Virtual PD

>>WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

This module will help you understand how programs access devices and maintain the devices they have. In this module, you can expect to accomplish the following:

1. Follow an easy process to acquire the devices your program needs.
2. Understand how to collaborate with community-based organizations to access and maintain devices.
3. Amplify your creativity by learning about unique ways groups have brought technology to their programs.

>>WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ACCESS TECHNOLOGY?

A few helpful definitions will get you started with this module!

Technology is the wide range of tools and devices such as tablets, computers, cell phones, 3D printers, and more.

Access to technology is the program infrastructure including the internet and wi-fi.

Information Technology (IT) support is a person or group of people who can fix the devices and internet when there are problems. IT support is critical for programs that utilize these tools. Some programs have tech devices but do not use the technology because they lack IT support.

>>WHY ARE ACCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND DEVICES IMPORTANT?

You can teach students how to use technology, but they must have access to devices in order to use them. Acquiring devices will keep your afterschool program competitive and will offer important opportunities to the students your program serves.

>>IN PRACTICE

How are you accessing technology? We're looking for stories to share with the community about programs that are accessing technology and how you made it happen. 

If you have a good case study to share, please email us.

>>ARE YOU READY?

You may already have some devices or you may have internet access; maybe you have both; maybe you have neither! This module will help you figure out what you have and what you need in order to connect your students to digital learning opportunities. If you’re uncertain that you have the expertise to start planning, you can ask for help from a Computer Science teacher, a tech-savvy librarian, a parent who works in the tech industry, or another technology educator as you work through the process.

>>PROCESS FOR ACCESSING TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR PROGRAM

You can acquire technology for your program by considering a few questions.

1. Identify your needs. Talk with your staff and stakeholders and consult your program’s vision statement to determine what kinds of technology you need in order to help you reach your program goals.
2. Take inventory. Determine what your program already has or has access to. Note the gaps between what you need and what you have. Prioritize your needs.
3. Consider your options. Consider your budget as well as staffing, management, and maintenance of devices. Then, decide whether to purchase equipment or to partner with another organization.
4. Make a plan. If you decide to purchase equipment, cost out your needs and make a plan to expand your program budget. If you decide to pursue partnerships, schedule time to talk with potential partners and develop a shared-use agreement.

1. Identify your needs.
What are your program goals? Are you looking for devices for students to use for homework? Do you want students to collect data as part of a project? Do you want students to be able to explore digital photography, videography, or animation? What tools align with the learning goals of your program?

2. Take inventory.
The next step is to determine what technology you have and what you need. Think about:

• Equipment
• Infrastructure
• Staff support
• How staff use technology
• How students use technology
• Community resources
• Budget

Complete the following Technology Inventory Checklists to help you consider what you already have available. Then, make notes about what you need to acquire.

 DOWNLOAD TECHNOLOGY INVENTORY CHECKLISTS

3. Consider options.
Now that you’ve completed the inventory to identify what you have and what you need, it’s time to figure out ways to get it including seeking funding, partnerships, and program volunteers.

 DOWNLOAD MAKING OUR TECHNOLOGY WISH LIST A REALITY

Purchasing New Apps or Software Considerations

Ideally, you’ll be working toward integrating technology into your daily programming. If you have decided that in order to meet your goals, you need to purchase software or apps, here are some tips to help you avoid buyer’s remorse.

Review the following list of considerations before purchasing new apps or software for your program.

If your program has decided to purchase new apps or software ...

• Has anyone we know purchased or used this technology? If so, can we ask about their experience with the technology?
• How does this technology help meet the learning goals we have set for students?
• How does the technology align with our program’s digital learning goals? Does it provide the skills, knowledge, behaviors, etc., that we say we want?
• Is this technology age and developmentally appropriate? If not, can we easily adapt it?
• Does the technology help staff foster relationships or set high expectations or create opportunities for students to connect, navigate, or be productive?
• What do students need to know before they can use this technology?
• Do we need to set new or different expectations or guidelines for using this technology?
• What do staff need to know before they can implement this technology?
• Will staff need additional supplies/resources?
• Is this technology something the program can either reuse or remake after it’s been used one time, or is it a one and done resource?
• If we buy this technology, will it exceed our budget? If so, what can we purchase that is similar and less expensive?
• How soon do we need this technology, and can it be delivered/downloaded/accessed in time?

4. Make a Plan.
Sometimes it makes sense for your program to purchase devices. Other times it is important to stretch your limited budget. Partnerships and collaboration can help your program save money, so consider working with area schools and libraries to purchase internet and equipment. You can make a solid plan to consider all of these possibilities to acquire the technology and devices you need by exploring:

• Building community partnerships for sharing technology
• Discounts to purchase technology
• Creative solutions to acquire devices, internet, and staff support

Let’s look at each of these areas in more detail.

