On Thursday, September 25, 2025, the Digital Learning Team, consisting of CIO Dr. Josh Rayburn and Digital Learning Coaches Sandy Adams and Erica Snow, hosted the Woodford County Public Schools Technology and Innovation Academy. In our inaugural meeting of the school year, we brought together a passionate group of educators, representing each of our 7 schools, eager to explore new ideas, bringing technology integration into teaching and learning. The energy and enthusiasm in the room were abundant.

The session kicked off with a deep dive into the core mission of the Tech and Innovation Academy. We discussed how the academy serves as a hub for fostering creativity, integrating technology, and ultimately, supporting our teachers and students along the Paths to the Portrait, empowering all of those we serve with skills to support our Portrait of a Learner. Our purpose is about more than just gadgets and apps; it's about transforming the educational experience for every single student in Woodford County Public Schools.

To get our minds warmed up and collaborative, we jumped into an engaging BreakoutEDU session. This interactive activity challenged participants to work together, solve puzzles, and think critically – turning our teachers into Creative Problem Solvers and Resilient Learners. The room buzzed with communication, problem-solving, and a bit of laughter as teams raced against the clock to solve puzzles.

After that, we dove into the exciting world of Lego in Education using BricQ. Our teachers were Reflective Collaborators as they built and explored two different BricQ lessons in small groups. Teachers had the opportunity to get hands-on and explore how Lego can be used to teach STEM concepts not only in a fun, engaging, and tangible way, but also across all subject areas and grade levels. Legos can be applicable in every classroom and at every age.

We finished our days with our teachers being Responsible Contributors and Empathetic Communicators as they brainstormed and shared ways that they wanted to put what they learned to use in their own classrooms. The Digital Learning Team is so excited to support our teachers as they use new tools and tech in their classrooms. We will continue to share resources, training, and ideas so that every student in Woodford County Public Schools is supported in their Path to a Portrait.

A huge thank you goes out to Vivacity Tech for generously sponsoring our lunch, keeping our innovators fueled and ready to learn! Thank you to the KCTCS Systems Office for hosting our first session and providing a creative learning environment to spark curiosity. Their support helps make these valuable professional development opportunities possible. We're looking forward to an inspiring year of collaboration, innovation, and growth within the Woodford County Public Schools Technology and Innovation Academy. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of educational excellence!

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Pictures from the event: