Back to School: Bend La Pine Schools using technology as tool in curriculum
Matthew Draxton
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — With technology quickly advancing, schools are having to adjust, adapt, and evolve to the digital world by implementing technology into curriculum.
“We recognize that kids are growing up in a digital world. It is not going to go away. And so what’s really important for us is to teach them the skills to use it correctly,” says Karen Rush, Executive Director of Elementary Programs with Bend La Pine Schools.
Bend La Pine Schools is one example of integrating technology use as part of the learning toolkit for students.
Rush said, “it’s a great supplement to teaching, but it’s not going to replace it. So what we really try to focus on in our educational technology use is finding great resources that help kids learn and demonstrate their learning.“
The primary focus? Digital literacy and digital responsibility.
Digital literacy is “like making sure that kids know the technology and know how to use it and when to use it,” Karen rush explained. She continued, saying digital responsibility, “is really helping kids to understand what are the strengths of technology, what are the limitations, and how do you just be a really good citizen in a digital world?”
A hot topic with regard to tech use in schools is AI.
“We have to teach students how to use it,” Rush explained. She continued, “but ethics are first and foremost.”
She says teaching students about AI gives them an understanding of what it’s limitations are.
Rush explains the “limitations that we directly teach students is bias, accuracy, originality of your work and the privacy of your work.”
Bend La Pine Schools tells KTVZ with AI and technology advancing so quickly, they’re doing their best to evolve with it.
“This August, all of our teaching staff are getting two hours of training in use of AI to make their work more effective and help them, personalized learning for students,” Rush tells KTVZ News.
Bend La Pine Schools is also implementing an AI statement on student syllabi that will describe appropriate uses of the technology.