So far in Part 1 and Part 2 of the series, I've explained why we're changing our systems and how Veracross will serve as our new core database. This week I'll focus on the system most used in the daily life of students, parents, and faculty: our learning management system. Next year, Toddle will handle grades, comments, messages, portfolios, and assignments—the digital classroom experience for our entire community.
Darlington has a proud history of educational technology innovation. Our online gradebook was groundbreaking, but perhaps more impactful was our online assignments page. For nearly two decades, students had a simple nightly routine: check one page to see all homework in a single glance. This revolutionized how parents and residential faculty supported student work.
During the pandemic, we transitioned to our current Coursework system, which integrated curriculum and planning with assignments. While innovative, its flexibility sometimes created challenges—students missing important tasks or struggling to find past assignments. Additionally, technical limitations made it difficult to fully integrate the gradebook and portfolio features with limited in-house resources.
The search for a better solution led us to Toddle, a platform created by educators who faced similar challenges. As their co-founder Misbah Jafary shared, "We built Toddle in our school as a passion project because we didn't find anything good in the market." This echoed our own experience! We chose Toddle because it represents what we would have built ourselves given unlimited resources: integrated learning tools with clear communication and functionality, built around educational research that aligns with our teaching philosophy.
What sets Toddle apart is how it's driven by curriculum and integrated with teacher planning. Toddle partnered directly with Jay McTigue, author of "Understanding by Design"—the same planning methodology we've trained our teachers to use. This alignment ensures our technology supports our educational approach rather than dictating it.
The platform enables teachers to plan efficiently—both individually and collaboratively—while simultaneously communicating essential information to students and parents. This work integrates with our skills-based curriculum, which our academic leadership team has been busy reviewing with faculty in preparation for this transition. Our faculty have also been honing their understanding of this "backward by design" planning methodology in anticipation of finally training with the technology next week.
How our teachers plan "backwards by design"
Toddle will enhance familiar features while introducing valuable new capabilities:
A new academic landing page that consolidates information across all of a student's classes
Calendar views showing class events and assignments, with additional views of upcoming or past-due tasks
Multiple assessment types that can be assigned, completed, and reviewed within the system, connected to grades, rubrics, and skills
Portfolio features allowing students to showcase learning evidence, all tied to original assessments and learning objectives and displayed in a familiar feed format
Enhanced messaging and announcements between teachers, students, and families
Toddle has also thoughtfully integrated AI into their system. We're particularly excited about AI Tutors, which allows teachers to create customized AI agents for specific assignments. These agents have appropriate guardrails, helping students develop AI skills responsibly while benefiting from personalized learning. Darlington faculty share parent concerns about ethical AI use, and this feature offers a path to incorporate AI more safely into our curriculum.
A preview of the new academic landing page in Toddle.
Faculty will continue Wednesday morning training sessions to learn efficient planning and communication methods in Toddle. We'll share more information about preparing for this new system over the summer and at the start of the school year.
This evolution of our information systems aligns perfectly with our Cycle of Learning, Academic Standards, curriculum, and teaching philosophy. As with all technology initiatives at Darlington, it will serve as a tool to accomplish our mission—not just a shiny new toy.
Next week, I'll focus on two systems serving the health and safety of our students: Magnus Health and Reach Student Life Management. Have questions about our academic systems? Please share them using our Information Systems Questions form.
