Digital learning is proven tool for student achievement

As the former principal of Benjamin Parker Elementary School and the current principal at Kaimuki High School, helping prepare all students for success in life is my primary responsibility.

A critical component of that responsibility is providing teachers in my school with the tools they need to be effective in delivering instruction that is tailored to meet each student’s needs. In my experience, technology in the classroom — for students and teachers — is a great tool for engaging students and personalizing instruction to meet their needs.

Wade Araki is principal of
Kaimuki High School and
former principal of Benjamin
Parker Elementary School,
where he implemented digital
devices in the classrooms.

We faced challenges at Benjamin Parker Elementary School and turned to technology, with great results. Benjamin Parker is a school that qualifies for Title I funds, with more that 60 percent of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches. When I became principal there in 2003, only 26 percent of students were proficient in reading and only 11 percent in math. By 2007, we met the state benchmark for adequate yearly progress, but found that our student achievement was beginning to stagnate.

Over the next year and a half, we planned for and deployed a computer for each student in grade 3. Teachers received targeted support and training on how to use technology to practice, review and enhance what is taught in the classroom. We worked with parents to make sure they were engaged in the process. By the 2010-2011 school year, every student in grades 1-6 received their own computer to use in school and take home for assignments.

We also added several software programs for teachers to use to enhance learning for their students. Technology provides students with instant feedback on assignments done at home and in school. Technology also assists teachers with tailoring their lessons to meet individual needs of every student in their class. Some programs adjusted the reading level of each assignment to the individual student level with minimal loss of time.

As a result, we saw our student achievement improve dramatically. Students’ scores in math more than doubled, from 40 percent proficient in 2007-2008 to 84 percent in 2011-2012. Reading scores improved from just over 50 percent in 2007-2008, to almost 90 percent in 2011-2012.

I hope to be able to replicate this work at Kaimuki High School. My wish is to provide students and teachers with the tools to master the new Common Core State Standards and leave my school prepared for success in life. My move to a high school has brought on a sense of urgency to get the proper technology into the hands of my students and staff. These are necessary tools to secure a productive future in this ever-changing world.

The main challenge to realizing this goal is funding. My current budget does not allow me to meet the technological needs of my school. As a single school, we don’t have enough leverage to negotiate low-cost technology, and often end up paying higher costs for fewer services. The same is true for curriculum. If the state supported schools with high-quality curricular materials and delivered on the technology, teachers in my school would have more tools to support student learning.

The bottom line is that kids today are millennia babies. Their brains are wired for technology and they are not afraid of it. Technology is the great equalizer that busts the myth that Title I schools and certain student subgroups can’t succeed.

Technology helps to unveil the brilliance inside of each child. It helps us meet the child where he or she is academically, socially and emotionally — and through personalized instruction, we can help that student grow and shine.