Harford County Public Schools has been awarded a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity Partnership Grant Program for a Digital Conversion Initiative in five Aberdeen area schools that will focus on blending digital and traditional learning in reading, English and language arts.The grant, which is the fifth HCPS has received from the DOD program, will be used for technology upgrades and curriculum and teacher development, according to Mary Beth Stapleton, HCPS coordinator of grants and partnerships, who said the prior grants had focused more on STEM – science, technology education, mathematics – programs, and this one will focus on language arts.The public schools in closest proximity to Aberdeen Proving Ground – the premier research and development army post in the county – have limited access to technology, HCPS noted in a news release announcing the grant."This grant will provide the funding needed for a digital conversion in the reading and English/language arts classrooms of Aberdeen High, Aberdeen Middle, Roye-Williams Elementary, Meadowvale Elementary and Churchville Elementary schools," the release states.The Digital Conversion Initiative will include securing the equipment and devices necessary to offer a blended learning model, as well as providing professional development for teachers on the use of the new technology, web tools, computer programs and learning management systems, according to HCPS.Blended learning combines traditional classroom learning with online learning, in which students can, in part, control the time, pace and place of their learning while teachers determine the combination that's right for them and their students, the news release notes."We have a need for technology in all schools," Stapleton said, explaining that this grant was awarded to HCPS to be used in schools with the "highest number of military connected families."Kristine Scarry, HCPS supervisor of reading, English and language arts, said they will be purchasing touch screen laptops for the schools with part of the grant funds. They also will be getting new basic textbooks for the middle and high schools, replacing some literature texts that are 17 years old.The texts and practice books will be integrated with digital learning "for a more blended approach in both digital and print," Scarry said.At the elementary level, there will be more interactive lesson plans developed, which will help the students become familiar with using their computers in learning, she said.The first year of the grant will be used primarily for professional and curriculum development, with the technology acquisitions and implementation of the integrated curriculum during the second and beyond, Scarry explained.One of the goals is to engage the students in online collaboration and learning, such as by discussion blogs and collective papers, she said."We plan to provide a well-rounded new curriculum in the trial schools," she said."As curriculum transitions to an online platform, there is a pressing need for increasing the ratio of devices to students in our schools," Harford Superintendent of Schools Barbara P. Canavan said in the statement. "We are grateful to be chosen for this grant opportunity and believe it will significantly increase students' academic success in reading, English and language arts through access to much-needed technology."