10 Things to Keep In Mind When Planning 1:1 Conversion

The process of converting a school or district to a 1:1 teaching and learning model can be full of unexpected challenges. Here are 10 things for administrators and leaders to keep in mind as they begin the planning process for district digital conversion (DDC) projects.

1) Have a clear definition of success and how it will be measured. Take time during planning to create realistic and adaptable goals.

2) Do it yourself is often the most expensive approach. Understand true costs and seek to fully understand the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your entire digital conversion.

3) When your district goes digital, plan for 24x7 access to the digital learning environment (DLE) and promote the ability of students and parents to access learning anywhere and anytime.

4) An effective digital learning environment (DLE) needs to provide educators with both structured and unstructured core and supplemental content. This will allow all teachers to use the DLE for individualized instructional support and provide personalized learning for students.

5) An effective digital learning strategy should provide evidence of success including student achievement gain rates on high stakes tests.

6) Real-time data tools that provide immediate student performance data allow teachers to personalize support and effectively manage 1:1 classrooms.

7) Interoperability of devices, software, and instructional resources matters and can have a significant impact on efficiency, quality of teaching and learning, user satisfaction, and digital conversion costs.

8) Professional development for teachers that helps them learn new digital teaching practices is critical both during and after implementation.

9) Have a clear communication plan to help maintain realistic expectations and generate a shared sense of involvement. Keeping both the core leadership team, impacted staff, and community members (parents, school board) involved and informed of the progress of your DDC is essential.

10) Remember that chance is a process and not an event - even though there are many important events that support your desired change.

We believe that when going 1:1, a district should aim to increase student achievement rates and improve instructional practices. It can also be helpful to coordinate with a qualified external partner to assist district leadership with DDC planning.

These tips are gleaned from the white paper District Digital Conversion: Empowering Personalized Learning - which can be downloaded completely free at DistrictDigitalConversion.com.