BIE Educators Learn New Ways to Reach Students Digitally at Educational Technology Summit

Forty school and regional leaders gathered at Wingate High School for two days of professional development focused on educational technologies. Participants engaged in hands-on training led by the Strategic Transformation of Education Team with powerful new innovative tools and blended learning strategies. Blended learning is an educational strategy that combines face-to-face and digital instruction.

“We are giving students 21st-century skills,” said John McIntosh, Education Program Administrator for the Navajo Region. “Blended learning not only supports the students, but it also supports teachers in understanding how to use technology when presenting concepts. The region’s vision is to prepare students for the future.”

The Navajo Bureau Operated Region plans to implement a new digital lesson planner feature in the coming school year. This powerful tool can help align with regional initiatives, ensure consistency and quality of lesson plans, and increase efficiency through the platform’s accountability and resourcing options.

BIE Educator Matilda Yazzie's sharing and demonstration of data-driven instruction through the standards mastery feature emphasized the vision that technology should work for educators instead of working for technology.

“If you really care about data-driven instruction, “there are just a few extra clicks,” Yazzie said.

Her video demonstrated the ease, through data, of understanding each student’s progress in the standards before assessment.

“We are making the technologies available so that our students are competitive in the world and can be successful,” said Karen Malone, Education Specialist.

Closing sessions of the summit communicated the vision and purpose of educational technology plans and upcoming artificial intelligence tools available through the Bureau of Indian Education’s learning management system. The STEP team closely collaborated with BIE leaders to ensure educator training and support throughout the 2024-2025 school year increased use, confidence, and alignment of educational technologies to multiply student opportunities and improve outcomes.