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1. MARCH/APRIL 2011
Cell Phone
Savvy
T Yohey explains how this district
odd
is using phones, laptops, and YouTube
to better engage students and bring
21st technology into classrooms.

2. OAK HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT
OHIO
T
here’s no denying today’s students are entranced by Demographically, Oak Hills has less than 1% minority popula-
various types of technology. Even elementary-school tion and is composed of two townships.
children are well versed in everything from iPhones
and laptops to Google searches and YouTube videos. At Oak Yohey has been with the district for two years, and during
Hills School District in Cincinnati, Ohio, superintendent Todd that time, he’s put a strong emphasis on using all types of
Yohey and his team recognized this phenomenon and have technology in Oak Hills’ classrooms. Prior to his arrival, the
channeled technology into classrooms, increasing student district had begun to engage community stakeholders in its
attentiveness and creativity. vision to increase the use of technology but was early in the
implementation stage. Drawing from past experiences, Yohey
Oak Hills is home to 8,100 students. The district has a and his team began a program aimed at meeting the needs of
total of nine buildings with five elementary schools, three students with the help of the latest technologies.
middle schools, one high school, and an alternative school.
“At Oak Hills, we believe students are
going to attain their education differ-
ently in the 21st century,” said Yohey.
“It’s not just about the changes that
have taken place over the past 10 years;
it’s about the pace of those changes.
We’re trying to build an infrastructure
that gives us the capacity to meet those
demands.”
The program, named Oak Hills 2020,
was designed to provide the district with
a framework to meet the increasing
pace of change. “There are going to be
more changes to educational attainment
and instructional delivery in the next
decade than we’ve seen in the last 200
years collectively,” said Yohey.
iSmart
As part of the Oak Hills 2020 plan, high
school teachers and staff welcomed tech-
nology into the classroom through their
students. Although iPods, cell phones,
and laptops are viewed as distractions in
most classroom settings, Yohey believed
Oak Hills could channel these technolo-
gies into educational tools, adding to
students’ educational experience.
“This technology has become part of
a students’ learning program,” said
Yohey. “In addition, we’ve relaxed access
to sites such as YouTube, which is
another unconventional outlet. We real-
ized there are a lot more opportunities
for students and teachers to learn by
using websites or technology they’re
not accustomed to.”
Yohey and his team saw how students
were already using this type of technol-
ogy, and they knew taking advantage of
2 | Education-Executive.com MARCH/APRIL 2011

3. EDUCATION
S P O T L I G H T
its appeal could spark innovative changes in the way students
learned. “We leveraged the technology so it would play into
the curriculum,” he said. “It was my desire, and the desire of
our teachers, to address students via the means they’re already
using to attain instruction in nontraditional ways. So far, it’s
worked well.”
For example, a student struggling with a concept could easily
access Google to define a term. Similarly, a student could use
Skype to call a local professional and conduct an interview to
enhance the content he/she is learning about.
“There’s also a lot of opportunity for collaboration outside the
classroom,” he said. “Maybe a teacher has a set of resources
he/she posted on a companion site. Students can now easily
access it on their mobile device.”
A sense of maturity is also being instilled in Oak Hills stu-
dents by using this technology in the classroom. Yohey
explained that appropriate use is part of the program, and
students are expected to adhere to certain restrictions.
“Learning the appropriate time to use these devices has
become part of this process as well,” he said. “In our adult
workplace environments, many of us use technology on a daily
basis, and we know what’s appropriate and what’s not. Now,
children are learning the same types of things at an early age.”
Thinking ahead
Yohey said the Oak Hills 2020 initiative wouldn’t have been
possible without the support of the community. “Our stake-
holder groups drove this initiative for us,” he said. “When
we looked at 21st century learning and Oak Hills 2020, we saw
we had the support of parents, which was essential. We also
heard from parents that we needed to keep up with technol-
ogy and make sure we’re providing opportunities for students
to learn in innovative ways.”
Innovation is apparent in Oak Hills’ use of technology and the
district’s new programs for high school students. Beginning
with this year’s sophomores, Oak Hill students will have the
option to graduate with a predetermined area of focus, such
as performing arts or international studies. Yohey said this
helps to prepare students for college and give them a head
start to remain competitive in today’s business environment.
“This program is another example of the changes we see hap-
pening in education,” said Yohey. “In the future, we don’t see
our children sitting in a classroom for seven hours a day.
Instead, we see a variety of schedules for students depending
on their courses and areas of focus. Hybrid classes and online
work are possibilities as well. Education is changing, and we
want to make sure we’re doing everything in our power to
accommodate those changes.” N
—Michelle McNickle
MARCH/APRIL 2011 Education-Executive.com | 3