POLK COUNTY, Fla. — We live in a digital age, and Polk County Public Schools is ensuring all students have convenient access to technology.
Electronic devices will be issued to all 116,000 students enrolled in the school district as part of the One-to-One Digital Learning Initiative.
“We’re calling it an always-on learning experience because no longer are students really restricted to those classroom hours. What the device will allow them to do, is even when they leave campus, they’ll continue to have access to their content and the information that they need,” said Superintendent Fredrick Heid.
Elementary school students will be going home with iPads, and students in middle and high school will have laptops. They can easily download assignments and upload homework for grading. Heid said this would help prevent learning loss, as students will be able to keep the devices during holidays and summer break. He calls digital learning an equalizer for students.
“They can flip back and forth between different languages, so even if you're an ELL student, think about that. They now have access to something within their native language so they can go back and forth and reinforce their English skills as well,” Heid said.
The new program will allow teachers to individualize learning.
“Say I have four to five students who don’t demonstrate proficiency or don’t pass my test, I can now go back in and reassign certain lessons to just those students. I don’t have to assign it to everyone,” said Heid.
The One-to-One Digital Learning Initiative has been made possible through a $28 million grant. The funding will also allow the district to provide Wi-Fi to students who don’t have access to it, closing the digital divide.
“In some instances, a hotspot might suffice if there is a high-density wireless overlay within their community. If that is not present in their community, we can use some of this to pay for hardwired services as well,” said Heid.
Polk County Public Schools has implemented a content filter on student devices to automatically block inappropriate websites. Students have already begun receiving their devices. All devices will be issued by mid-October.
