Digital Learning in SFUSD

The Digital Learning Team, part of SFUSD's Department of Technology, leads professional learning, coaching, program development, and content creation centered on technology-enabled 21st century learning. More specifically, we:

• Design deeper learning experiences for students that leverage technology for inquiry, collaboration, assessment for learning, and equitable access to build agency and self-efficacy as described in the SFUSD Graduate Profile.

• Provide strategic support for the entire SFUSD community (administrators, teachers, staff, and families) operationalizing promising technology integration practices through consultancy (cross-departmental collaboration & cohort support and partnerships), ongoing, differentiated, and adaptive professional learning, curated examples and teacher/student-ready resources that support powerful use of technology in distance, hybrid, and in-person learning.

• Empower educators to leverage technology for equity of opportunity, towards SFUSDs goals of disrupting systemic inequalities through a culturally responsive and anti-racist approach to our work in digital learning.

Learn more about our wide variety of programs and initiatives below. 

Lindsey Blass is the Executive Director of Digital Learning for SFUSD. She develops systems and processes to leverage technology & learning environment design to promote academic & socio-emotional growth for each & every student. Lindsey is a leader in the field of educational technology, representing SFUSD as a Google Innovator, an International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) author, & the recipient of the 2020 CUE Technology Innovator of the Year Award, 2019 CoSN Next Generation Emerging Ed Tech Leader Award, & the 2018 ISTE Online Learning Award. She strives to create personalized, dynamic, & engaging experiences that inspire all students to be lifelong learners.

Dr. Michael Bloemsma, Program Administrator for Digital Learning, is the liaison for all Middle Schools and program manager for the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) 1:1 technology schools, as well as other middle school technology programs. Dr. Bloemsma has over 20 years of experience in education and has worked as a classroom teacher, professor, and technology leader at the school, district, and county levels. He received his Ed.D. In Educational Administration and Leadership, with an emphasis in Technology Leadership from University of California, Irvine in 2013.

Steve Kesel started in education as a second grade teacher. He then spent over a decade supporting teacher professional growth in their math instruction and their providing students with innovative, technology-enhanced learning experiences. Since becoming Digital Learning Program Administrator in SFUSD, he supported team members with developing the DLeaF teacher-leader program, the Digital Learning Scope & Sequence, digital storytelling PD, and other projects. Currently, leads the Department of Technology’s work with supporting families during distance learning.

Zareen Poonen Levien is the Personalized Learning Environments Program Manager, Seesaw lead, Cohort Partnerships Coordinator for PK-5. Previously 3rd grade classroom teacher and technology specialist at César Chávez Elementary School where she led initiatives on Project Based Learning and Complex Instruction. Outside of work, Zareen is a vocalist and independent filmmaker. @MsZareen

Aidan Gould is the Learning Systems Product Manager for SFUSD, where it is his responsibility to make learning technology more accessible and effective in the classroom. This work is driven by his passions for education, management, and technology: our greatest tools to help people succeed and thrive. Aidan graduated from Pomona College, and completed his masters with highest honors at the University of Michigan.

Jessica Pederson is a Digital Learning Integration Designer who leads SFUSD's Google for Instruction and Google for Productivity work. She also partners with Cohort 2 administrators, DLeaFs, & teachers to connect school site needs to technology resources. 

Allison Rothman is a Digital Learning Integration Designer for Online and Blended Learning. She partners across district departments to lead and support online and blended professional learning. An SFUSD parent, she applies her classroom, library and higher ed teaching experiences to further her work as Cohort Partner Coordinator for middle and high schools. 

Devalin Jackson is a Family Technology Support Instructional Designer. She has been an educator for over 10 years, most recently as a K/1 classroom teacher and Personalized Learning site lead at Dr. George Washington Carver Elementary. While completing her M.A. in Organization and Leadership at USF this past fall, Devalin launched Speak On It: A Black Mama virtual talk space. She currently serves on the African American Early Educator Policy Council. She holds a B.A. in Child Development with a minor in Public Health from Spelman College. Devalin currently resides in the Bayview with her two children.

Dr. Ricardo Omar Elizalde, Sr.  is Digital Learning Partner working with Cohort 1. He leads SFUSD's work on culturally responsive digital portfolios. In his more than two decades in the district, he has explored media literacy and building student voice via portfolios, podcasting, film making and the building of digital communities. He is a Doctor of Education in Learning Technologies. His dissertation examined language learning for Long Term English Learners with multimedia making and sharing across digital platforms. For the past three years, he has also been a KQED Media Literacy Innovator. In his spare time, he likes telling tall tales to his twins.

Dan Frost is a Digital Learning Partner working with Cohort 3 (The Best Cohort). He leads the Digital Learning Facilitator (DLeaF) program, and co-coordinates the Digital Agency Initiative for SFUSD. He has been working in SFUSD since he was 6 years old.

Stu Jernigan is a Digital Learning Partner working with the High School Cohort. Stu leads professional development focused on leveraging student podcasting and film production as a means of amplifying student agency, choice, and voice. He lead the team in writing SFUSD's Digital Learning Scope & Sequence. Outside of work, Stu loves to spend time outdoors backpacking, packrafting, and skiing. 

Devorah Merling returned to SFUSD after a hiatus to empower learning through technology. Devorah partners with Cohort 5 to support schools, teachers, and principals in this work and collaborates with Dan Frost to support the Digital Agency initiative to promote students to think critically and make healthy choices using technology.  Devorah has over 20 years of experience in education and has worked as a classroom teacher, consultant, and administrator.

Xander Piper is the Cohort 4 Digital Learning Partner. Before joining the Digital Learning and Enablement team he taught for 5 years at Bessie Carmichael middle school teaching Computer Science and Humanities. He has a masters in Social Science research University of Chicago where he studied curriculum change in schools, and a masters of Education Technology from the University of San Francisco. Xander is passionate about equitable access to education for all students

Christina Wang is a Digital Learning Partner for San Francisco Unified School District. Christina works with Cohort 2 and supports Seesaw initiatives for DLE. Previously, Christina taught 3rd Grade at Sherman Elementary, and has eight years of teaching early childhood and elementary school children in San Francisco, New York City, and South Korea. She is passionate about integrating technology with teaching practices in meaningful and innovative ways to enhance the student learning experiences. Outside of work, Christina likes spending her time practicing yoga, hiking, and reading.  

Shirley Ong is the Synergy Student Information Systems lead trainer and instructional designer.  In support of teachers, parents, administrators, secretaries and central staff, she provides instruction on the system's many features such as TeacherVUE, Grade Book, custom & built-in reports and master scheduling. An award winning instructional designer, she has developed interactive, multimedia training programs for companies such as Intel Corp, CitiCorp, American President lines and McCann Erickson. With a Master in Educational Technology, Shirley strives to create adult learning experiences that are elegant and effective.