Build Community Partnerships for Sharing Technology

One of the best ways to access technology is by developing partnerships with other organizations that have either what you need or the same need as your program. Partnerships can help you maximize your limited budget and access tools you might not be able to access on your own. In addition, you can share subscription, upkeep, and infrastructure costs between organizations.

When you are looking for community partners, look for partners who typically invest in internet, devices, and tech support such as libraries and schools.

• Libraries are becoming hubs of engaging activities that include spaces for coding, digital creation, social media awareness, résumé and profile building, and maker labs.
• Schools are busy buying mobile technology and creating media centers where the entire school community can access the technology they need.
• MakerSpaces are often located in community centers and offer community members equipment to realize their own projects and visions.

Sometimes partnerships look great on paper but are difficult to create in real life. For example, many afterschool programs report that their school partners do not share devices. To break down this barrier:

• Build and maintain relationships with organization staff. Community Partnerships around technology hinge on great relationships, so spend the time connecting with partners.
• Align your organizational goals. Be sure that both organizations will contribute to and benefit from the partnership.
• Use the talking points in the Promote Digital Learning in Afterschool module to support your partnership building.

Shared-Use Agreements Can Help

Regardless of how you build your partnership, it is vital to capture the partnership with a Shared-Use Agreement. Capturing the partnership in writing is important so that the partnership can sustain:

• Staff turnover
• Equipment damage, theft, and replacement
• Funding changes

Write a specific and clear shared-use agreement so your organizations can look to the agreement in the case of partnership friction or expansion.

Shared-use agreements should:

• Name the organizations partnering.
• Specifically describe the shared use.
• Explicitly define the parameters of the partnership.
• Define the benefits of the agreement for each party.
• Define the commitment each organization is making.
• Define the length of the agreement.
• Clearly offer the process for modifying, extending, or ending the partnership.

Complete this sample  Shared-Use Agreement template to get started.

Discounts for Purchasing Technology

Even if you have developed a successful partnership, purchasing technology and systems to support it can be expensive. The good news is that you might be able to find devices and services at a discounted rate, particularly if you work in a school or non-profit organization. Wherever you are shopping, it never hurts to ask about an educator’s or non-profit rate. Below are some specific programs designed to help defray the cost of technology.

E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries

If your school or library does not have internet access, you can help them get it through the E-Rate program. Administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), the E-Rate program helps ensure that schools and libraries can obtain high-speed Internet access at affordable rates. The E-Rate program is specifically for schools and libraries, but other facilities/programs may also be eligible for discounts, including:

• School buildings that generally don't contain classrooms (for example, school administrative buildings, school bus barns, school stadiums) or library buildings that don't have areas open to the public (for example, library administrative buildings, library technology centers, bookmobile garages)
• Non-traditional elementary and secondary education programs such as Head Start, prekindergarten, juvenile justice, adult education, etc.

You can apply for discounted services including wireless internet, satellite service, leased lit or dark fiber, and repair and upkeep of hardware. Discounts range from 20% to 90% of the cost of eligible services and are based on the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program in the school district, urban or rural status, and type of service.

The funding year for this program is July 1 - June 30, and applications are due in March. It is important to note that before you apply, you will need to undergo a competitive bidding process to select a service provider, and this process must be open for at least 28 days. So be sure to set aside plenty of time for the process before the application is due if this is a resource your school or library is interested in.

The USAC also directly supports students and their families living in poverty by providing discounted phone and internet services. Depending on the population of students your program serves, consider sharing this information with families.

Everyone On Resources

Everyone On is a national nonprofit organization working to provide internet access, free training, and donated or discounted equipment to everyone across the US who is currently unconnected. Their primary goal is to eliminate the digital divide, and they currently have partnerships with some afterschool organizations. Your program may be able to access resources from Everyone On, and it is also an organization you may want to connect families to.

Nonprofit Discounts and Donations from TechSoup

Many companies offer low-cost equipment or services for nonprofits and / or educators. You can search online for “tech discounts nonprofit” or “tech discount educator”. Check the details of any offer to be sure that you qualify.

If you conduct this search, you many notice that TechSoup often appears in your list. TechSoup is a organization that connects nonprofits to technology resources including donated devices and hardware, discounted software, low-cost IT services, training, etc. If your program is a 501(c)3 nonprofit or library, it probably qualifies for resources from TechSoup. For a small administrative fee, you can expand your technology access pretty quickly with help from the TechSoup team.

Most of the resources on TechSoup do require at least a small admin fee, but there is a wealth of information available at the site for free. You can search for the type of hardware or software you are looking for on the site, and get an idea for what might be available as you build your plan.

A Word About Donations

Sometimes, local businesses or partners want to donate their used equipment to nonprofit or education organizations. Some of this equipment may be just a few years old, and still fully functional. This can be a great windfall for your program. However, it is important to be sure before you accept a donation that the equipment still has a decent lifespan, so that you won’t be spending too many resources on maintenance.

