Teachers and parents said access to broadband has wide implications for student success.

Results from a new poll suggest that parents and teachers support more use of technology to improve students’ education and real-world skills. The poll comes from the Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission, a non-governmental organization exploring the opportunity to use technology to improve education in the United States.

The survey reflects responses from 812 K-12 public school teachers and 883 parents of K-12 public school children in August 2012. This included an over-sampling of low-income parents.

Both parents and teachers said they believe U.S. public schools have some catching up to do when it comes to technology use. Many believe the nation is behind the curve when it comes to other parts of the economy and other countries.

See also: “New group aims to spur technology’s role in education“

In fact, a majority of both parents and teachers said more investments in technology are worthwhile at the local, state, and federal levels. Sixty-three percent of teachers said that additional investments are “definitely worth it,” and 32 percent said they are “probably worth it.” Similarly, 65 percent of parents said these additional investments are “definitely worth it,” and 26 percent said they are “probably worth it.”

Respondents said technology can be helpful in addressing many education reform goals, including:

• Providing more individualized and flexible learning.
• Offering more hands-on learning opportunities.
• Helping students become more engaged in their own learning.
• Making closer connections between the classroom and the real world.
• Exposing students to experts outside the classroom and different perspectives on issues.

Parents and teachers alike said that broadband technology is important to student learning and achievement, and they acknowledged that students who do not have access to broadband service are at a disadvantage.

Seventy-four percent of teachers and 82 percent of parents said it is very important for schools to make good use of technology. Fifty-four percent of teachers and 64 percent of parents said that technology will be increasingly important in preparing young people for the future.

When compared to other sectors such as business, 74 percent of teachers and 59 percent of parents said they believe that U.S. public education is somewhat behind the curve in the way it uses technology. Twelve percent of teachers and 17 percent of parents said U.S. public schools are far behind the curve, and 26 percent of teachers and 29 percent of parents said that the U.S. is ahead of the curve.

The survey asked teachers and parents if they would support investments in technological devices instead of investments in traditional textbooks if given the choice. Eighty-nine percent of teachers and 76 percent of parents said they would support an investment in an internet-connected device instead of purchasing new science textbooks.

Broadband access boosts online learning’s potential, educators say.

Broadband internet access is crucial for student learning as online and blended learning expand throughout the country, but obstacles such as digital access and policy roadblocks must be addressed, said panelists during an Internet Innovation webinar on broadband’s potential in education.

A broadband backbone is invaluable for expanding learning quality and opportunities for students and teachers when it comes to differentiated instruction, content, communication, and administrative needs, said David Teeter, director of policy for the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

Broadband supports online and blended learning, enables and enhances personalized learning and differentiated instruction, and supports decision-making.

Teeter offered a quick glance at online and blended learning across the country:

•  30 states have state virtual schools or initiatives.
• 10 states have online learning initiatives.
•  50 states have significant state policies.
• 30 states and Washington, D.C. allow more than 200 full-time virtual charter schools, with more than 250,000 students.
• 30 percent all employers use eLearning for training, and in five years that figure will jump to 50 percent.
• More than 70 percent of school districts in the U.S. offer online courses to students.

“Reliable and robust broadband is really critical,” Teeter said.

District online and blended learning programs are growing dramatically with broadband support. Broadband also offers expanded opportunities when it comes to instructional materials and open access, and under the Common Core State Standards, districts and states are working to develop materials for professional development, content, and learning.

Broadband access in education can:

• Enable data systems and platforms to support teaching and learning.
• Help schools and districts as textbooks are replaced by digital content in coming years.
• Increase data availability and the ability to provide consistent electronic education records, which are able to be exchanged across schools and across the states.

“[These are] really exciting opportunities, but it’s really important that schools, districts, and states make sure the broadband capacity is in place to enable this,” Teeter said.

Insufficient connectivity creates gaps in districts and states that are able to take full advantage of broadband for education. Limited data access and lack of transparency present additional hurdles, because legislative and regulatory barriers inhibit online learning—for instance, teachers often cannot teach across state lines, and course accreditation is often based on seat time and not on outcomes or results.

Melanie Agnew, an instructional coach at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School, stands next to the Verizon Wireless Mobile Learning Lab.

