Like many of her fellow educators, Dr. Susan Simpson is continually striving for better ways to keep her students actively involved in their classrooms - and their education.
“Our goal is to facilitate strategic engagement in the classroom,” says Dr. Simpson, superintendent of
Grand Prairie Independent School District of Texas. “When students are engaged, they take more ownership in the learning process, they gain a deeper understanding of essential concepts and skills, attendance improves, and there are fewer discipline problems.”
Dr. Simpson’s district ispioneering a new concept to promote high-level engagement among students. This school year, Grand Prairie ISD, located near Dallas, became the first U.S. school district to launch Time To Know, an interactive curriculum system designed specifically for one-to-one computing classrooms. The system provides an interactive curriculum integrated with tools for classroom management, planning, assessment and collaboration.
“In the classrooms that are implementing Time To Know, we are realizing the results of strategic engagement, thanks to the seamless integration of technology into daily teaching and learning,” adds Dr. Simpson. “We are seeing active classrooms where students are excited and motivated to learn, and teachers are enjoying their role as a mentor and coach.”
Time To Know is a core curriculum program that delivers standards-based instruction in mathematics and reading/language arts to help students learn essential content - and prepare for high-stakes tests. Built upon social constructivist principles, the curriculum also offers open-ended explorations and collaboration tools to deepen student understanding and strengthen problem-solving skills. For teachers, it provides tools to streamline classroom management and deliver differentiated activities to every student.
“Our principals are reporting improved student achievement on district assessments, increased attendance and a decrease in discipline issues," concludes Dr. Simpson."We’re very excited about the possibilities for one-to-one computing in our school district.”
