Education Technology Day: Celebrating Innovation in Education 

Education Technology Day is celebrated annually on Sept. 23, and Indiana Digital Learning School (INDLS) celebrates the way technology is transforming education and the teachers who use those tools to make learning interactive and impactful every day. 

For an INDLS math teacher, Mouna Chahbi, the connection between technology and education comes naturally. Before becoming a full-time educator, she worked as a software developer. For more than 10 years, she taught and tutored math with high school and college students. It was through tutoring that Mouna realized her passion for helping people understand concepts that they initially found challenging and made the decision to transition from software development to teaching. 

Now, in her fourth year with INDLS, she uses the K12 Zone to create a virtual classroom designed around the individual needs of her students. She uses different modes to record lessons, make announcements, and even create private pages that only her, an individual student, and their other teachers can access 

“The K12 Zone makes online education more interactive, engaging, and personal,” said Mouna. “Instead of students simply completing work online, they can enter a virtual classroom, interact with their teacher and classmates, participate in lessons, and receive individualized support. It brings some of the connection and interaction of a traditional classroom into the online learning environment.” 

Another INDLS staff member, Dalton Cromer, has been with INDLS for seven years and has helped integrate INDLS’s “Rock It Day” events into the K12 Zone. Through this, he’s seen success with student participation, school spirit, and community building. 

Beyond significant increases in attendance through the use of the K12 Zone, Dalton also notes the space as having benefits for student mental health.  

“Students often open up to their peers about mental health challenges in these collaborative spaces,” said Dalton. “The proactive monitoring tools integrated into the platform allow us to identify safety alerts and crisis situations quickly, enabling our staff to step in and provide support before it’s too late.” 

Education technology is not a way to replace educators, but an opportunity for teachers to reach their students in new ways. Through the K12 Zone, a virtual classroom can become a place where students feel supported, connected and confident as they work toward graduation. 

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