DARLINGTON COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Several educators and concerned parents gathered Monday night to hear from Darlington County School District leaders about the district’s Digital Transformation Project.
The district has been holding these meetings throughout the county to give parents and community members more information about the district’s digital initiative, including how the district plans to implement the program, and what it means for students and their families.
Monday’s meeting was held at Lamar High School, and school leaders say it gave them a chance to educate parents about the district’s goal to transform the way students learn.
District Superintendent Eddie Ingram says it’s time for the students of Darlington County to put the textbooks aside and embrace technology to better prepare students in this generation.
The district’s new technology initiative is helping to put brand-new computers and iPads in the hands of every student in grades first through twelve in every school in the district.
Students in grades K-8 will be receiving iPads, and students in grades 9-12 will get MacBook Air laptops.
The district’s Director of Technology Diane Sigmon says implementing this technology in the classroom is what has to be done in order to better prepare students for the jobs they’ll have after graduation.
“One of our school board members said that allowing a child to graduate without digital skills is almost as criminal as allowing them to graduate without the ability to read, and that is true. We’ve got to make sure they are able to function,” said Sigmon.
School leaders say the district’s digital transformation plan isn’t about the laptops each child is receiving in the district, but the lessons they will learn for themselves and being able to give every child the same chance by putting the same technology at their fingertips.
