Educators at the Forefront: Strategically Using Technology in Classrooms

Through the LeARner Collective, we’ve seen how participating school teams recognize potential challenges and embrace them as opportunities for learning and growth. A recent proof point of this innovative approach is Ardis Ann Middle School in Bentonville. Part of the continuation pathway, its team is focused on “Elevating Teachers' Expertise,” including around the strategic use of technology, such as Chromebooks, in classrooms.

Like many other schools across Arkansas, Ardis Ann is participating in the phone-free pilot program. With the General Assembly’s passage of the “Bell to Bell, No Cell Act,” the policy will now be permanent for public schools beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. Even before the legislature’s actions, however, Principal Kevin McAuliffe said restricting students’ smartphone usage was a relatively smooth process for his team. Thanks to proper preparation, Ardis Ann’s students understood phones would be off-limits and adjusted quickly to the change.

The shift around phones coincided with the Bentonville School District’s continued rethinking of its broader approach to technology in the classroom. When used effectively, laptops and software tools can help teachers be more efficient in addressing individual learning needs. For Chromebooks specifically, Principal McAuliffe said the Ardis Ann team wanted to ensure it deployed devices for maximum student benefit. So, it leaned into its experience in the LeARner Collective to encourage teachers to serve as professional development resources for each other, whether through classroom walkthroughs, one-on-one conversations or group brainstorming sessions.

Now, Principal McAuliffe says turning on a Chromebook is less of an “automatic” when students enter classrooms but rather a helpful complement to ongoing instruction. He believes tapping into the staff’s skills—a practice the team has grown through the LeARner Collective—was crucial to enacting these new practices and protocol changes. Today, teachers are encouraged by students’ increased engagement and excitement for learning.

Want to find out more about the LeARner Collective and how the initiative is helping participating school teams create conditions for student success? Click here.