Berkeley County School District’s Office of Technology just scored a national award, plus a total of $7,000 that will be used to provide further technology support in BCSD’s classrooms.
The Consortium for School Networking – or CoSN – is an organization geared toward supporting IT teams within a school system/district. Every year, CoSN honors a district leadership team “for its transformative impact on student learning with technology” by bestowing them with the District Team Leadership Award.
Winning teams are selected based on its community-building initiatives, evidence of implementing innovative learning and partnership development.
Diane Driggers, Chief Technology and Infrastructure Officer for the district, said the State Department of Education contacted BCSD’s Office of Technology at the end of December to announce its plans to nominate BCSD for the award.
Driggers said simply getting recognized by the State Department of Education in that regard was exciting enough.
“We just have an awesome team and we all work together,” she said. “Everyone contributes, and we do what we need to do to get the job done. We’re always there for our teachers and students.”
Technology team members went on to submit an application for the award. BCSD’s Office of Technology team members found out earlier this semester that they had won. Driggers was joined by Superintendent Dr. Anthony Dixon; Priscilla Calcutt, Director of Instructional Technology and Targeted Intervention for At-Risk Schools; Information Systems Director Jason Frazier; and Network Support Director Marty Mixon in traveling to Austin, Texas last week to receive the award during CoSN’s annual conference.
In addition to the $2,000 award, CoSN paid for the trip and also provided the district with an additional $5,000 Donors Choose card that the Office of Technology can use to further support BCSD’s students.
“We’re making a difference by providing support to all of our teachers, employees and students throughout the district,” Driggers said. “We’re also getting students opportunities they would not otherwise have as far as technology goes.”
BCSD’s Office of Technology was recognized for the ways it impacts all of BCSD’s schools and in the community; in their application, technology team members particularly touched on the district’s Innovative Technology on Wheels – or iTOW – vehicle, which was acquired through a community grant sponsored by Google and Home Telecom, to travel to schools with the latest and greatest technology tools for students to enjoy when the vehicle visits their school. The Office of Technology also has strong community partnerships that support STEM-focused instruction in classrooms.
“Everyone was really complimentary of what we had done,” Driggers said.
Dr. Dixon extended his congratulations to Driggers and the Office of Technology for their national recognition.
"Having our Office of Technology receive one of the CoSN Impact Awards is an extreme accomplishment and honor," he said. "Receiving the district team awards shows that our district team is a leader and influencer in the nation and currently making a positive difference towards the BCSD vision and mission."