD
STORY BY LINDSEY BERTRAND BEC Staff Writer
THERE’S NO DENYING THE SPARK IN STUDENTS’ EYES WHEN THEY identify all of their vocabulary words using a quiz-based online program or make their first educational video. That same spark can be seen in the eyes of teachers and administrators at all four of Bandera ISD’s schools thanks to a new initiative and the right partner. A year ago, BISD’s internet service wasn’t fast enough to handle the volume of simultaneous users and the demands of multiple large-scale software programs across its schools. Add unreliable connectivity, no tech support and poor customer service, and the experience left students, teachers and administrators wanting more. So, in July 2018, they connected with BEC’s fiber internet team, which provided a significantly faster, customized internet service to accommodate their current and future needs. Since then, their access to the internet now empowers teachers to transform instruction through blended learning, and the results have been amazing. “Blended learning combines the power of digital tools and a teacher’s best instructional practices so they can meet the individual needs of diverse learners in their classrooms and maximize interactions with each student,” explained BISD Superintendent Dr. Jerry Hollingsworth. To put blended learning into action, BISD launched a digital classroom initiative in mid-January. An initial group of 18 teachers received nearly 500 Chromebook laptops to help create digital classrooms in which teachers use online tools to enhance learning.
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“We’ve stepped up our game at all campuses to provide access to the internet to match the need,” Hollingsworth said. “We are building capacity by supporting this first group of teacher-leaders, and we plan to add more digital classrooms in 2020.” Suzy Groff, BISD technology integration coordinator and Bandera Middle School librarian, posts a weekly Tuesday Tech Tips blog for all BISD faculty to spotlight technology use across the campuses. In it, she shows how students and teachers are engaging, applying, sharing and extending their learning beyond the walls of their classrooms. As part of blended learning, students have video-conferenced with NASA employees, students in other states, an author in A second-grader uses a laptop to practice subtraction problems.
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