Page 31 - Technology plan fy2023-27

Secure Student Data and Simplifying Access

Securing student data while streamlining and automating the processes required to access and
engage in digital products is of utmost importance. It is especially important for complex
technology systems to work together in a manner that is as transparent to the end-users as
possible. SDPBC strives to identify and automatically roster and provide access to the
appropriate products for all eligible users. Ideally, this can minimize the burden on teachers to
protect student data and allows their students to access their digital products.

Work is ongoing to connect and simplify access to district systems such as Focus (SIS),
Performance Matters, Google Classroom and Blender through several technologies including
IMS Interoperability Standards, Single Sign-on (SSO), Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), and
Application Program Interfaces (APIs). Additionally, other integrations are being pursued with
the ultimate goal of data and content flowing seamlessly to users without the need for multiple
logins, or by manually moving data.

World-Class Curation

In the School District of Palm Beach County, the
Blender Platform provides a web-based instructional
organizer that is designed to be a “course and
user-specific one-stop shop for teachers.” Blender
houses relevant and up to date instructional guides
and references and digital curriculum resources. The
secure content is curated and provided by the District
Curriculum Teams, and includes internally developed
resources, those from a range of publisher and
subscription-based providers, and from vetted “Open
Educational Resources” (OER’s). Teachers also can
find direct links to their own supporting students’ data
to help monitor and respond to real time needs.
5 The ongoing goal of Blender is to help teachers more efficiently facilitate standards-based
blended and student driven learning, technology integration, inclusion, and differentiation.

Guided by the SDPBC vision and instructional design of the curriculum teams, in the coming
few years, Blender is scheduled to add full two way Google integration. This integration will
include the ability to assign select content directly to Google Classroom, and adjust courses and
the visual themes to reflect new feature options and types of resources and activities that are
included. This will help teachers identify and use the most appropriate Blender resources
directly with their students.

Advancing Digital Instructional Models and Materials
SDPBC provides instructional materials for courses that range from traditional printed materials
and manipulatives to all digital content. Currently, most courses do still have a mixture of content
types. However, given the pandemic-related events of the past two years, the enhanced
infrastructure, including the completion of our 1:1 initiative, and the advancement of our Digital
Inclusion projects, digital delivery has become the expectation with strictly print and physical
manipulatives making up a much smaller percentage of all instructional materials used in our
classrooms. When possible, adopted textbooks and other digital content will be integrated
directly into Blender and Google Classroom.

5 Image Source: https://byotnetwork.com/

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