A new way of learning is coming to Iowa’s Marshalltown Community School District. Marshalltown schools are implementing curriculum and assessment tools from Learning.com as a key component of the district’s Digital Conversion initiative to help students develop 21st century skills.
“This is the beginning of a major shift in the way we teach and the way students learn,” said Dr. Susan Pecinovsky, associate superintendent for student achievement at Marshalltown Community School District. “The Digital Conversion will enhance core instruction and provide more opportunities to increase digital literacy in the classroom.”
Marshalltown schools will use four Learning.com products as part of the initiative: EasyTech, 21st Century Skills Assessment, WayFind, and Custom Curriculum Publishing.
Teachers began getting ready for the Digital Conversion with specialized training this summer in preparation for a spring 2014 rollout to students. While the initiative focuses on 7-12 grade science and grades three and four, the goal is to expand the program throughout the district over the next two years.
“When we talk about preparing students with 21st century skills, we need to realize that we’re already well into the century,” said Pecinovsky. “The need for those skills is already here, and we need to prepare students for success in the world they’ll enter after school.”