Finding Funds

If you are clear about your goals in adding technology, and can show how the technology will further your mission, you may want to consider writing a grant proposal to have your new equipment funded. Several funders are interested in closing the opportunity gap, increasing the number of STEM activities available to youth, and supporting children’s skills in using technology. The Afterschool Alliance has compiled several resources to help you prospect for grants, including a guide to STEM funding and an comprehensive list of funding sources for STEM Education Grants. To view these resources, visit http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/STEMfunding.cfm

Some of the funding streams you come across will be clearly intended for K-12 educators, but as long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you can still apply. As afterschool educators, you may have to do some advocacy to funders to explain that technology education is important outside, as well as within the school day. The Afterschool Alliance has statistics, reports, and fact sheets to help you make this case.

Creative Solutions for Acquiring Technology Devices and Internet Access

If you’ve tried all the tips above, and are still struggling with the cost to add technology in your program, you may have to think even more creatively. Afterschool educators are famously resourceful, and each solution must be tailored to the individual program’s needs and resources. Here are a few creative solutions that programs have come up with. See if any of these might work for you, or spark other ideas about how you can add technology to your program.

Students build their own computers.

Shawn Petty from Westat works with programs in Texas to help students build their own computers. By using Raspberry Pi and Arduino, or other microcontroller kits, students can build computers. With a computer kit from Kano, students can build their own computers and operating systems. Then, students know how to fix anything that may go wrong.

Wi-Fi Buses

In places without internet service, a bus with a wi-fi hotspot and an antenna can work as a creative alternative. If internet service is shared with other organizations for occasional visits, as a library bookmobile for the digital age, this could work as a way to share the costs of a mobile wi-fi connection in an otherwise inaccessible area. This could also serve rural communities who don’t have access to traditional afterschool programming by bringing some programming to students on the bus ride home.

Finding Volunteer Staff for Technical Support

If you don’t have the capacity to pay a part-time staff person to work with you to service your devices, consider looking for a part-time volunteer.

Hire New Volunteers

• Look for retirees and other volunteers with IT backgrounds.
• Access partners’ staff including school day IT staff and library IT staff.
• Be clear about what you’re looking for. See the Train and Support Staff module for instructions on writing compelling job descriptions.

Hire Youth as Tech Support

• TechSpot, an outgrowth of a 21st Century Learning Community-funded program in Skowhegan, ME, has a student-run technology help center in the community’s downtown. The unique collaborative is run by students and volunteers with a goal of allowing students to become teachers in a multigenerational environment. The collaborative allows students to share their knowledge of technology with the community.

>>TAKE ACTION

Get started today! These questions will help you take what you’ve read and move forward.

1. What will you do to build a clear plan to acquire and maintain devices?
2. How can you collaborate with partner organizations to access technology?
3. What creative solutions can help you navigate obstacles?

>>RESOURCES

• Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), the E-Rate program helps ensure that schools and libraries can obtain high-speed Internet access at affordable rates.
• TechSoup offers discounted software, hardware, IT support services, and training.

WHAT'S NEXT?

• Continue learning with the next module of the Toolkit.
• Video Training Recordings
• Share your thoughts and participate in community chats on Twitter by using the hashtag #AfterschoolTech.

>>WHAT WILL YOU LEARN

This section will help you look more deeply at the equity issues your students face related to technology and digital learning. It will also help you begin to address them. In this section you can expect to accomplish the following:

1. Identify the equity issues students in your school/community face related to digital learning and technology.
2. Gain an understanding of some common equity issues at the heart of the digital divide.
3. Learn strategies to help low-income and marginalized students gain or maintain access to technology and quality digital learning opportunities.

>>WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ADDRESS EQUITY RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL LEARNING?

As you move forward with your efforts to address equity related to technology and digital learning, it is important to be clear and have everyone on the same page about what the language means. Here are some definitions that may be helpful for you and your stakeholders:

Equity means that each person or group has equal access to economic, social, and educational opportunities. For members of groups that have been excluded from resources, equity may involve providing greater resources to compensate for past exclusion and discrimination.

The digital divide is the socioeconomic and educational disparity between people who have opportunities and skills enabling them to benefit from digital resources, especially the internet, and those who do not.

Access in relationship to the digital divide, means students have access to computers, the internet, and other information technologies, as well as opportunities to not only be consumers of technology but also producers.

>>WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HELP CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN YOUR PROGRAM?

Becoming familiar with how the digital divide impacts your students can help you identify strategies to close the gap in your program. There are education, social, and economic equity impacts of the digital divide that affect young people.

Educational Impact:

• In a 2015 survey, nearly half of all students reported that they have been prevented from completing a homework assignment because they lacked access to the internet or a computer.

Social Impact:

• Internet access is crucial for individuals to maintain or increase their participation in the civic and social spheres.

Economic Impact:

• Digital knowledge is increasingly required across sectors of the workforce. Without opportunities to engage actively with digital learning, low-income students will not have the chance to develop the skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education and work and earn livable wages.

