Reinventing Education: A progress report

Two years into San Diego’s plan to transform education with the help of technology, here’s a look at how the project is going—and what the district has learned

By Laura Devaney
Read more by Laura Devaney

The district is beginning the third year of its innovative i21 Initiative.

The slumping economy hasn’t been kind to schools, especially in California—but that hasn’t deterred the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) from its ambitious plan to give all students a technology-rich education.

Two years ago, the district embarked on a five-year journey to transform its classrooms and completely revamp the way San Diego students learn. Since that time, the i21 Interactive Classroom Initiative (i21) has expanded into more than 1,300 classrooms and has distributed some 78,000 netbooks and other mobile devices to teachers and students.

Although district leaders have run into several challenges—most notably funding—they’re also starting to see results.

“i21 really creates an environment for learning across our district,” said Barbara Allen, director of educational technology for SDUSD. “It’s an opportunity to change the way we do things based on new tools, resources, and focusing on 21st-century skills that students need to be able to survive in today’s world.”

Across the board, teachers have reported an increase in student engagement, more attention to the tasks at hand, and a more enthusiastic response to lessons, because students enjoy learning in this new medium, Allen said.

Teachers also say the technology helps them manage their classroom, helps students who otherwise have struggled in some subject areas, and helps students locate information and develop valuable workforce skills.