AACPS OIT Byte

  By Kerri Lambert, Academic Specialist, Instructional Technology In the fall of the 2024, after a year of input from stakeholders, Anne Arundel County Public Schools unveiled its new 5 year Strategic Plan . This living document serves as the guiding force for all work in the school system. While technology is specifically called out in the core belief of innovation and priority #5 (Building and Sustaining our Future), instructional technology can significantly enhance all areas of the plan, ensuring our students meet the portrait of a graduate as envisioned in the early pages of the document. Let’s explore how instructional technology aligns to the five identified priorities.  Priority #1: Achieving Academic Excellence Integrating instructional technology into instruction allows for differentiation, engagement, and a more inclusive learning environment. Obviously students love technology, so any time you give them the opportunity to engage with the Chromebooks, you immediatel...

By Kerri Lambert, Academic Specialist, Instructional Technology It’s no secret that relationships are key in the education world; whether it's colleague to colleague, student to teacher, or teacher to families, building a strong community is critical to the success of students. In fact, the AACPS Strategic Plan specifically calls out the sense of belonging as one of the 6 core beliefs, stating: “We believe that genuine connections and relationships are the foundation of a successful community. We are committed to nurturing strong bonds between students, staff, families, and community members so everyone feels connected, supported, and valued." Even the Maryland Digital Learning Standards emphasize the importance of collaboration with standard number 7, Global Communicator: Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally. Students: a) Use digital tools to conn...