With nearly 500,000 school buses transporting students daily in this country, one in particular stands out at Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C. Instead of the familiar vehicle emblazoned with bright yellow paint, this one is wrapped in bold graphics showing enthusiastic students using wireless devices to reflect what actually goes on inside this unique vehicle, known as the Mobile Learning Lab. It’s a retrofitted school bus equipped with its own generator, air conditioner, wireless 4G LTE internet connectivity, on-board tutors, and individual workstations with tablet computers and docking stations.

Eager students like Carl Harper, who just graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School, have been piling into what we’ve come to call our very own “Magic School Bus” when it pulls up every Wednesday in the school’s parking lot. Harper and about 70 of his classmates worked for the better part of the school year on board the vehicle alongside tutors from nearby Howard University on essays for their college applications and scholarship nominations.

Made possible through a partnership with Verizon Wireless and Samsung, this bus brings cutting-edge wireless technology to underserved communities in D.C. and Maryland to help students become 21st century learners. As educators, we strive to provide our students with the best educational opportunities, but we don’t always have much-needed resources. The idea of providing our students with consistent access to the latest tablets running on 4G LTE technology, and the software and apps that go along with these, is very exciting for us and for them.

Through this initiative, students receive individualized help with writing admissions essays and scholarship applications that will distinguish them within the increasingly competitive field of the college-bound. These tablets are key to helping students navigate the challenging college application process. Rather than having a stack of paper documents that can be lost or misplaced easily, all drafts and the information used to create them are stored digitally on the tablet, accessed remotely and quickly, and eMailed for review by the tutors for immediate feedback, eliminating the burden of a traditional and, at times, outdated paper method.

Howard University tutors pair up with students on board the bus each week, using 4G LTE tablets to help the students research and review examples of good college essays online, brainstorm ideas for their personal statements, and draft their own documents electronically. Working with the tutors has really instilled a culture that encourages all of our students to believe that college is attainable. The tutors are excellent role models and mentors for our students, helping them become less anxious about college and more comfortable with goal setting. It’s very empowering for our kids to develop relationships with real-life college students so they can envision themselves in that role.

SETDA recommends that schools provide 100 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff by the 2014-15 school year, and provide 1 Gbps per 1,000 students/staff by the 2017-18 school year.

School districts should provide a minimum of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) of bandwidth for every 1,000 students and staff members within the next two years, and federal lawmakers should provide more funding to help make this happen, according to a report released May 21 by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA).

The report, “The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs,” explains how the ongoing shift to technology-rich learning has sparked rapid growth in the nation’s educational broadband needs.

Schools are undergoing a transformation from print-based to digital sources, and that shift “changes technology from being supplemental enrichment to something we rely on,” said Douglas Levin, executive director of SETDA at a report release and briefing in Washington, D.C.

To prepare students for college and careers, schools increasingly use internet-based tools for activities such as multimedia research and online testing. At a school with a technology-rich learning environment, students might use laptops in class to generate audio podcasts, work in e-textbooks, and collaborate with other students through wikis or video conferencing.

Young children entering school nowadays are accustomed to digital learning devices and expect that level of technology in schools, said Christine Fox, director of educational leadership and research at SEDTA.

“At one of our elementary schools, they Skype with their sister school in Taiwan. That’s what [the students] expect. They don’t realize how great the distance is between our schools. They realize how small the world is because of our technology,” said Andrew Zuckerman, director of instructional services for Lawrence Township, N.J., Public Schools.

Eventually, SETDA hopes to see broadband become ubiquitous in schools. With sufficient bandwidth, “technology then is no longer ‘nice to have,’ or ‘just for some,’ but an integral part of a school’s ecosystem. It’s systemic,” Fox said. “If, at the last minute, a teacher wants to participate in a conference across the country, the teacher with robust bandwidth access doesn’t have to ask, ‘Do we have bandwidth for that?’ They just do it.”

Recent research shows, however, that educational broadband needs are not currently being met. The report cites a 2010 survey by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which found that nearly 80 percent of responding schools reported their broadband connections to be inadequate for their needs.

