teacher was able to log in online and
host a virtual review session with
students at home.
The reach of our program has only
just begun. We are already planning
to connect MGSD students with other
learners internationally. In 2012, foreign language teachers have elected to
use Cisco WebEx as a means of connecting their language students with
children and museums in countries
with native speakers. Foreign language
educators envision using WebEx as
a platform to bring cross-cultural
communication and foreign language
learning to a new level.
Because MGSD has made technology a key tool for education, students
now view their teachers as collaborators. Instead of educators dictating
what they want their students to
know, they have become facilitators,
allowing students more freedom to
discover and explore.
Connie Austin, a fifth grade teacher
at Mooresville Intermediate School
and a 32-year veteran, came to realize
the advantages of this new paradigm:
I discovered that I didn’t always
have to be the teacher in the class-
room. I could assume many roles,
and so could the students. I saw
teachers become collaborators
using technology, willing to
share and learn.
This program affects all facets of
student life, including extracurricular
activities. MGSD uses its technology to communicate anything from
changes in club schedules to directions for sporting match locations.
One example is the Mooresville football team. The team uses technology
and software to conduct film reviews
of their games. Coaches video record
plays, edit content, and comment on
strategic points. They then post the
edited materials online, and students
can log in and review the coach’s feedback individually.
“Dr. Edwards! You have to see this!” came their excited reply. Knowing
that the students had cut their recess short, the superintendent sensed
that something seismic was afoot.
Professional Development
To encourage buy-in to MGSD’s
sweeping paradigm shift with teachers, administrators, and staff, the
school board voted to implement a
comprehensive professional development effort. One component of this
effort is giving 10 early-release professional development days throughout
the school year to provide training
and reinforcement on the effective
and safe use of technology.
In addition, MGSD holds summer
teacher institutes to help facilitate the
safe and effective integration of technology within classrooms. We also
encourage teachers to participate in
curriculum creation using new technology tools. The goal is to empower
educators to customize their learning
(and that of their students) according
to need. Professional development is
differentiated by content level, grade
level, and each teacher’s response
level. Today, Mooresville doesn’t
have just two or three leaders in each
school; they have 15 or 20 in each who
are acting as ambassadors and agents
of change for the conversion program.
Funding
How does a school district that ranks
99th out of 115 in per-pupil expendi-
ture fund such an all-encompassing
program? The answer is simple: In-
volve the community. One resource
is Lowe’s Home Improvement, which
maintains its corporate offices in
Mooresville. Lowe’s responded to our
plea for assistance with a jump-start
fund of $250,000. Our civic and com-
munity leaders also contributed to
the technology purchases. One small
example is that all local businesses,
through the work of the Chamber of
Commerce, have agreed to provide
free Wi-Fi in shops and restaurants.
Students know they can travel almost
anywhere downtown and get online.
The city of Mooresville similarly
supports our program at the public
library, fire departments, police sta-
tions, and public parks.
Student Success
MGSD’s districtwide success is a direct
result of this program. In 2011, our
district tied for third in North Carolina’s “Schools of Distinction” ranking.
MGSD as a whole continues to improve
in this ranking, after having started at
38th (out of 115) in the first year of our
digital conversion.
