The Dougherty County School System (DCSS) in Georgia has launched a new initiative for its students, teachers, and staff to expand and enhance the educational technology ecosystem districtwide
The initiative is part of a collaboration between the school system, Apple, and the educational non-profit Ed Farm. Through the collaboration, all DCSS students, teachers, and staff will be equipped with Apple products, services, and instructional support. As part of the effort, the district will also launch DoCo Codes, a learning initiative designed to prepare students for the careers of tomorrow through the use of advanced technology.
“When it comes to innovation, the Dougherty County School System embraces it, encourages it and rewards it, and so to work alongside Apple, a world leader in technological innovation, is impactful for us and our students in a multitude of ways,” Superintendent Kenneth Dyer said. “It’s more than just technology. This collaboration embeds a full-time Apple Professional Learning Specialist in our community to build capacity among our teachers, instructional coaches, and others.”
Starting with the 2022 school year, all DCSS high school students will receive a MacBook Air, while all middle and elementary school students will receive an iPad and Logitech Crayon. In a press release, DCSS said that these products will allow all students equal access to their studies in the classroom, at home, and on the go.
As part of the collaboration, students will also have the opportunity to learn coding and app development through DoCo Codes, a STEM-based initiative developed in collaboration between the DCSS, Ed Farm, and Apple. The initiative will expose DCSS students to coding and app development using iPad and Mac together with Apple’s Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create curricula.
“I believe that we have a mandate to redefine and reimagine how people see education and that this partnership, and others that we’re creating, have the potential to not only improve the educational experience in Dougherty County, but to lift up the Southwest Georgia region as a whole,” said Dyer. “This collaboration has the potential to be a game-changer for our students and our community in so many ways.”
As Dyer alluded to, Apple will also provide dedicated, on-site professional learning for DCSS educators and staff, helping them maximize the impact of these tools and technologies in the classroom, in district offices, and at home. For its part in the collaboration, DCSS said that Ed Farm will also enhance the professional development of teachers through its Teacher Fellows program which helps promote better learning outcomes for students by equipping teachers with needed tools and resources.
