The Wyoming Department of Education is organizing eight public listening sessions across the state on ways to improve digital learning in public schools, from Oct. 10 through Nov. 17. Digital learning in public schools in Wyoming is guided by the Wyoming Digital Learning Plan, which is a 5-year action plan that seeks to continually improve digital learning for students. The plan optimizes how subjects are taught, helps kids learn from home, provides better IT facilities in schools, ensures data privacy, and promotes funding of digital learning facilities and equipment.
The plan is currently being reviewed, and the department is seeking input from the public. Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, Laura Ballard, said the sessions are an opportunity for the department to hear directly from people and for the public to contribute ideas on the state of online learning in Wyoming.
“Digital Learning Plan listening sessions are designed to get input from educators, students, community, industry folks across the state,” said Ballard. “And it really is to try to get an idea from the field, about what they see their needs are, where they would like things to be, and how they would like to be supported by digital learning. The listening sessions are open to everyone, they’re public meetings. ”
After the listening sessions, the Department of Education will conduct some more survey work with school districts, and roll out the new Wyoming Digital Learning Plan for 2023-2028 by next Spring in preparation for the next school year.
