Alabama Digital Learning Month

WHEREAS, the State of Alabama provides equal access to high-quality instruction to improve student achievement through digital learning; and

WHEREAS, Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide (ACCESS), Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) and the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) effectively use technology to strengthen the student learning experience by providing access to high-level and challenging online content and instruction; and

WHEREAS, ACCESS Distance Learning, one of the state’s premier initiatives, brings true equity in instructional opportunities to all Alabama high school students using a blended delivery model of web-based and video-conferencing instruction allowing schools to customize an academic program addressing the learning styles and needs of all students allowing them to be part of a world of learning to which they would not normally have access; and

WHEREAS, ALEX provides only the best digital lesson plans, interactive multimedia resources and professional development linked to the Alabama Courses of Study and Quality Teaching Standards, which gives Alabama’s educators and parents the necessary online resources to prepare Alabama’s students for life, college and careers; and

WHEREAS, Alabama’s Technology in Motion program delivers on-site, job-embedded professional development to assist teachers in their professional growth to create a technology-rich learning environment, and project-based learning for the benefit of Alabama’s students as they enter a digital world; and

WHEREAS, the world has been transformed by technology, making modern life more efficient, accessible, richer and faster; Alabama Career and Technical Education, with its nationally-recognized programs, strives to prepare Alabama’s students for college and career readiness with an infusion of digital learning and the effective use of technology in Career and Technical Education Programs; and

WHEREAS, the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) integrates digital learning in fulfilling its mission to provide all students in Grades K-12 with the knowledge and skills needed for success in the workforce and/or postsecondary studies; AMSTI is showing excellent results and has been acknowledged as one of six “exemplary models in laboratory education;” and

WHEREAS, ACCESS Distance Learning and ALEX have brought award-winning exposure to Alabama through national and international visitors as well as through a number of articles in major educational and professional journals:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the month of February 2013 as

Alabama Digital Learning Month

in the state of Alabama.