Above: Teachers line up to exchange their old Chromebooks for new ones.
This was part of the district’s Chromebook refresh cycle. More than 425 Acer Chromebooks for teachers were exchanged during Educator Day in order to complete a mass replacement of devices that had fallen out of warranty and could no longer be repaired. The old Chromebooks were collected and sold back to the vendor for a credit to offset the cost of the new purchase. Seven members of Westerville’s IT staff, along with representatives from Dayton Cincinnati Technology Services, assisted during the Chromebook exchange to keep the line moving.
Before some 15,500 students even walked through the doors for the start of school on August 16, educators and support staff engaged in a number of professional development opportunities.
Teachers packed the classrooms at Westerville Central High School on Monday, August 13, Westerville Educator Day, where more than 200 classes were offered. Those who have demonstrated expertise in particular areas led many of the sessions.
Support staff gathered at Westerville South High School for courses like Facilities Management eXpress training, Cultural Sensitivity, Tracking and Dissemination of Consumable Materials, Absence Communication, and Medication Disbursement.
Professional development is a valuable way for staff to grow as instructors and a cost-effective way to learn from each other, identify best practices, and implement initiatives across the school district that have resulted in positive academic gains for pupils.