Technology Support That Meets District Needs
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Technology moves fast. Google releases updates. Chromebooks add accessibility features. AI tools emerge. Free resources become available to schools. Educators and tech directors want to use these new and exciting tools, but they lack the time to research, vet, and learn them while managing the overwhelming daily responsibilities of working in a school district.
Meeting Challenges
Dr. Antha Holt, ESD 113’s technology integration specialist, provides the solution. She handles the research, creates the training, and delivers the support districts need but don’t have the time and space to develop themselves.
Holt’s education experience stretches over 30 years, having taught band, music, and technology before serving in EdTech-related positions at McCleary and Tumwater school districts, among other projects. She approaches technology from a teacher's perspective, understanding both instructional needs and technical requirements.
Her passion is ultimately rooted in supporting teachers. “It’s not about changing somebody’s way of teaching,” Holt explained. “Each person has their own style. It’s more about giving them tools to help.”
Reducing Workload
Holt researches tools and shows educators how to use them effectively, filling in a gap many districts struggle to close. Her services save time rather than add work for district IT and EdTech departments. Most importantly, she saves teachers’ sanity!
Elementary teachers typically spend days writing individual report card comments for every student. Enter Holt with the solution. When Magic School AI was first released, Holt ran a training on their comment maker tool, hoping to help lift the load. Teachers could input student data, review and personalize the results, and complete their report cards in a single afternoon instead of days.
“They were emailing me, ‘This is life changing,’ Holt said. “All of a sudden, they weren’t looking at hours and hours of time after work.”
Customizing Learning
One of Holt’s greatest strengths and services is providing asynchronous online courses that educators complete at their own pace—during planning periods, after school, or whenever fits their schedules.
Her Chromebook training course started at Tumwater School District, where staff completed it before receiving their devices. After Holt moved to ESD 113, educators from across Washington requested access. She created a statewide version that now serves over 200 people, including teachers, principals, superintendents, and paraeducators.
The course teaches accessibility tools, Chrome extensions, and features many educators don't know exist on their Chromebooks. Survey data shows self-paced online learning ranks as educators' top preference for professional development.
Holt can develop similar customized training packages for other tools.
She loves to help districts maximize free resources they may not know exist. Platforms like Canva offer professional-level access at no cost to educators. Clever—free to schools—simplifies student logins and integrates educational programs. Holt shows districts how to access and implement these tools with custom learning that works best for them.
Bridging Gaps
Holt bridges the gap between technical and instructional technology. Tech directors focus on security, networks, and infrastructure. Teachers concentrate on instruction and student support. Holt connects both perspectives.
She helps tech directors configure administrative settings that unlock instructional features, then trains teachers to use those capabilities effectively. She also works with districts on AI policy development and teaches educators to help students use AI as a tool that supports critical thinking rather than replaces it. This support proves especially valuable in ESD 113’s rural areas, where districts have small IT and EdTech departments or none at all.
Next Steps
Districts interested in technology integration support, custom training packages, AI policy guidance, or help maximizing existing tools can contact Dr. Holt through ESD 113.