Key Learnings on How to Effectively Roll Out Your District’s 1:1 Student Device Program

2)  Enhance 1:1 student device programs by adopting tools that facilitate learning and not policing

As student device programs continue to roll out across the country, they continue to cause distraction problems that hinder learning. In order to build and maintain a successful digital program, schools must have the right resources and technology in place to manage the program. In Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s case, they deployed nearly 90,000 student devices and had specific criteria for classroom management software. 

During his presentation, How Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools use Technology to Defeat Student Device Distractions, at this year’s NCTIES event Jacob discussed their classroom management requirements by describing what matters most during his evaluation:

1. They did not want a tool that required teachers to stare at a screen watching what their students were doing and reprimanding those students in real-time.
2. They did not want to manage the implementation and configuration of an expensive server.
3. They wanted a solution that allowed teachers to facilitate learning and not policing students. 

3)  Make sure whatever classroom management solution is added is easy to deploy and most importantly easy for teachers to use

When selecting a classroom management system, two ingredients dictate the successful deployment and adoption of the program. One, the solution is not labor intensive. Two, teachers understand how to use the program once implemented. 

Standish describes his roll out of Dyknow by saying, “after 15 minutes of showing them what to do, the teachers already see the value of it, and they’re ready to go. There are many little features you can add in the mix that are beyond the 15-minute training, but the value is right there in the first 15 minutes.” Technology should help facilitate better learning and shouldn’t be a roadblock for teachers to adopt and understand. 

The four primary components we’ve heard from teachers at Charlotte-Mecklenburg and other school districts that use Dyknow is that it helps enhance 1:1 student device programs and improves digital classrooms by: 

1. Regaining attention: Helps to eliminate technology distractions before class starts
2. Keeping students on task: Helps prevent students from visiting sites and apps that cause distractions
3. Developing teacher confidence: Assurance knowing students are paying attention and are on task
4. Increasing teacher effectiveness: Helps to monitor devices for you