How District 203 uses technology in classrooms

At Naperville Unit School District 203, our mission is to educate students to be self-directed learners, collaborative workers, complex thinkers, quality producers and community contributors.

It is our goal that all Naperville 203 students achieve at their highest potential and find success in whatever path they take after graduation, whether it be college or career.

One of the ways we set our students up for success is through our quality curricula, hands-on experiences inside and outside the classroom, and through a culture of inquiry that encourages students to explore, discover, collaborate and create. Another way in which we set students up for success is through the use of technology in teaching and learning to prepare them for their next phase.

And now, as technology is a ubiquitous part of everyday life, its use has evolved as a part of teaching and learning at Naperville 203 as well.

Our students are exposed to appropriate technology in the classroom at an early age, but technology does not replace quality teaching and social interaction that happens in our classrooms every day.

Our Digital Learning Initiative programs at all instructional levels have been tested in classrooms prior to program launch to ensure student success. This intentional and deliberative process includes robust teacher professional education that continues throughout the school year. More on the Digital Learning Initiative can be found on our website.

Technology is integral to our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) curricula at all instructional levels. Our students use technology to build robots, engineer bridges, design buildings and create computer programs.

At District 203, technology is woven into the fabric of what happens in the classroom each day - we are not simply using technology for technology's sake. Technology creates an environment for exploration, discovery, collaboration, innovation and success for students in and outside of the classroom. It helps us fulfill our mission, and, there is no doubt that technology continues to play a pivotal role in groundbreaking discoveries that enhance our lives.

There is still so much yet to be discovered. We live in an exciting time where our children have access to tools and education to encourage exploration that may have lasting implications for generations to come.

Just as those early innovators decades and centuries before us learned from and were inspired by those who came before them, we too are inspired. However, we have an advantage. We have the wisdom of their trials and tribulations and the benefit of more access to advanced technology.

I encourage those who are interested to know more about technology use at Naperville 203 to visit our website. There's information on Digital Learning and information is updated regularly on what our students are accomplishing. There are also postings on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) that will provide a snapshot into what happens in our classrooms.

And, if you have a student in our schools, ask them about what they're doing with technology in the classroom. Thank you for your continued support of Naperville 203.

• Dan Bridges is superintendent of Naperville Unit District 203. His column appears monthly in Neighbor during the school year.