Purposeful Technology in Practice: Meriden’s Sixteen-Year Story

<p>What does purposeful technology look like when a school district sustains a clear vision for more than a decade?</p><p>In this episode of the Consortium for School Networking Podcast, we explore <strong>Dr. Stacy Hawthorne’s</strong> recent CoSN article, “Recognized: Sixteen Years of Purposeful Technology in Meriden Public Schools.”</p><p>Meriden’s story demonstrates that meaningful technology integration is not defined by devices or screen time. It is shaped by access, instructional purpose, professional learning, and a long-term commitment to students.</p><p>Over sixteen years, Meriden Public Schools has developed an equitable one-to-one program, introduced weekly Genius Labs for elementary students, expanded multilingual literacy support, and invested in educators through its six-stage “I’m Charged” professional learning framework.</p><p>The episode also highlights Dr. Hawthorne’s forthcoming book, <a href="https://stacyhaw.github.io/Purposeful-Technology-Powerful-Learning/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">“Purposeful Technology, Powerful Learning: You Can’t Ban Possibility.”</a> Featuring documented stories from thirteen school districts, the book examines how schools are using technology intentionally to address real educational challenges and create opportunities that otherwise may not be possible.</p><p>Dr. Stacy Hawthorne, Ed.D., CETL, serves as Chair of the CoSN Board of Directors and Executive Director of the EdTech Leaders Alliance.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>IN THIS EPISODE:</strong></p><ul><li>Why equitable access must remain at the center of district technology planning</li><li>How Meriden moved beyond devices to create meaningful learning experiences</li><li>The role of professional learning and shared leadership</li><li>Why purposeful technology cannot be measured by screen time alone</li><li>How Dr. Hawthorne’s forthcoming book expands the conversation through stories from thirteen school districts</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>LEARN MORE:</strong></p><p>Read the CoSN article:<br /><a href="https://www.cosn.org/recognized-sixteen-years-of-purposeful-technology-in-meriden-public-schools/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.cosn.org/recognized-sixteen-years-of-purposeful-technology-in-meriden-public-schools/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Explore “Purposeful Technology, Powerful Learning: You Can’t Ban Possibility”:<br /><a href="https://stacyhaw.github.io/Purposeful-Technology-Powerful-Learning/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://stacyhaw.github.io/Purposeful-Technology-Powerful-Learning/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Visit CoSN:<br /><a href="https://www.cosn.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.cosn.org/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Produced in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://edcircuit.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">edCircuit⁠⁠⁠</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><em>CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes.</em></p><p><br /></p><p><em>This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.</em></p>