Classrooms to Enter Digital Age

Hatboro-Horsham classrooms will begin "leveraging technology" to deliver online instruction in 16 classrooms this school year as part of a hybrid learning pilot program.

A grant from the state helped to fund the program, according to David Weber, Hatboro-Horsham's curriculum co-director. The district will spend approximately $238,000 from monies being reallocated from professional development funds to help cover the program costs, according to Superintendent Curtis Griffin. 

"We also believe that number will go down as we start to reallocate a lot of the equipment," Griffin said during Monday's school board meeting.

Initially, the "blended" instruction, which incorporates digital instruction via computer with face-to-face teaching, will be rolled out in seven Hatboro-Horsham High School classrooms; five elementary school classrooms; and four Keith Valley Middle School classrooms. 

"We want to try it out," Weber said. "We want to see how it goes."

Hatboro-Horsham is not alone. According to Kevin Dellicker, manager of Dellicker Strategies, a Lehigh Valley-based firm that "helps schools adopt innovative technologies and teaching methods to personalize learning and motivate students," 25 hybrid learning pilot programs are being rolled out statewide this fall, with 45 more planning for a future launch.

To date, Dellicker said his company has helped secure $2.7 million in public and private funding to help cover program costs.