Two schools in District One have been selected to join the pilot year of the Dynamic Learning Project, a national program supported by Digital Promise, EdTechTeam, and Google, aimed at improving education equity by empowering teachers to leverage technology in more powerful ways. Only 50 schools across the nation were chosen to participate in this program.

Both Landrum and Mabry Middle Schools were selected for the program by Digital Promise based on need (measured by the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch), existing technology infrastructure, and innovative leadership committed to helping their teachers succeed. The Dynamic Learning Project will sponsor and train a coaching fellow for each school, who will provide personalized, tech-based coaching to help educators in their community leverage technology in transformative ways.

District One is pleased to announce that Mrs. Kelli Coons and Mrs. Christin Edge, both former classroom teachers, have been selected as the coaching fellows that will serve Landrum and Mabry Middle schools, respectively.

“We recognize the profound impact technology has on preparing today’s students for college and career readiness. Having two District One schools selected to participate in The Dynamic Learning Project is an honor and a testament to the innovative instructional practices that occur within our district. The technology coaching fellows afforded to us through this program will be an incredible asset to our students and teachers and will amplify our 1:1 technology initiative and enhance professional development opportunities,” said Dr. Ron Garner, Spartanburg District One Superintendent.

“It’s imperative that teachers are supported as they create new and powerful learning environments so students are prepared for the jobs of the future,” said Karen Cator, President and CEO of Digital Promise. “Early research studies point to the positive impact of educator coaching on teacher practices and student achievement. We’re thrilled to work with Google and the EdTechTeam, to bring the Dynamic Learning Project to Spartanburg School District One.”

Coaching fellows and principals at participating schools will:

• Work with teachers to apply best practices in the powerful use of technology for teaching and learning;

• Promote a culture of openness, personalized professional development, and continuous improvement between faculty and administration; and

• Engage with other coaching fellows and their principals to share knowledge and build a community of support.

The Dynamic Learning Project officially welcomed the 2017-2018 cohort coaches and principals at a week-long Summer Institute hosted by Digital Promise at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA.  

“At Google, we believe in the power of educators. Technology is just a tool; it can only be transformative when it's in the hands of an educator who uses it to create meaningful experiences for students,” said Liz Anderson, Head of Social Impact Programs at Google for Education. “We’re excited to support such a dedicated group in laying the groundwork for innovative use of technology in classrooms across the country."