In the context of education, a digital ecosystem refers to the integration of digital technologies, tools, and platforms into the learning environment. It encompasses the network of interconnected components that support and enhance educational processes, interactions, and resources.
Your school’s digital ecosystem is an important part of your administrative, student and teachers’ daily lives that can either be the thorn in your side or a gateway that transforms teaching and learning. As we can all relate, our daily digital lives continually change at a rapid pace, and it is important to monitor purpose and utilization as it relates to the technologies we use in our schools. For example, a common redundancy or lack of clear expectations is often found between a school/district’s curriculum planning platform and their learning management system (LMS). As teams work to define expectations and resources for curriculum work, clarifying what elements of the process should be captured for curriculum planning vs day to day lesson planning is important for successful implementation and ongoing efficiency in the process.
Streamlining and creating consistent wayfinding within a school’s digital ecosystem is essential to lifting the burden off teachers to “figure it out themselves” while at the same time creates efficiencies and “flow” for students within their digital experiences between classes. One way to ensure the health of your school’s digital environment is to establish an infrastructure that is consistent with agreed upon expectations inclusive of admin, teachers and students. Here are some guiding questions that will help monitor your school’s digital pulse.
Helpful Resources:
- ISTE: Essential Conditions for Effective Tech Use in Schools
- NAIS: Principles of Good Practice – Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age
- Global Online Academy: Teaching as Wayfinding
- Ed Tech Self Study Guide Resource
- National Education Technology Plan
- Another Approach using the SWOT Analysis
About The Author
Lianne Petrocelli
Standards and Services Team
Faria Education Group
Lianne Petrocelli manages our Standards and Services team for Atlas and ManageBac. She procures copyright from Standards Organizations and helps maintain our Standards database. She also manages the team at Faria that provides standards customization and curriculum mapping services for Atlas and ManagBac clients. With over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sector of education she brings a wide array of knowledge from Early Childhood Education to High School.
