The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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January 28, 2013

National Digital Learning Day

From Raleigh County students to administrators to community — all invited to join in

By Sarah Plummer Register-Herald Reporter

BECKLEY — Raleigh County Schools invites students, teachers, schools, parents, administrators and the community to get digital at its Feb. 6 board meeting as they all participate in National Digital Learning Day.

Mary Ann Foster, county technology specialist, explained that a student-generated, district-wide video project will be unveiled at the meeting and many of the progressive uses of technology in Raleigh County classrooms will be highlighted.

Digital Learning Day, headed by former Gov. Bob Wise and the Alliance for Excellent Education, is a national celebration of learning through digital media and technology.

“Adults can come up with good ideas, but students can come up with great, innovative ideas. We are really excited about the project, and it is taking on a life of its own,” said Foster.

Among the work being done, high school students will be filming and sharing information about their feeder schools. The projects can include such things as art projects, interview and musical presentations, she said.

Superintendent Jim Brown explained, “The whole concept is about engaging students and providing them with a rich and personalized education experience using technology. Any instructional practice that uses technology strengthens student learning.”

Across the nation, 2 million students, 20,000 teachers, 25 national member organizations and 39 states and the District of Columbia are expected to join Wise via webcast to participate in Digital Learning Day.

Brown said any group, individual, family, class or organization can sign up to view the live webcast from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. During the web cast, education experts will discuss the future of digital learning as well as highlight some of the progressive uses of technology in individual schools across the nation.

Brown added that Raleigh County is moving toward a digital system with great strides.

Among other digital pushes in the district, a team of 12 Raleigh County technology experts and administrators will take part in an Apple executive briefing in which Apple will help Raleigh County plan its move to one-to-one computing, said Brown.

“I’d like to see Raleigh County be one of the four schools highlighted by the Alliance for Excellent Education at Digital Learning Day, be it next year or the year after. I think we can make great strides,” he said.

For more information on Digital Learning Day or to register to view the free webcast on Feb. 6 at 1 p.m., visit www.digitallearningday.org/splash.

The board will unveil the student video project at its 4:30 p.m. meeting on Feb. 6 at the central office on Adair Street, Beckley.

— E-mail: splummer@register-herald.com

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