Day 5 - Dennis Villano, BPS Director of Instructional Technology

Growing up I never looked forward to the beginning of the school year. When I was a child I hated how my mother always had a large calendar hanging in the kitchen. I remember turning the calendar back to July a few times once August came hoping somehow that would serve as a time machine to more summer. After beginning a career in education my friends were shocked. In fact, many of them still ask what I do everyday, refusing to believe that I work in education. What my friends failed to understand though is that I always loved to learn and I never wanted to miss an opportunity to experience something new. The problem was that I often felt that the my school environment didn't provide me the most supportive learning opportunities. Now, the beginning of the school year brings a very different feeling for me. I look forward to how every new year brings new opportunities and new experiences for Burlington learners.

Burlington has made a tremendous commitment to educational technology and we have begun to provide a truly immersive technology environment for our students. Our IT and EdTech Teams spend countless hours getting devices and applications ready for the school year. All the hours culminate at BPSCON with our opening professional development conference.

I must admit though that this year I learned something new during my experiences at BPSCON. I noticed that many of our teachers also feel some of the apprehension and concern that I once did during the days leading up to the beginning of school due to the explosion of educational technology and the growth of digital tools in their classrooms. These new tools are forming the the foundation for an incredibly exciting and at times overwhelming environment in which to teach. I now have a better understand of what we must do to provide supportive environments for our adult learners to ensure that we remove any anxiety for teaching in digital environments. 

One of the greatest qualities of educators is that many began their career because they enjoyed sharing learning experiences with others. This love of learning must be fostered within each school district and adult learning must constantly be supported especially now when so many of the adults are learning with the students when it come to digital skills.