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This newsletter will explore the Wyoming Department of Education’s (WDE) Digital Learning Plan (DLP), its goals, and suggested strategies to ensure equitable access to opportunities for students.
Future newsletters will provide resources for districts to create their own action plans/implementation plans for achieving these goals.
Future Ready Gear 3
When employed as part of a comprehensive educational strategy, the effective use of technology provides tools, resources, data, and supportive systems that increase teaching opportunities and promote efficiency.
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The elements that comprise this Gear are as follows:
- Adequacy of Devices; Quality and Availability
- Robust Network Infrastructure
- Adequate and Responsive Support
- Formal Cycle for Review and Replacement
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Such robust environments enable anytime, anywhere learning based on competency and mastery with empowered, caring adults who are guiding the way for each student to succeed. High quality, high-speed technology, and infrastructure systems within a school district are essential to the advancing of digital learning. In these environments, the use of technology is seamless, and students have ubiquitous access to broadband.
GOALS
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WDE Strategies
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| Every School has the capability to meet LAN/Wi-Fi standards. |
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| Support a technology infrastructure providing opportunities for equitable education for all children attending Wyoming’s K-12 public schools. |
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| Every school has the capacity to successfully plan, procure, and manage their LAN/Wi-Fi networks. |
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| Every school has the capacity to provide sufficient funding, staff, and expertise to manage LAN/WI-Fi networks. |
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| Technology directors, superintendents, curriculum directors, and other stakeholders consistently collaborate to support a common vision for supporting teaching and learning. |
- Technology Directors Conference
- Technology Directors Workshop
- Tech Hubs
- Statewide PLCs
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| All schools have the capacity to sustainably provide the devices needed for learning |
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Wyoming Classroom Connectivity Initiative (WCCI)
The Wyoming Classroom Connectivity Initiative (WCCI) was created in 2016 as a partnership among Governor Matt Mead’s Office, The WDE, the Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS), and the national non-profit Education SuperHighway (ESH). Assisting districts with improving connectivity and helping Wyoming Districts make more effective use of allocated federal E-rate Category 2 funds has been the main focus of the WCCI. WIth sufficient internet access coming into each district, the WCCI focuses on the next step in connective students to the internal networks within schools.
The image shows how the WCCI has provided support to districts by:
- Bringing districts together to collaborate and support each other on how to they have solved internal infrastructure issues
- Providing multiple education opportunities for technology directors. This includes a webinar series on connectivity and E-Rate. ETS and ESH also held office hours to provide guidance to districts that submitted their E-Rate applications
- Providing one-on-one district support
- Outreach to vendors to equip them to be better able to respond to a district request for proposals (RFP)
No state dollars are allocated to the WCCI and ESH provides its services to Wyoming for free.
Innovative Idea
One of the most important features of E-rate is the annual funding allotted to help schools upgrade their internal networks and implement Wi-Fi in every classroom. All schools are eligible for $150 per student under the Category 2 budget, over five years to upgrade internal networks.
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Factor in the following timeline when applying for funds:
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Summer: This is the best time to start assessing your school’s needs.
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Fall: You should now be in the planning phases, where you design the upgrade and release your E-rate form 470 or RFP (See below for more information).
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Winter: After the 28-day window for your 470 closes, you evaluate the bids you’ve received.
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Spring: This is when you can select a provider and apply for funding through E-rate form 471.
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Start of the Funding Year: You receive your funding and begin implementing your upgrade.
After deciding your network upgrade needs based on the infrastructure and educational goals your team agreed on, your next step is the purchasing process. Below are some high-quality examples that you can refer to that can help you get started structuring your Category 2 RFP. Remember to adapt them to meet your own local needs as every district is different.
| Firewalls and switches-requested by a school district in California |
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| Switches and wireless access points-requested by Texas |
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For more tips and guidance visit the Education SupErhighway website.
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Love, Hate relationship
of E-rate
When thinking about E-rate two emotions tend to surface one of love or hate. Like many federal programs the tendency for red tape and hopes seems to be the mantra which creates for many the hate relationship to E-rate especially if you are trying to do it all by yourself.
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Not wanting to throw away nearly $500,000 because of a hate relationship. Uinta County School District #1 realized they needed help in order to create the love relationship for E-rate. Four years ago they leveraged Education SuperHighway to better understand the process and opportunities. As a district they also understood E-rate would fund a percentage on each project at each school based on their rural location, and free and Reduced lunch status discovered a way to pay that percentage with major maintenance funds because what was being replaced qualified. Thus helping them to love E-rate even more as they leveraged both funding resources without touching their general fund budget.
So today Uinta County School District #1 love, hate relationship has evolved and they are loving E-rate every time they use it.
Want to learn more how you too can love E-Rate? Contact Jaraun Dennis at jdennis@uinta1.com for more ideas.
SCRIPT
- The WDE will be offering Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool (SCRIPT) Training. The SCRIPT training will give districts the opportunity to think through the various aspects needed to provide equitable, high-quality computer science education in their district.
- Please consider applying to attend one of these amazing trainings:
- Casper: May 14 & 15, 2019, Oct. 15, 2019 and May 20, 2020
- Rock Springs: June 4 & 5, 2019, Nov. 14, 2019, and June 4, 2020
- Cheyenne: June 11 & 12, 2019, Nov. 19, 2019, and June 11, 2020
- Worland: Aug. 5 & 6, 2019, Jan. 7, 2020, and Aug. 6, 2020
- Gillette: Sept. 24 & 25, 2019, Feb. 25, 2020, and Sept. 24, 2020
For more information, contact Robin Grandpre at 307-777-5315 or robin.grandpre1@wyo.gov or visit the CS webpage.
Open Education Resources Summer Workshops:
- June 12th and 13th- Cheyenne, WY (FULL)
- June 24th and 25th-Casper, WY (4 spots left)
- June 26th and 27th-Powell, WY
- July 10th and 11th-Green River, WY (1 spot left)
- July 22nd and 23rd-Jackson, WY
- July 25th and 26th-Gillette, WY
For more information, contact Alisa Cook at 307-777-3679 or alisa.cook1@wyo.gov. Register Today!
Canvas
For more information, contact Robin Grandpre at 307-777-5315 or robin.grandpre1@wyo.gov.
Quality Matters (QM) Online Course Review, Teaching and Development
- Districts can schedule a workshop for any time of the year
- QM courses are also available online year round
- All QM training is sponsored by the WDE
For more information, contact Lori Thilmany at 307-777-7418 or lori.thilmany@wyo.gov.
Wyoming Innovations in Learning Conference
- Nov. 6-8, 2019 (preconferences Nov. 5-6) - Gillette, WY
For more information, contact Robin Grandpre at 307-777-5315 or robin.grandpre1@wyo.gov.
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Next month’s Digital Learning Plan Newsletter will introduce:
For more information, on the DLP, or the Future Ready Frameworks, or if you have an innovative idea to share, contact Alisa Cook at 307-777-3679 or alisa.cook1@wyo.gov.
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