Digital Learning Standards

Overview

The State Board of Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction are committed to providing personalized, digital-age education that K-12 students need to be successful in college, careers, and as globally engaged, productive citizens. For student standards in the areas of Digital Learning (K-12), North Carolina has adopted the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Students. These standards provide a framework for digital-age learning, representing the “must-have” skills that students need to be successful in the modern age. Educators are encouraged to find multiple ways for students to demonstrate learning, and implementation decisions should be based on student characteristics and Halifax County Schools' policies.

Implementation of the NC Standard Course of Study for Digital Learning Grades K-12 began in the 2020-2021 school year. North Carolina’s Digital Learning Standards are designed to be delivered by classroom teachers in all curricular areas and grade levels to provide students with the equitable opportunity to learn in a digitally enabled classroom. The Digital Learning Standards encompass the following:

• Digital citizenship, data privacy, and cyber safety
• Digital-aged skills that enable students to be college and career ready
• Creation, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills
• Inquiry and design thinking learning opportunities

Purpose: The Digital Learning Standards provide a framework for the digital age skills students need to be college and career ready, particularly in the areas of digital citizenship, data privacy, cyber safety, inquiry & design thinking, etc. 

Resource: NC Digital Learning Standards Grade Bands Link; (Also see NC Digital Learning Standards Video Playlist for each standard attachment Link ).

See Reference: Link

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Halifax County Schools offers elementary and secondary students the opportunity to grow their academic capacity through blended learning opportunities; therefore, students' digital learning standards are to be included in lessons across content areas. Learning no longer has to stop with the classroom teacher! Each school is outfitted with instructional technology (Chromebook carts, 1 to 1 computer devices, desktop computers, Newline interactive panels, and access to media centers and maker space labs to encourage student agency through blended learning.  

Adding the blended learning immersive context to lessons and learning provides students with real-time research capabilities, lesson enhancements, scaffold supports, and digital pathways to support their interest in learning.  

Blended Learning Expectations:

• The classroom teacher's weekly lesson plans are to include digital learning standards for face-to-face, personalized, and blended learning opportunities to support differentiated learning experiences in whole/small groups and independent practice for all learners. 
• The classroom teacher provides for student agency by way of offering students some control over the place, pathway, and pace of their learning.
• The classroom teacher organizes and implements the necessary structure, procedures, and communication systems for both face-to-face and blended learning protocols.
• Blended learning sessions provide for direct instruction, guided practice, consultation, progress monitoring of online learning, and feedback on adaptive digital learning outcomes (Istation, iReady, Exact Path, & project-based research).

Explore: Blended Learning Terms & Resources

1. Digital Learning Standards: NC has adopted the International Society for Technology in Education standards for students (ISTE). 
2. FAQs: Digital Learning Standards: Learn about the expectations and implementation of NC Digital Learning Standards as they are not grade-specific standards. See attached document.
3. Accessibility: Equitable access to content to ensure that no student is discriminated against because of their unique needs or abilities.
4. Cloud storage: An Internet-based computing model that allows you to store, manage, and share files online. Popular cloud storage-based platforms include Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
5. Culturally responsive instruction: A pedagogical practice that integrates students’ cultural references into the classroom.
6. Flipped classroom: A type of blended learning in which direct instruction moves to the asynchronous learning space and the synchronous learning space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive environment.
7. Learning management system: A platform used to deploy and track online training. Content is uploaded, thereby making it accessible for both face-to-face and remote learning when needed.
8. Netiquette: The appropriate online social behavior.
9. Social emotional learning: The process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
10. Student response tool: A tool that is used to receive real-time or on-the-spot, formative feedback on the student's understanding.
11. NCDLS Toolkit as well as the NCEES professional learning system and #GoOpenNC.  NCBOLD professional learning sessions (includes recordings) also support educators as they implement the standards in NC classrooms. The standards are directly supported by resources available from EBSCO & Britannica via NCEdCloud. Supporting materials are located in the Resources Toolkit.   

Explore Attachments: 1. NC Digital Learning Plan 2. Digital Learning Standards Video Playlist for each standard: