At Springfield Public Schools in Illinois, district leaders were intent on finding innovative ways to provide staff with a scalable, effective solution for introducing blended learning to the classroom. Working with Alludo, the district learned they could do just that — and a whole lot more.
Springfield School District No. 186, also referred to as Springfield Public Schools, serves nearly 15,000 students pre-K through 12. Ahead of the 2018 school year, district heads joined forces with Alludo to provide a blended-learning PD game for their teachers. The end product, a custom game called GameOn!, includes multi-device digital and Google tools, with tech integration, digital citizenship badges, and scalability for district-wide use. Since then, Springfield Public Schools has worked with Alludo to create additional games, all geared toward the goal of more efficient and effective use of technology within the district’s facilities.
Key Challenges
-
Facilitating more one-on-one blended learning opportunities for students
-
Lack of onboarding PD support for new incoming teachers
-
Keeping entire district on track with Illinois continuing education license requirements
Solution
Alludo helped Springfield School Districts create tailored games optimized to their PD goals and limitations. Working with the district’s Technology Instructional Leaders, Alludo assisted in creating games that provided enhanced professional development opportunities to SPS’s teaching staff and that were in line with the district’s vision, knowledge, and commitment to growth and innovation.
Results
-
More than 300 of the district's 1,000 teachers started playing GameOn! in the first month. By Fall 2018, that number had risen to nearly 800 teachers
-
SPS was able to develop a game solely to support in-person learning at their annual summer tech conference
-
Creation of a New Teacher Toolbox that trains the 100+ new teachers entering the SPS district each year on systems, devices, and protocols for setting up teacher sites
-
Development of Rockstars, a game designed to support teachers in facilitating a 1:1 blended classroom learning experience. In the first year, more than 200 teachers earned badges toward 1:1 PD
-
Awarding of Illinois Continuing Professional Development Units upon game completions, which are required for teachers to maintain their licensure in the state
Looking Forward
SPS continues to expand their PD portfolio through Alludo. This includes LeadOn!, a game focused on providing PD training on technology and its role in effective leadership to district administrators.
"Our Alludo Learning games, created specifically for targeted groups [like] new teachers, 1:1 teachers, veteran teachers, and administrators, allow for customized learning experiences in which our educators control their own professional development, addressing what they need, in their own time.” – Carrie Kincaid, Springfield Public Schools Technology Instructional Leader