You can get a deeper look at how the digital divide impacts students in this report: Empowering Afterschool Professionals for Digital Learning Report

>>IN PRACTICE

>>ARE YOU READY?

Whether you already have a good understanding of the ways the digital divide impacts students in your program or not, this process will help you identify targeted ways to provide access to technology and quality digital learning programming.

>>PROCESS FOR ADDRESSING THE EQUITY IMPACTS OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN YOUR PROGRAM

 DOWNLOAD PROCESS FOR ADDRESSING THE EQUITY IMPACTS OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN YOUR PROGRAM CHECKLIST

1. Assess current equity impacts of the digital divide in your program/community.

Ask yourself:

• Why is it a priority to help close the digital divide in our program?
• What are the most pressing equity impacts created by the digital divide that students in our program face?

By reflecting on these questions you will find that you probably have a clear understanding of the general equity issues your students face, but may not have explored and assessed the equity issues related to technology. If you have already explored and assessed the equity issues, think about how you are addressing this.

Assessment Strategies

Choose some of the following strategies listed to identify the inequities created by the digital divide that your students currently face.

To assess the equity impacts of the digital divide for your students, incorporate the following questions into surveys you are already administering, or adapt the questions to create parent/guardian or student surveys.

  DOWNLOAD SAMPLE EQUITY SURVEY QUESTIONS

Common Equity Impacts Created by the Digital Divide

The digital divide deeply impacts opportunities for student success, especially low-income students and students of color. Following are some prevalent equity implications that stem from the digital divide.

2. Determine possible strategies.

You may not be able to immediately address all the equity impacts you identify. That is OK. Begin by identifying the priority or highest leverage issues. Following is a list of potential strategies you can implement to address some of the equity impacts listed in step 1.

3. Implement strategies.

Now that you are clear on the equity impacts you want to address and have identified strategies to address these issues, create a plan for implementation.

 DOWNLOAD EQUITY STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TEMPLATE

4. Measure your success.

After you have identified the inequities you want to address and have determined which strategies you will implement, think about how you will measure success.

>>TAKE ACTION

Think about what you have read here and consider what you can do to advance equity in your program through digital learning. These questions will help you get started:

• What is the first strategy we can utilize to find out more about what inequities young people in our program face when it comes to accessing digital information and devices?
• Who do we know that is passionate about equity who can help us move forward?

>>RESOURCES

• Policy Studies Associates’ report Empowering Afterschool Professionals for Digital Learning makes a clear case for digital learning as an equity issue that can be addressed through afterschool.
• Digital Promise’s video How Education Innovation Clusters Advance Equity showcases programs and schools that use digital learning as a strategy for equity.
• The documentary Without a Net: The Digital Divide in America presents compelling stories of young people who do not have access to technology juxtaposed against stories of other students who do.
• Toward Equality of Access describes the role of public libraries in addressing the digital divide.
• SoulPancake’s Homework Gap YouTube Video is a great clip that explores what advantages (and disadvantages) students have thanks to the internet.

>>WHAT'S NEXT?

• Continue learning with the next module of the Toolkit.
• Video Training Recordings
• Share your thoughts and participate in community chats on Twitter by using the hashtag #AfterschoolTech.

>>WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

In this module you can expect to accomplish the following:

1. Understand what it means to embed technology into your current programming.
2. Assess how you are currently using technology in your program, and set goals to further integrate technology to support digital learning.
3. Walk through steps to intentionally embed technology into your current programming.
4. Gain tips for intentionally selecting technology resources to meet your program goals, mission, and vision for digital learning.

>>WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO EMBED TECHNOLOGY INTO YOUR PROGRAMMING?

Embedding technology is weaving the devices and services you acquire seamlessly into the programming you already do. It means that you recognize technology as a tool, and a support to your program’s mission and goals, rather than an isolated activity.

>>WHY IS INTENTIONALLY EMBEDDING TECHNOLOGY IMPORTANT?

When you’re intentional, you know where you’re going and you go there with determination and resolve. Many programs offer a sampling of tech-based activities, but they may not be linked to the program’s larger goals, resulting in a watered down learning experience for students. Intentionally embed technology into your current programming to create powerful digital learning experiences for students that help bridge the digital divide.

>>HOW CAN WE EMBED TECHNOLOGY INTO OUR CURRENT PROGRAMMING?

To be intentional about your digital learning is to seek out opportunities for students to utilize technology as part of their experience in your program.

Technology Continuum

Following is a continuum of how technology is used in some afterschool programs, from low to high integration, with examples.

Your program uses technology to support homework completion.

• You already provide homework help.
• To embed technology: Provide access to computers or tablets during homework help time. Support students as they complete online research and/or complete and submit their homework online.

Your program offers some type of digital arts or digital media activity.

• You already offer weekly classes to help students develop artistic skills.
• To embed technology: Have students share their artwork on your program’s Instagram account.

