Equity of ed-tech access and opportunity is critical, Cator noted, and can improve learning for so many more Americans.
“[Equitable access] is probably the most important part of this entire conversation,” Cator said. “Make sure every student, regardless of socio-economic status, has access [to technology resources] at school. The second thing is to begin to work on home access. … Try to figure out how all of your students can get home access.”
Take-home one-to-one computing initiatives, programs that provide free community broadband access, leveraging cellular data networks, and “bring your own device” initiatives are just some of the ways schools might be able to ensure that students have access to high-speed internet, she said.
The Mooresville Graded School District near Charlotte, N.C., has used the NETP as a model to move toward a school environment that focuses on stakeholder buy-in and equal learning opportunities for everyone.
Building a school culture that ensures students have access to personalized learning opportunities and project-based work, giving students 21st-century tools (students in grades 3-12 have in-school access to laptops, and those in grades 4-12 take their laptops from school to home), working to connect data to instructional practices and student needs, building school leaders’ and classroom teachers’ ed-tech capacity, and fostering a sense of complete commitment among all district employees and community members are the district’s key goals, said Superintendent Mark Edwards. a 2002 winner of the Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards from eSchool Media.
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