One-to-one computing has fundamentally changed daily instruction in many K-12 schools. Digital devices support writing, research, assessment, personalized learning, communication, collaboration, and access to academic resources. At the same time, increased access to technology has raised a legitimate question for educators and families: How much time do students actually spend on school-issued devices, and what does this use involve?
Strengthening EdTech Leadership: Insights from the 2026 CoSN Matrix
Alongside other EdTech leaders nationwide, I recently contributed to the 2026 updates of the CoSN Digital Leap Success Matrix, a resource designed to help school system leaders advance their technology goals while navigating both expected and emerging challenges. The Matrix outlines the conditions and practices needed to support effective, equitable digital learning, and the 2026 update emphasizes secure, well-governed systems, sustainable infrastructure, and continuous improvement. Read more…
A Year in Review: Groton-Dunstable 2025 Report
The Department of Technology & Digital Learning advanced several initiatives to modernize instructional technology, strengthen digital equity, improve student focus through intentional policy, and safeguard the digital environment for staff and students. All of these efforts work together to enhance teaching and learning, ensure equitable access to technology tools, and establish the conditions necessary for a high-quality education.
We are completing a multi-year modernization of classroom technology, replacing outdated projectors with interactive teaching panels. Following earlier installations at the elementary level, our most recent phases deployed units at Middle School North, the Marion Stoddart Building, and the Boutwell Early Childhood Center. With more than 150 interactive panels available in academic locations, the district has significantly expanded its capacity to support universal design for learning principles and provide faculty with modern instructional tools. Read more…
Sharing is Caring: How Massachusetts Districts Are Navigating YouTube Changes
Earlier in 2025, mid-year, Google adjusted its Additional Services, including a new parental-permission requirement for YouTube. In years past, students and staff had unfettered access to YouTube with Safe Search enabled, which still allowed significant non-academic video viewing. Google wouldn’t sign a student data privacy agreement for these additional services and pushed the responsibility back to school districts to obtain parental consent.
Google’s spring changes raised immediate questions for school districts, including my own: How should we manage student access to non-core services (like YouTube)? What role should teacher-embedded videos play, or should we block them completely? And how do we balance instructional needs with compliance and student safety? Read more…
With FERPA Enforcement Weakened, Who Will Step Up to Protect Student Data?
The recent, substantial workforce reductions at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) are not simply internal matters. The cuts critically weaken the systems public school districts rely on to protect students’ rights, particularly in data privacy. Significant reductions are affecting the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO), the federal oversight body responsible for enforcing FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The landscape of student data protection is changing…and not for the better. Read more…