The Story

 

The idea for a student digital leadership team had been brewing for several years before becoming a reality during the 2013-2014 school year.  Lisa Cutshall, former Director of eLearning for MCS, was attending and leading training for teachers but recognized that students encountered the same challenges and needed training- just like the adults.   While attending a summer teacher technology conference several years ago, planning began for a student-led conference to help other students become more effective with the technology that was launching in schools, like our 1:1 laptop program that began in 2011.  The idea grew organically, and with a lot of input from students, to become a full blown blended learning course with projects that included a conference, digital curriculum, and social media outlets - all created by students for students.  When the opportunity to apply for a state grant was made available in early 2013, the brainstorming and dreams took shape into a concrete initiative that exceeded all expectations.  The Imagining and Creating Grant award teamed our school with two other schools in different parts of the state.  Each had a similar goal of creating digital curriculum centered around positive digital identity, citizenship, and leadership.  This collaboration allowed for shared projects, including the Alter-Ego student-led conference.