To help policy makers and school leaders better implement broadband access into educational infrastructure, the new SETDA report makes four main recommendations:

Geldof says teachers are now responsible for all the “stuff we don’t want to do ourselves.”

Sir Bob Geldof—an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor, and political activist—noted during the Consortium for School Networking’s recent K-12 Technology Leadership Conference that the world’s economy is changing, thanks largely to mobile technology.

Geldof is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, an honorary knight, and recipient of the Man of Peace title, which recognizes individuals who have made “an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace.”

“When I heard the statistic recently that 20 percent of the world’s population has a mobile phone, I thought ‘tyranny can no longer exist,’” Geldof said.

The only problem is, those who don’t have access to mobile technology—including students who don’t have access in the classroom—won’t be a part of the future, and as a result, the nation’s economy will be at a standstill.

Another problem, according to Geldof, is that while “those who contribute no social benefits get millions, teachers, who do nothing but provide social benefits, get paid ‘buttons.’”

Watch the interview with Geldof:

Mobile technology has the ability to expand learning opportunities across the globe.

Two working papers from educational technology stakeholder groups advocate for mobile learning and its ability to expand educational opportunities to students of all circumstances.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), released “Turning on Mobile Learning in North America” and “Mobile Learning for Teachers in North America: Exploring the Potential of Mobile Technologies to Support Teachers and Improve Practice.”

The papers are part of UNESCO’s larger Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning, which scans the globe to provide concrete examples of how mobile technologies, thanks largely to their ubiquity and affordability, can respond to unique educational challenges, supplement and enrich formal schooling, and make learning everywhere more accessible, equitable and personalized. The papers were co-authored by Jennifer Fritschi and Mary Ann Wolf for UNESCO and CoSN.

“Mobile technology is enabling schools to truly reshape and rethink today’s and tomorrow’s K-12 classrooms. The more leaders and educators embed mobile learning into their districts, the more we’ll see an educational transformation that goes beyond our school walls, helping to maximize the potential of all students in the 21st century,” said CoSN CEO Keith Krueger.

For more on mobile learning, see:

Mobile Learning: Effective Anytime, Anywhere Education

The “Turning Mobile Learning in North America” paper, drawing on analysis of recent research, in-depth interviews, and a survey of mobile learning efforts in the United States and Canada, puts forth the following recommendations to facilitate mobile learning:

• Update acceptable use policies for students using mobile phones in formal educational settings.
• Evaluate the different approaches to mobile technology classroom use to select one that best meets the particular needs of teachers and students.
• Work to ensure continuous mobile access for students through partnerships with broadband providers.
• Provide job-embedded professional development for teachers to support the implementation of mobile learning programs.

An annual report reveals that student-owned mobile devices, including tablets, are on the rise.

More and more students own mobile devices, including tablets, and indicate a strong desire to use those personal learning tools in school to increase collaboration and access to resources, according to the annual Speak Up Survey, which is facilitated by Project Tomorrow.

This year’s survey, “Mapping a Personalized Learning Journey: K-12 Students and Parents Connect the Dots with Digital Learning,” explores how students want to take control of their learning and the tools they use to learn. It includes parent and administrator input on issues such as personal technology use in schools, online learning, and top technologies.

“Students, perhaps without realizing it, are already seeking out ways to personalize their learning,” according to the report. “Looking to address what they perceive as deficiencies in classroom experiences, students are turning to online classes to study topics that pique their intellectual curiosity, to message and discussion boards to explore new ideas about their world, or to online collaboration tools to share their expertise with other students they don’t even know. Students now expect in their learning lives the same types of personalized interactions that adults already experience in our everyday lives.”

The report seeks to examine why technology has “not also penetrated our classrooms” in the same way it has affected students’ personal lives—and it suggests that, while slow in developing, a change might be on the horizon.

How are students using technology?

Personalized learning is on the rise, the report said. Outside of school:

• One in 10 high school students has tweeted about an academic topic that interested them.
• Forty-six percent of high school students have used Facebook as a collaborative learning tool.
• One in four students has used online videos to help with homework questions.

Students are using technology in school for a variety of reasons, including to create presentations and media, to play educational games, and to conduct virtual experiments.

