At Hillside Public Schools, instructional technology supports student-centered, research-based practices grounded in constructivist principles and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that foster creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Students actively engage with digital tools to explore, design, and solve real-world challenges, while educators provide guidance to develop the skills, confidence, and mindset necessary for success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

In Hillside, instructional technology is more than just tools used in the classroom—it's an approach rooted in creating inclusive, student-centered environments where technology sparks engagement, exploration, and achievement. I’d like to incorporate the SAMR model into our framework, a framework rooted in transforming education where students are at the steering wheel in their learning and innovations in the realms of computer science, STEAM, and educational technology.

All students and staff will have a sense of

• Community: A collaborative digital culture where students, teachers, and families innovate together to support growth and success

• Creativity: Students harness technology to design, express, and problem-solve in original, meaningful ways.

• Innovation: Cultivating curiosity, leadership, and forward-thinking through purposeful use of technology.

Instructional technology in Hillside empowers students to be curious, creative, and collaborative, drawing on research-based practices such as UDL framework and constructivist theory to spark innovation and prepare them for a rapidly evolving world.

NJ Office of Innovation

• Computer Science: 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards: Computer Science and Design Thinking

• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).

• Educational Technology