Your program offers technology-specific classes/programs such as robotics or coding.

• You already offer coding.
• To embed technology: Have students use their coding skills to build an app that addresses an issue in your program or community.

Your program fosters digital citizenship.

• You already provide quick orientations to technology about how to use the internet safely before any sessions in the computer lab.
• To embed technology: Encourage children to research a current local issue that affects them online and then work together to compose and send an email to the mayor.

Your program invites speakers from the tech field that are representative of the backgrounds of the program population.

• You already help youth take part in online career assessments.
• To embed technology: Youth create LinkedIn profiles, then conduct research about the speakers prior to the presentation. After the presentation, have youth connect via LinkedIn with the speakers.

Your program helps youth build technology related skills to support their success for college readiness or success for the workforce.

• You already prepare teens for internships.
• To embed technology: Help teens use their cell phones to schedule their interviews, set up a professional email signature, and practice sending business-appropriate emails.

Your program uses technology as part of project-based learning experiences.

• You already set up groups to collaborate and track work using tools such as Google Drive or DropBox.
• To embed technology: Show students how to use a project management tool such as BaseCamp, Asana, or Trello. These tools help teach goal setting and timelines, assigning tasks and accountability, keeping track of materials created, and more.

Your program empowers youth leadership through technology use.

• You already work with a youth leadership council to advise program decisions.
• To embed technology: Have students collect recommendations from peers and other stakeholders about how to improve the program or community. Have students use a free online tool such as PollEverywhere to allow other students to vote on recommendations.
  
  
• Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI) was created to support municipalities to promote youth participation and intergenerational policy-making. To do this, ICI works with youth councils and local municipalities to give local government the opportunity to generate policies influenced by youth voice and driven by evidence collected by teens using mobile technology. The results are an intergenerational, participatory action process that enables ongoing dialogue between youth and policymakers.

>>IN PRACTICE

>>ARE YOU READY?

Use this tool to consider your own use of technology. Ask yourself:

• What are you currently doing well?
• What do you want to improve?
• Where do you want to begin?

 DOWNLOAD THE INTEGRATION CONTINUUM GRID

>>PROCESS FOR EMBEDDING TECHNOLOGY

Think of the process for embedding technology into your programming as a journey. The following checklist includes ways to become more intentional about integrating technology into your program.

Start with the end in mind and work backward by considering your program mission and goals as well as your digital learning vision to help you choose tech-related tools or curriculum. Also consider the ages, interests, and abilities of students in your program, as well as the skills, confidence, and interests of your program staff.

1. Assess

Think about where your program is now and where you’d like it to go. Consider technology as a tool to support students’ interests and the learning goals you have for students.

2. Explore

Get curious about the technology available and how technology could enhance your program. Collect information from stakeholders, including students.

3. Implement

After you have an idea of how you can intentionally embed technology into your program and what technology is available, try some of your ideas. You may choose to take baby steps. Pick your top priority enhancements. Clearly communicate your plans to your stakeholders. Realize that you may discontinue some activities. Stakeholders will need to know why in order to be on board as you implement new activities.

4. Review

Periodically reflect on how the new process is going and where you want to take it next. Check in with students, staff, and families to find out what they think. You may consider asking school teachers if they have noticed any changes in the ways their students use technology in the classroom, or in their homework completion rates. What tweaks should you make? What changed that you didn’t expect? Are the new activities bringing you closer to your program goals? If not, what are you willing to change? What do you need to stop? What might you start instead?

Regularly review your Integration Continuation Grid. You may want to do this informally every few months or so, and have a more formal check-in with parents, partners, and other stakeholders once a year. Have your priorities changed? Did you move any of your top priorities from one column to another? At this point, you will likely find opportunities to embed technology in many places. What will you try next?

>>TAKE ACTION

Embedding technology into your curriculum can seem daunting. Reflect on what you’ve read here and get started by asking yourself these questions.

• What is the first step to becoming more intentional about embedding technology into our program?
• Where can we add digital learning or technology in our current programming?
• What will excite the team about using technology in our current programming?
• Who will be a champion to help our program implement this technology?

>>RESOURCES

• Be Internet Awesome is an interactive curriculum that teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence.
• Applied Digital Skills teaches students and staff digital skills that can be used to accomplish everyday tasks, develop job readiness and manage projects.

>>WHAT'S NEXT?

• Continue learning with the next module of the Toolkit.
• Video Training Recordings
• Share your thoughts and participate in community chats on Twitter by using the hashtag #AfterschoolTech.

>>WHAT WILL YOU LEARN

This module will prepare you to build staff skills around digital learning. In this module you can expect to accomplish the following:

1. Review digital learning competencies to understand what your team needs to know to effectively use technology in programming.
2. Capitalize on your team’s expertise to build professional development into regular staff meetings.
3. Build staff comfort and confidence with digital learning.
4. Incorporate digital learning competencies into your hiring processes.

