A presentation to the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees detailed how a partnership with Apple is helping the district bring the tools of the 21st century to students.
Deputy Superintendent Susana Cordova said the partnership with Apple is helping to grow digital literacy among the district’s youngest learners using technology to enhance curriculum, coaching and instruction.
“We know our little learners are growing up in a world that is vastly different than the one we grew up in,” Corodva said. “Many children learn to type their names before they learn to write.”
Another part of this blended learning effort is to redesign and rethink the libraries and media centers at 40-45 schools in a first cohort. Schools will be able to apply to house a R.E.A.D Lab, featuring refreshed spaces, modular furniture and aligned technology. The lab will also have a “R.E.A.D. Zone,” to possibly include a recording booth and sound equipment to produce student podcasts or a micro video studio with a green screen for video production.
“We are looking to make our libraries a hub of learning for the future,” Cordova said.
Hybrid School
Chief of Strategic Initiatives Brian Lusk announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind public school option: a new hybrid school where students attend classes both remotely and on campus.
The Hybrid Future School is opening in Fall 2021, offering a creative and flexible learning environment for students in grades 4 through 6. Additional grade levels will be offered in future years.
“We’ve learned a lot from covid and how some students would thrive in this type of learning model,” Lusk said. “We are taking advantage of what we have learned.”
