Beachwood Digital Academy Will Encourage Teaching With Technology

Those who attended Monday’s meeting got a special treat: a student-made music video that updated Billy Joel’s "We Didn’t Start the Fire" with lyrics based on events during the 12-year-olds' lifetimes.

It’s the kind of teaching tool that was not available when the toe-tapping tune was released — or, for that matter,

So Ken Veon, hopes to encourage the teachers to embrace methods like this that teach students conventional subjects — like modern American history — while encouraging them to practice technology skills they will need in their careers.

Teachers in the schools will be offered in-house classes and credit from Ashland University to learn the latest in classroom technology beginning this fall.

Using money from the district’s continuing education fund, the district will pay teachers certified by Ashland as adjunct professors to teach classes after school and on weekends at buildings in the district.

Dubbed the Digital Academy, courses will teach staff to use technology like Photoshop, Microsoft Office and SmartBoards, which are interactive blackboards installed in many classrooms in the district.

Veon said that he has not determined how much the program would cost out of the district’s fund, but that some of the money is used now to send teachers to conferences and classes that will now be offered in-house.

Teachers are required to earn continuing education credits to renew their teaching licenses.