>>WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BUILD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DIGITAL LEARNING?

Great professional development inspires and empowers. Professional development for digital learning allows staff to learn new material, practice skills, and reflect on experiences. Building professional development for digital learning doesn’t mean starting from scratch. This module includes a staff meeting agenda and guidelines for starting team teaching to leverage existing staff expertise.

>>WHY IS TRAINING AND SUPPORTING STAFF FOR DIGITAL LEARNING IMPORTANT?

Young people are digital natives and can often seamlessly integrate technology into daily life and projects. When your staff are open to incorporating technology and digital learning into programming, you’ll develop a modern and engaging afterschool program. In afterschool, we can model healthy usage of technology as a tool and asset to enhance lives.

Many educators have suffered through technology initiative after technology initiative in their schools and programs. As soon as orientation around new software is over another ‘one hit wonder’ takes its place. Technology is constantly shifting and growing which makes it all that more essential to put supports in place so that innovation comes directly from students and staff. Digital learning initiatives will fail if they are not supported by organization leadership. With support, staff can stay up to date on innovations that are user friendly and help to improve the afterschool learning environment. Staff support includes:

• Providing time to explore new technology.
• Maintaining a digital learning budget and building your vision.
• Listening to staff ideas and challenges and working together to resolve them.
• Train staff on new technology.
• Make the connections! Be sure staff understands how this technology or digital tool fits into the digital learning vision and enhances their ability to meet student learning goals.
• Incentivize participation in new digital learning initiatives.

>>WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL DIGITAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES TO TRAIN STAFF AROUND?

The 2017 National Education Technology Plan and other sources identified specific competencies that educators need to plan for and lead powerful digital learning approaches. Afterschool professionals need these same competencies, including the capacity to:

• Use technology for interactive learning and homework support.
• Use informal experiences to support formal learning.
• Select engaging and relevant digital content.
• Encourage higher order thinking through technology.
• Balance the staff's role and technology use in guiding learning.
• Promote digital citizenship.
• Empower students to navigate digital learning platforms.

Here’s what it looks like when staff demonstrate digital learning competencies. Staff does not need to be technology experts, but they do need to grow the skills to incorporate digital learning into your program. Staff should think of themselves as digital explorers who are willing to innovate and build using tech tools to engage young learners.

>>IN PRACTICE

>>ARE YOU READY?

If the process of building digital learning professional development feels overwhelming, don’t worry. It’s OK to start small! The following steps will help you integrate digital learning into your staff meetings to build staff confidence. After professional development becomes part of your everyday program, you can expand to include formal professional training and coaching.

>>PROCESS FOR BUILDING YOUR PROGRAM'S DIGITAL LEARNING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In this module, you’ll gain tips to enhance your existing staff meetings and training, and you’ll build a schedule and plan to build critical digital learning competencies. Remember, in this case, you are not building professional development to build particular technical skills. Instead, you’re building a culture of exploration. Your program will benefit from hiring and supporting staff members who are willing to try new things and who know where to go for answers to technology based questions (i.e. ‘Google it!’)

Offer training around particular digital learning competencies. Bring in field experts or develop training yourself. Set the stage with the following staff meeting agenda. This meeting will help you introduce your digital vision and your plan for training staff around it.

 DOWNLOAD TECH AND OUR TEAM: OUR DIGITAL LEARNING VISION AND STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES

 DOWNLOAD STAFF MEETING HANDOUT: STAFF TECHNOLOGY SURVEY

Team Teaching
Afterschool is a field made up of a diverse set of practitioners with rich experiences. The most powerful professional development happens when you capitalize on the expertise of your staff and build on their skills in an applied and relevant way. Team teaching is when you allow your staff to build expertise in a particular area and then share it with the rest of the team. Staff do not have to know everything about a topic to be a great team teacher. Instead, they should have demonstrated interest in the area and a willingness to learn new skills and guide others through building new competencies.

Investing in team teaching as a professional development strategy is one way to model how you’d like staff to put youth in similar leadership positions in your program. When staff realize how great it feels to showcase their learning and skills, they may be more likely to offer opportunities for students to share what they know about technology tools within the program.

1. Find out about the expertise and interest already available within your team. Make time for staff to share their skills and coach each other.

 DOWNLOAD STAFF DIGITAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES

2. Capitalize on the expertise that already exists within your team. Allow staff to coach other team members around these digital competencies. Spend 10-20 minutes of the next few staff meetings to allow staff to teach the group. Complete the following competency chart to create a plan for staff development.

 DOWNLOAD IDENTIFYING STAFF DIGITAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES

3. Build a teach-back plan with staff who will share their skills or share what they’ve learned about the competency. Use this guide to build your plan.

 DOWNLOAD STAFF MEETING PLANNING GUIDE

4. What’s Next?

Take another look at the Digital Learning Competencies and determine which skills can’t be addressed in staff meetings. Explore other ways to build those skills. Decide you will charge with building these skills and work with them to determine how they will gain this knowledge and bring it back to the program and staff.

