Page 46 - DistanceLearning

Technology Blooming in
Bloomfield
By Jennifer Khoury, Fine and Performing
Arts Supervisor, Bloomfield
On March 13, 2020, the Bloomfield School Dis-
trict made the decision to shut its doors to the
community due to the Novel Coronavirus 19
global pandemic. The decision was made after long con-
versations about what that landscape would look like and how to
create an environment of equity for our 6500+ student population.
Virtual Learning:
Bloomfield Schools had the advantage of moving into a virtual en-
vironment with the successful implementation of a 1:1 Chromebook
Initiative for grades 6-12 for the past few years. Teachers received
training on the Google Suite and other technology over this period
of time. The district has 2 technology coaches, both at a secondary
level, but has moved all Media Specialists into a technology-driven
capacity to help guide staff and students through this initiative. The
district implemented the BTA (Bloomfield Teacher Academy) which
encourages teachers to lead professional development on topics
they have vetted, mastered, and implemented. The Technology
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Department surveyed the families prior to closure in order to assess
device and connectivity in homes. The district purchased 150 T-Mo-
bile hotspots, in addition to the 300+ Sprint MiFi we already had in
our inventory, for families who did not have an internet connection,
in addition to handing out 400+ chrome devices to students in PreK-
5th grades to ensure that all of our student population was able to
participate in a virtual environment. Technology has established
two ways to virtually troubleshoot issues and safely follow social
distancing mandates to supply new or replacement technology to
families who need it. Parents were given a specific 5-minute ap-
pointment to pick up/drop off/exchange a device.
The administration worked with staff to create a Virtual Learning
Plan that would meet the needs of all students. This curricu-
lum-driven plan provides meaningful instruction and related ser-
vices’ strategies for grades Pre-K through 12, that are inclusive
of all learning abilities. The District created a website for Virtual
Learning to act as a home-base for all information. Families are
able to find up-to-date information on important topics such as