Facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources
Education technology
Congress needs to provide flexible funding to states to deploy broadband networks
Over the past few weeks, millions of kids couldn’t begin learning at all because they do not have access to affordable, high-speed internet. In Colorado, 65,000 students don’t have access to the internet at home.
Remote Schooling Out of Reach for Many Students in West Virginia Without Internet
Much of southern West Virginia had already been struggling with a drug epidemic and persistent poverty before the coronavirus pandemic took hold here. Now, as students return to school online, the region is coming up against another longstanding challenge: a lack of broadband internet access. Providing service in sparsely populated areas is typically more costly and less profitable than in suburbs and cities. In Appalachia, the terrain has made it difficult to install and maintain the infrastructure necessary for broadband.
Will This Be a Lost Year for America’s Children?
As students across the country start school, education experts reckon with the long-term implications of remote learning, vanishing resources, and heightened inequality.
As Fires Disrupt Schools, ‘the Pandemic Has Actually Helped’
After wildfires consumed an entire town, students and teachers who had planned for remote classes found some comfort in staying connected amid the chaos.
Democrats call for narrowing digital divide to help students during pandemic
Ensuring all US households have high-speed internet will help provide similar education opportunities to students at different income levels, particularly during the pandemic, Democrats said. “Education justice involves giving everybody the same access to information,” said Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL).
Sen Warner Leads Colleagues in Letter Urging ISPs to Adopt New Policies to Support Wider Internet Access During COVID-19
Sen Mark Warner (D-VA) led 10 other senators in calling on the seven largest internet service providers (ISPs) to do their part to limit the economic and social disruption caused by COVID-19 and help ensure that children are able to meaningfully participate in their education. These letters come as unprecedented numbers of students rely on remote learning to kick off the fall semester due to the ongoing public health crisis.
Democratic policymakers call for narrowing digital divide to help students during pandemic
Ensuring all US households have high-speed internet will help provide similar education opportunities to students at different income levels, particularly during the pandemic, Democratic policymakers said. “Education justice involves giving everybody the same access to information,” said Rep Donna Shalala (D-FL). Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said, “We need a national policy of 100 percent of our households online,” she said.
U.S. Cable Industry Announces New “K-12 Bridge to Broadband” Initiative
NCTA – the Internet & Television Association, in partnership with EducationSuperHighway (ESH), announced a new initiative to help increase home connectivity solutions for students, as many schools adapt to remote and hybrid learning classrooms amid the coronavirus pandemic. The K-12 Bridge to Broadband initiative will scale innovative solutions that are helping public school districts and states identify and potentially connect students in low-income families, enabling more students to participate in remote or hybrid learning.
59% of U.S. parents with lower incomes say their child may face digital obstacles in schoolwork
Data collected from an April 7-12 Pew survey found 59% of parents with lower incomes who had children in schools that were remote at the time said their children would likely face at least one of three digital obstacles asked about. Overall, 38% of parents with children whose K-12 schools closed in the spring said that their child was very or somewhat likely to face one or more of these issues. In addition, parents with middle incomes were about twice as likely as parents with higher incomes to report anticipating issues.
T‑Mobile Launches Project 10Million, Historic $10.7B Initiative Aimed at Closing the Homework Gap and Connecting Students to Opportunity – for Free
T-Mobile is officially launching Project 10Million, an unprecedented $10.7B initiative aimed at delivering internet connectivity to millions of underserved student households at no cost to them. Partnering with school districts across the country, the program offers free wireless hotspots, free high-speed data and access to laptops and tablets, at-cost.