High school students use technology to create presentations and media (almost 70 percent) and use social media for collaboration (almost 50 percent).

Stakeholders should have a common vision for their district’s mobile learning initiatives.

Mobile learning and the ability to give students anytime, anywhere access to school resources are high on every educator’s list, but the technology brings with it valid concerns—including access for students from different economic backgrounds, school bandwidth capability, and network security.

During an April 17 Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) webinar, experts shared strategic planning tips for mobile learning initiatives and explained how to unite chief technology officers, administrators, and educators.

Mobile learning “is such a transformational phase in education today,” said Lenny Schad, chief information officer for the Katy Independent School District in Texas. “Most importantly, mobile learning is not about the device. Mobile learning is about philosophically changing the way you’re going to conduct instruction inside the classroom.”

Educators also are able to leverage the personal investment that parents, teachers, and community members make in technology devices, he noted, adding that students can use their own devices, school-owned devices, or devices donated by businesses or community members for student use.

“It’s really important that you have first the understanding, and then acceptance, from the school, teachers, parents, and the school board, because they need to understand why you’re trying to [implement] this philosophical change in instruction,” Schad said. “There are going to be bumps in the road.”

See also:

Mobile Learning: Effective Anytime, Anywhere Education

In 2009, Katy ISD introduced Web 2.0 tools, digital citizenship, and a mobile learning pilot into the district. In 2010, it expanded those efforts. Then in 2011, district administrators continued the district’s mobile learning initiatives, launched public Wi-Fi, and rolled out a “bring your own device” (BYOD) initiative along with the Wi-Fi launch.

“If you’re using Web 2.0, this is such a natural segue,” Schad said.

And the district’s efforts have paid off: Schad said differentiated learning plays a major role in many classrooms. Student engagement, creativity, collaboration, attendance, and responsible technology use all have improved, and behavioral issues and referrals have decreased.

“It’s also breaking down the walls of the traditional school day,” he said. “Now it’s learning, anytime, anywhere.”

One of the most valuable lessons that Schad and district leaders learned is that the notion of one device per child is quickly becoming outdated, as students often have two or three devices, such as a smart phone, internet-capable mobile device such as an iPod Touch, and tablet devices. This, he said, makes it necessary for schools to examine their wireless infrastructures and ensure that there is enough bandwidth and device management capability to handle the increased demand.

School policies should reflect technology’s potential for teaching and learning, a new report says.

A new report from a number of prominent education groups aims to guide school leaders as they revise their mobile technology and social media policies to better reflect how today’s students want to learn.

The report, “Making Progress: Rethinking State and School District Policies Concerning Mobile Technologies and Social Media,” was produced by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the FrameWorks Institute.

It defines social media as “the set of applications for digital devices that enable the creation and exchange of user-generated content.” Mobile technologies are “devices with internet connectivity that can be held easily in one’s hand.”

“Policy makers and educators are struggling to balance the educational opportunities that mobile technologies and social media can provide at school with legitimate concerns around providing a safe environment focused on learning. This document from leading education and state policy nonprofits aims to inform better decision making in state capitals and school boards and among educational leaders,” said CoSN CEO Keith Krueger.

“Mobile technologies and social media, if leveraged appropriately, have the potential to maximize student learning and engagement, and transform the concept of the classroom from four walls to an interactive space where student-centered learning takes place,” said Frameworks Institute President Susan Bales. “While there are a variety of challenges, there are enormous opportunities, and if we – educators, technology leaders, and school decision makers – find ways to harness the power of these tools, the benefits to our young people and our education system are countless. There are also legitimate concerns that must be addressed, but they must be weighed against the potential benefits.”

The report includes the following key observations:

• The use of mobile internet devices and social media by young people is widely prevalent. The use of student-owned mobile devices for classroom instruction is growing, and more schools are moving from policies that ban their use to integrating them into the classroom.
• Students and schools experience substantial educational benefits through the use of mobile technologies and social media.
• There are legitimate concerns about the use of social media that need to be addressed.
• Current federal, state and local policies and procedures need modification or clarification in order to respond to current realities of expanded social media and mobile devices in schools.
• Equity is a vital issue to consider when establishing policy around social media and mobile technologies.

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