Building Confident Bilingual Learners with Purposeful EdTech

At Richard J Lee Elementary, an Apple Distinguished School, educators are using technology to remove barriers, inspire new ways of learning and unlock new possibilities for creative expression with iPads. Most recently, they’ve enhanced their tech toolkit with headsets, styluses, and keyboard cases to supercharge a variety of learning activities, from independent reading and writing lessons in DreamBox and Khan Academy to creative projects in Canva. Since implementing this technology, educators noticed a significant increase in student confidence, participation and linguistic and academic growth, especially for emergent bilinguals and newly enrolled students. In fact, over 90% of students surveyed after the edtech pilot project felt more comfortable and confident using common tools and platforms. This session, led by Dwight Goodwin, Executive Director of Technology for Coppell ISD, is designed for district IT leaders and will explore use cases, best practices, and powerful new research from Aurora Institute and THE Journal about integrating edtech thoughtfully in the classroom to improve elementary student outcomes. Attendees will leave with actionable practices to help all students overcome confidence gaps, engage more deeply with popular digital platforms, and express themselves fully throughout their learning journey.