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With Microsoft, Amazon and T-Mobile in Seattle’s backyard, it’s not surprising to find technology making its way into the region’s schools and districts. Many are moving towards blended learning environments and have secured grant or local funding to reach their goals.

Since 2010, the number of tech products for schools has mushroomed. But what makes all the difference is how teachers put the technology to use. To that end, a budding ecosystem of teachers and technologists are continually building and refining tools that thoughtfully support learning.

One of only two applicants to receive the maximum $40 million Race to the Top grant ($5 million alone is allocated for digital STEM — science, technology, engineering, math — tools with additional funds for early childhood and college readiness), the “Road Map Consortium” includes the Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila school districts.

The Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD), which manages this grant, also secured additional funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pilot blended learning models in a number of these same school districts. In addition, 13 districts ran technology levy elections this past spring, all of which passed.

EdSurge recently took a snapshot at how some Seattle area districts are implementing technology around the idea of STEAM — Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math:

  • Highline Public Schools (Burien, WA; 18,702 students) released a mobile app this year that lets parents, students, faculty and staff view news, events and other district information. The app can be translated to 70 different languages.
  • Kent School District (Kent, WA; 27,378 students) developed iGrad, a blended learning, alternative education program for secondary students at risk of dropping out.
  • Lake Washington School District (Redmond, WA; 26,557 students) kicked off its “Mobile Access for Students” program last year, providing every middle and high school student with a laptop that they can take home.
  • Seattle Public Schools (Seattle, WA; 51,857 students), through the TEALS Program, invites Microsoft programmers to teach computer science classes. Students not only learn how to program and code, but also build apps and work on real-world projects.
  • Tukwila School District (Tukwila, WA; 3,000 students) gave Chromebooks to every student in all three of its elementary schools. By next year, the middle and high schoolers will be similarly equipped.

Supporting these efforts is a growing collection of local entrepreneurs and startups. According to our count, 14 Seattle edtech startups have raised over $38 million since 2013. Leading the list is DreamBox Learning, whose adaptive math program is used in all 50 states and throughout Canada.

Technology is about a lot more than devices and fun games, of course. It takes a village to raise a child, and a diverse, dedicated community to make sure educational tools are being built — and used — smartly. Seattle is home to the Seattle Ed Tech Meetup, a monthly gathering where educators, entrepreneurs and others network and grok a variety of topics, including business models, buzzwords, Maker activities, and women in edtech. And three of the districts (Kent, Seattle Public Schools and Highline Public Schools) will be co-hosting an education technology summit in October to bring startups and educators together.

All these activities, of course, are driven by individuals. And no one sums up the importance of individual action better than Angela Maiers, an educator of 25 years, who now runs the nonprofit, Choose2Matter. “You matter. And the world needs your contributions,” she says.

Tony Wan is Managing Editor at EdSurge, an independent information resource and community for everyone involved in education technology. EdSurge will host the Tech for Schools Summit on Oct. 25 in Seattle. 

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