Sixteen students from McKinley Technology High School will join U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julian Genachowski for the first-ever Digital Learning Day National Town Hall Meeting that will be broadcast live over the Internet today from 1-2:30 p.m.
Joe Isaac, biotechnology teacher at McKinley Tech, also will participate in the National Town Hall Meeting at the Newseum studio in the District that will be broadcast to thousands of teachers and more than a half million students in 38 states who have already signed up to participate in Digital Learning Day by registering to watch this special live Internet broadcast.
“McKinley Technology’s participation in this event will show the country the movement DCPS, and certainly McKinley Technology, is making as we move forward in providing more digital education resources and experiences that will broaden the scope of the academic interactions available to our students,” said Gideon Sanders, director of Partnerships and Internships at McKinley. “Those resources will benefit students greatly as they move on in their academic careers.”
Digital Learning Day, hosted by the District-based Alliance for Excellent Education, is a nationwide celebration of innovative teaching and learning through digital media and technology that engages students and provides them with a rich, personalized educational experience.
On Digital Learning Day, a majority of states, hundreds of school districts, thousands of teachers, and more than a million students will encourage the innovative use of technology by trying something new, showcasing success, kicking off project-based learning, or focusing on how digital tools can help improve student outcomes.
The National Town Hall will feature live interaction with school sites around the country, profile great teachers who effectively use technology to deliver instruction, and focus on successful education innovation projects that demonstrate how technology can be used in the classroom to improve student outcomes.
McKinley Technology students, the only students in the country invited to participate live in-studio, will have the chance to interact with Secretary Duncan and Chairman Genachowski during the event, which will be moderated by WJLA anchor Leon Harris. Isaac will be interviewed by Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia.
Brandon Long, 17, a senior at McKinley Technology High School who will participate in today’s event, said digital learning is critical to his college and career aspirations and he looks forward to learning more about how other school districts are approaching the use of technology in the classroom.
“Without technology, I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere,” said Long, who is interested in biotechnology and aspires to be a forensic scientist. Long uses databases to conduct research and tries to stay current with technological trends. “Everything keeps advancing, and it’s up to me to get used to new technology and not fall behind.”
Live via Skype, the town hall will broadcast teachers, students, and leaders on the ground at Englewood Schools in Colorado; Mooresville Graded School District in North Carolina; Klein Independent School District in Houston, Texas; and New Tech West High School in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to Isaac, Kristen Kipp, English teacher at Jeffco Virtual Academy in Colorado and the 2011 iNACOL/SREB National Online Teacher of the Year will be featured in the broadcast.
To learn more about Digital Learning Day, visit and follow the action at or with the hashtag.
Contact: Melissa Salmanowitz | 202-535-1096