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Technology should never be an inhibitor to teaching and learning. Time during the school day is so precious. It cannot be squandered on tasks such as ensuring students are enrolled in the appropriate systems and able to access them.

By committing to having your school or district “digital from day 1”—meaning all staff and students have access to all the technology they need and it is fully operational—you eliminate distractions and enable students to begin learning from the moment they enter the classroom. That’s easy enough to say, of course, but getting it done can be a little more challenging. Here are a few tips to help ensure your staff and students have the tools they need the moment they arrive.

1) Get buy-in from teachers and parents.

In the Washingtonville Central School District, in New York, we found that crafting a shared vision for teaching and learning was the critical first step towards day-1 readiness. To aid in crafting a vision for technology, we conducted a robust survey of parents, students in grades 3 through 12, and teachers. Defining a vision supported by goals and expected outcomes makes purchasing technology that will have the greatest impact on the largest number of students easier. The technology and tools you eventually settle on are merely the vehicles you’ll take to your destination. The vision shows you where that destination is and provides the roadmap.

Take a walk into the schools you support. Talk to your teachers and students about their frustrations with technology not being usable on the first day of school.

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