Learning
March 9, 2022

How One District Uses Technology to Stay Flexible as Learning Environments Evolve

GoGuardian Team
An illustration of a teacher working on a laptop

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to operate in fully-virtual learning environments, 1:1 technology wasn’t new to Lee County Schools. What was new, however, was trying to engage students and deliver effective instruction from afar — particularly during a time of disruption and uncertainty.

As the pandemic continues to unsettle the rhythms of the school year, educators at Lee County Schools leverage widespread tech adoption — including GoGuardian Teacher — to ensure students remain connected and productive in both remote and hybrid learning environments. Additionally, the flexibility of GoGuardian Teacher gives Lee County the ability to navigate ongoing pandemic challenges, like teacher shortages, and helps them prepare for what may come next.

How GoGuardian Teacher has Helped

Helping Teachers Reach Every Student

GoGuardian Teacher has enabled K-12 teachers in Lee County to maintain connections with students of all ages — whether they’re teaching in person or remotely. Patricia Coldren, NBCT, Instructional Technology Supervisor at Lee County Schools, says that GoGuardian has become an integral part of the classroom.

“[The teachers] really have come to rely on it. They love that they can chat with the kids. It’s been all positive feedback from our teachers,” says Coldren.

Helping Every Student Feel Supported

Lee County educators understand that students in a digitally-native world receive and process information differently, and each individual student engages
with learning and instruction in different ways, too.

As students of every age adapt to recent changes in school, it’s essential to create opportunities for personalized learning support. Coldren believes that GoGuardian provided her with the tools to hear from all students.

“There’s not a world where you can just teach one lesson and it’d be to everybody. You can use GoGuardian Teacher as a differentiation tool, to push out websites to different student groups. Kids are more receptive to what interests them, so GoGuardian gives teachers the chance to plan ahead for every student.” - Patricia Coldren, Lee County Schools


GoGuardian Teacher also gives educators the ability to see potential issues and identify students’ needs before they become unmanageable. Districts like Lee County Schools, who are concerned with the social and emotional health of students, know how important it is to understand student activity online and try their best to recognize potentially harmful patterns as early as possible.

“We’re here to serve children. So when we figure out there’s something that our kids need, we need to find something that meets those parameters. I think that’s a really important part of what we actually do in technology — just being mindful of what the kids are actually doing online.” - Patricia Coldren, Lee County Schools

Helping Administrators Maintain Flexibility

Like many schools, Lee County is navigating the continued impact of staff shortages. To mitigate these challenges, the district leverages GoGuardian to provide their teachers, principals, and administrative staff with the information, control, and confidence they need to lead with more flexibility — in any classroom environment. GoGuardian has allowed Lee County educators to save time and be more productive, inside and outside the classroom.

Coldren believes it will be a solution in the future as well. “As we go through the next few years, the teacher shortage is probably not going to get better right away. I think we’ll see an increase in out-of-the-box ideas forgetting teachers in classrooms, and GoGuardian is a great tool for those teachers to be able to use.”

Future Plans

The educational landscape will continue to evolve, which is why future-focused districts like Lee County Schools see GoGuardian as a partner for the long term. GoGuardian has allowed Lee County to stay flexible, support teachers, and engage students through a myriad of COVID-driven disruptions.

“If the teachers see the value — and they’ll see it after they use the product — then they’ll be sold,” says Coldren.

Whether the pandemic ends sooner or later — that isn’t clear. But technology’s role in the classroom is.

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