 DOWNLOAD DIGITAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES

>>CONSIDERATIONS AND RESOURCES FOR HIRING STAFF INTERESTED IN TECH

It is not realistic to hire staff who know everything about the latest technology. However, it is possible to hire staff with the interest and aptitude to keep up with this dynamic and evolving field. Within your current hiring criteria, look to bring on new staff who will work to connect emerging and changing technology to their daily goals and work with students. (Note: If you want to establish clear hiring criteria for your program, review the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Core Knowledge and Competencies.)

Hiring staff who are interested in digital learning and technology will ensure that your team is working to incorporate technology into daily programming. Individuals who are interested and passionate about technology will be motivated to stay up to date on the changing field enabling your program to offer rich experiences for students who are engaged by new technology.

Afterschool program staff are increasingly asked to build technology into programs on the cheap. Target your hiring to find creative people who can utilize free or inexpensive and readily available technology resources to enhance digital learning in your program. Modify your recruiting process around the digital learning competencies you are targeting.

Build Compelling Job Descriptions: Be sure that the skills you are looking for are clearly listed in the job description. Review the following chart for examples of how you might articulate these skill requirements. Edit both the job overview and requirements to incorporate these skills into your standard job descriptions.

Get Proof: Ask candidates to demonstrate their technical skills as a part of the initial screening. This is especially important if you have a large digital learning or tech component to your program. Use the following prompts as part of a comprehensive application process that shows tangible proof of capacity and skills.

In the Interview: Ask targeted questions about a candidate’s experience with technology in order to learn about their capacity to implement digital learning best practices in your program. Think about your own personalized digital learning goals when selecting questions to use. Review the following list of sample questions.

 DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO DIGITAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES

Model Technology Skills: Remember that you are not only looking for a great candidate, but you also want to show the candidate that technology is a priority for your program. Host a virtual interview using free/inexpensive virtual meeting tools such as Google Hangouts or Zoom.

Consider Compensation: In many fields, staff with special skills are compensated for those skills. Look at your budget and determine whether a candidate proficient in digital learning could earn a higher compensation than other staff. Consider enhancing their job requirements to include mentoring others as a part of their enhanced job description.

>>TAKE ACTION

Take what you have learned in this module and get started implementing professional development for your program. Use the following questions to jumpstart the process.

• What will get my team excited about sharing their digital learning expertise?
• Who can I identify as a champion to help with professional development?
• When can I schedule my first professional development staff meeting?

>>RESOURCES

• Google for Education’s Training Center offers self-paced training for educators who want to learn basic and advanced strategies for integrating Google into instructional practice.
• Mozilla’s Core Web Literacy Curriculum provides facilitation guides leaders can implement with staff to teach basics of how to read, write, and participate on the web.
• Click 2 Science offers a 30-Minute Staff Development meeting for professionals to explore available technology.
• Front line staff can get more comfortable using technology through the facilitated, online professional development of Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance’s Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators (ACRES) training.
• PBS Learning Media has coursework on maximizing digital learning in your classroom or program. There are videos, courses and trainings available.
• CODE.org offers professional development for staff interested in learning how to teach students how to code.
• Coursera has free college level courses available for staff to learn all about the latest trends and techniques in digital learning. Courses change each semester so check back a couple of times a year.

>>WHAT'S NEXT?

• Continue learning with the next module of the Toolkit.
• Video Training Recordings
• Share your thoughts and participate in community chats on Twitter by using the hashtag #AfterschoolTech.

>>WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

This module will help you create or improve your messaging about digital learning in your program for different audiences so you can more effectively promote how your program incorporates digital learning and uses technology. In this module, you can expect to accomplish the following:

1. Understand the importance of creating an effective communication plan to promote digital learning in your program.
   
2. Learn the process for incorporating language about digital learning and technology into your current communication plan. 
   
3. Identify your audiences and begin to tailor your message for each audience.

>>WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PROMOTE DIGITAL LEARNING?

Promoting digital learning in or about your program means having clear and consistent messaging tailored to different audiences about how you are integrating digital learning and using technology in your program. It may also mean having a clear way to communicate why you would like to begin to incorporate digital learning into your program if you are not already doing so. 

>>WHY IS PROMOTING DIGITAL LEARNING IN MY PROGRAM IMPORTANT?

Having a well-thought-out communication plan about digital learning and technology in your program can help you:

• Secure access to devices, space, staff, or funding.
• Recruit more students into your program.
• Get additional support from school-day and/or community partners.
• Get staff on the same page with a unified message about digital learning and technology.
  
• Celebrate and elevate your program’s accomplishments around incorporating digital learning.

