U‑46 proposes districtwide elementary library/media curriculum to expand digital literacy

School District U‑46 staff presented a proposal May 5 to adopt a districtwide elementary library and media curriculum and to offer digital-literacy specials at all elementary sites beginning in 2025–26.

Presenters said the work responds to updated Illinois computer literacy and computer science standards (Public Act 101‑0654 was referenced) and to a district decision to expand the special to all 38 elementary sites; the curriculum team includes 10 teachers who piloted versions of the program. The proposal’s instructional sequence includes three units per grade (innovative designer, creative communicator and computational thinker), with coding introduced through unplugged sequencing and culminating projects using classroom robots and maker tools. Recommended materials include low‑tech maker supplies, classroom robots and subscription digital tools such as Sphero, Book Creator, Screencastify and Padlet; the plan would also expand collection development and equitable library materials across the district.

Implementation would use district collaboration days and a reserved summer session for PD, site‑based coaching, and asynchronous vendor modules. Presenters said many resources are already in use at ten pilot sites and that the district will provide professional learning and monitoring through observation and assessment data. The presentation listed equipment, digital resource and consumable totals in a combined “grand total” for the line items; the district did not clarify the figure on the record during the meeting.

Why it matters: the change would place digital-literacy instruction in every elementary school and require equipment, consumables and additional instructional staffing in some sites. Board members asked about staffing, multilingual access and how the district will handle AI; presenters said most materials work on Chromebooks and that platforms have multilingual toggles, and that AI guidance is under consideration by a separate task force.