Data Analytics Can Help Decode Your District's Tech Use

For Suzy Brooks, Director of Instructional Technology for Mashpee Public Schools, data analytics is like a secret decoder tool. It reveals the mystery behind which technology is used (or not used) in her district for teaching and learning.With the right data, we can make informed decisions about technology.“With the right data, we can make informed decisions about technology and get the most effective tools into the hands of our teachers so it can affect students in their classrooms,” explains Brooks.As this school year ends, educators are sifting through data to guide next year’s technology initiatives. We talked with Brooks about an analytics tool that helps her understand tech use, make purchasing decisions and save her district money.EdSurge: What compelled you to adopt a data analytics tool for your district?Suzy Brooks: We had just wrapped up the third year of our one-to-one Chromebooks initiative when we brought on CatchOn. We didn't have a good handle on what digital resources we had (and were using) at the district level. We didn't know who was in charge of the dashboards at each school or what budgets they were all coming out of. If there was a program at the elementary school, and the high school had the same thing, it wasn't always clear to us.Suzy BrooksIn a one-to-one district, you need those details, especially when you're trying to make purchasing decisions or asking for program funding.