>>SAMPLE LANGUAGE TO USE REGARDING TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL LEARNING IN YOUR PROGRAM

When starting to think about the language to include about technology and digital learning, it can be useful to create an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a short persuasive speech that you can use to get support for the way you incorporate technology and implement digital learning in your program. The idea is that your message is clear, concise and can be spoken in 30 seconds or less—the time it takes for your listener to ride in the elevator with you.

 DOWNLOAD ELEVATOR PITCH COMPONENTS TEMPLATE

Practice your elevator pitch and have staff practice, too. Make it fun by having a contest for who can memorize it the best or say it the fastest. It’s important that everyone can give the elevator pitch with ease—because you never know who you might meet! It could be someone who wants to support your program.

>>IN PRACTICE

>>ARE YOU READY?

If you have a communication plan to promote and/or garner support for your program or organization, then you are probably already familiar with the following steps. This process will help you hone in on specific language to promote your efforts around integrating digital learning and utilizing technology.

>>PROCESS FOR PROMOTING DIGITAL LEARNING

DOWNLOAD PROCESS FOR PROMOTING DIGITAL LEARNING

1. Establish your purpose and goals.

Ask yourself:

• What do we want to accomplish with our communication about technology and digital learning?
• What kind of support are we looking for and from whom?

By reflecting on these questions, you will notice that you may have different goals for different audiences. This is OK. These goals will guide you in crafting the best message for each audience. For example, you may be seeking financial support from businesses and foundations in order to purchase devices. Perhaps you are looking for tech-savvy volunteers to help incorporate digital learning activities into your program’s offerings. As you establish your goals for promoting digital learning, be clear about the goals you have for different audiences. Clear goals will help you create specific language for each audience.

2. Identify your audience.

Think about who you want to reach and why. This will help you determine what information is most relevant, what tone to use, and the most effective medium for communication.

The following chart shows examples of audiences you may want to reach and the goal for promoting digital learning in your program to that audience.

3. Gather research, data, and information.

After you are clear about the audience you want to reach, you can determine what information they need. For example, you may need to present data to make a case about funding technology access in your school/program/community. Don’t just think about collecting data and research. Also consider the anecdotal successes you have had with digital learning and/or potential resources you could leverage. Combining qualitative and quantitative data is a powerful way to demonstrate evidence of success! As our friends at Digital Promise say: Evidence= Data + Story

If you are trying to reach families who may be apprehensive about technology, consider highlighting the importance of 21st Century skills for college readiness and workforce success. Also, include ways you use technology to support positive youth development practices.

As you begin to craft your communication plan around digital learning for your program, here are some talking points you may find useful.

4. Create your message.

Now that you have a goal, know your target audience, and have compiled talking points and research points, it’s time to create your message. Your message should be different from your elevator pitch. Your message should include all the talking points you want to get across and should not be restricted by time or length.

As you craft your message, realize that some people have a negative reaction to the idea of students interacting with technology. Students and technology can be perceived as a distraction or as something that may lead to cyber bullying. While these concerns are valid, it is important to emphasize the skill-building aspect of your work and stress the fact that the technology use and digital learning that takes place in your program is conducted in a safe and supportive environment.

5. Determine how you will deliver your message.

In order to determine the avenues you will take to deliver your message, ask yourself the following questions:

• Should we set up in-person meetings?
• What social media platform would be most effective to deliver our message? Remember that infusing some levity and youth voice into your communication is also great. So, let your inner poet come out! Ask youth to give their insights about technology and digital learning and write a post about it. Post photos of your digital learning programming in action. Use social media to continue to engage your audiences and help them understand why digital learning is so important to your students.
• Should we organize family or community meetings?

6. Assess how your message is being received.

After your communication plan to promote digital learning in your program is well underway, it is important to assess whether you are reaching your audience with the message you created. Evaluate how well you are meeting your goals. This will help you determine whether you need to tweak your message.

Guiding Questions to Evaluate How Your Message Is Being Received

• Have we secured more funding for devices or other technology?
• Have any new opportunities for the program surfaced since we launched our new communication efforts?
• Has student recruitment increased as a result of new messaging around digital learning and technology?
• Have we developed new partnerships as a result of messaging about technology and digital learning?
• Have we obtained more or better access to technology and digital learning from our school day, community, or business partners as a result of our messaging about digital learning and technology?

>>TAKE ACTION

Consider what you have learned in this module, and start planning your communication to promote digital learning. Use the following questions to get you started.

• What can we do as a first step to start promoting digital learning in our program?
• Who possesses communications skills to support our program in creating a digital learning and technology communication plan?
• How can my team be meaningfully involved in this process?

>>RESOURCES

• The Afterschool Alliance offers tools to create a comprehensive communication strategy for your afterschool program.
• Afterschool STEM Hub was developed by the Afterschool Alliance and the FrameWorks Institute to specifically support afterschool programs in communicating about STEM.

>>WHAT'S NEXT?

• Continue learning with the next module of the Toolkit.
• Video Training Recordings
• Share your thoughts and participate in community chats on Twitter by using the hashtag #AfterschoolTech.