Brainerd Public Schools Case Study

LEARNING FOR THE FUTURE

At Brainerd Public Schools, 21st century technology and innovation is a priority. The district has committed to increasing the effective and meaningful use of technology in all learning environments, and staying current with rapidly changing systems and products. But, it wasn’t always this way. When Porisch first started working at the district five years ago, it was like the “wild west” of technology, with no common usage or best practices in place. “There was no consistency regarding what or how technology was used in the classroom, so the first thing I did was work with our interim superintendent to get all of our teachers onto laptops,” Porisch explained. “We then examined what devices were available at each school site, and moved towards being one-to-one in grades 5 through 12.”

Brainerd Public Schools partnered with MobileMind to help each educator learn how to leverage G Suite and other education technology tools.

“When I first found out about MobileMind, I was completely sold by the feedback portion,” Porisch said. “I’ve seen many, many companies that provide a laundry list of different training videos, but there’s no feedback afterwards – there’s no way to gauge if you’re really understanding the topic.” Since our professional learning modules are differentiated, teachers are able to work at their own pace, and our human feedback feature ensures that they’re able to celebrate achievements along the way.

When COVID-19 first impacted the district in spring 2020, Brainerd Public Schools went fully virtual, and then returned with a hybrid instruction model

this fall. Ensuring staff, students and families have reliable internet access is a crucial component of any distance or hybrid learning plan. Thanks to a close relationship with CTC, a local communications company, and TMobile, Brainerd’s technology department has been able to prioritize getting internet access to those in need. “A lack of connectivity was the biggest barrier for our transition to distance learning,” Porisch explained. “Since we’ve already been setting the framework for using technology for learning, there was an increased comfort level with many families and staff members, which made the rest of the transition easier.”

The district went 1:1 for grades K-12, with every student receiving a device to bring home. Brainerd’s technology department also created a COVID-19 hub with helpful tech resources and advice for families. “Having ‘how-to’s’ for families is huge, and I believe it’s really important to have basics about technology, basics about internet safety and that kind of thing available,” Porisch said. “A personal focus of mine has been creating more easy-to-understand help for families.”