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Digital Learning Awards

Digital Learning Awards Application

We are not accepting applications for this award for 2023-2024.

Digital learning is any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, and individualized instruction to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career.

Digital learning encompasses many different facets, tools, and applications to support and empower teachers and students, including online courses, blended or hybrid learning, or digital content and resources. Additionally, digital learning can be used for professional learning opportunities for teachers and to provide personalized learning experiences for students.

Digital learning advances school reform by increasing equity and access to educational opportunities, improving effectiveness and productivity of teachers and administrators, providing student-centered learning to ensure college and career readiness for all students, and recognizing teachers as education designers.

With so many new types of digital devices, educational software and mobile apps continuously developed, it’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest advancements in educational technology, especially in this time of constant change to combat the effects of a global pandemic. In some classrooms and out-of-school programs across the country, educators are doing some pretty amazing things with technology. Yet, these pockets of innovation are confined to a small number of schools and communities. Digital Learning Day was started as a way to actively spread innovative practices and ensure that all youth have access to high-quality digital learning opportunities no matter where they live.

Started in 2012, Digital Learning Day has provided a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes. This grassroots effort blossomed into a massive nationwide celebration as teachers realized that Digital Learning Day is not about technology, it’s about learning. It’s not about laying off teachers for laptops, it’s about enhancing the role of the teacher in America’s classrooms. Digital Learning Day promotes the effective use of modern day tools afforded to every other industry to improve the learning experience in K-12 public schools.

Categories  

  1. Teaching (Open to faculty, instructors, and adjuncts up to four awards)  Committee will prioritize diverse disciplinary categories: Behavioral and social sciences, biosciences and health sciences, humanities and the arts, physical sciences and technology
  2. Teaching (Graduate Teaching Assistant only, up to four awards)  Committee to prioritize diverse disciplinary categories: Behavioral and social sciences, biosciences and health sciences, humanities and the arts, physical sciences and technology
  3. P-20 Outreach (Pre-school to high school, college, and the workforce, up to four awards)  C ommittee to prioritize diversity at all levels: Pre-K through Grade 5, Middle School, High School, Post-secondary, professional development, workforce development)
  4. Selection Committee’s Choice (Could be awarded to an additional applicant or as a supplement to an award in one of the above categories)

Required Documents

  • Cover Page (Digital Learning Awards Application).
  • Applicants must demonstrate the use of technology in a unique or innovative manner. Written descriptive summary of teaching activity, no more than two (2) pages.
    • Describe how the chosen innovation has been impacted by or adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Relevant course syllabus in which teaching activity appears, no more than six (6) pages.
  • Optional documents including but not limited to references, sample student learning products, or a research article that emerged from innovation.  The total of the optional documents should be no more than four (4) pages.

Award Components

  • Professional development funds of $500 per awardee.
  • Presentation and showcase of innovation at awards ceremony on National Digital Learning Day. 

No late applications will be accepted.   Please upload the application to Digital Measures u nder Archived Reports and Documents in Other Submissions. Please select the current Academic Year, select Award: Digital Learning in the submission type and upload your materials in the Initial Faculty Submission.   Any applications that are incomplete at the deadline or exceed the limitations on maximum length of 12 pages, including the cover page, will not be considered.

For additional information, please email Donna Peduto at donna.pedutomail.wvu.edu