Facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources
Education technology
FCC Announces $77 Million In Emergency Connectivity Funding
The Federal Communications Commission committed over $77 million in two new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, helping to close the Homework Gap. These latest funding rounds are part of an ongoing support from the program, which launched in 2021 and has provided schools and libraries three different “application windows,” for schools and libraries to apply for support.
Georgia State, 18 Other Institutions Sign Educator Preparation Programs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge
Georgia State University announced it has signed the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge, committing to prepare educators with the skills to successfully use technology for learning in face-to-face, hybrid and online classrooms. The EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge is a partnership between the US Department of Education and the International Society for Technology in Education.
FCC Announces Over $266 Million in Emergency Connectivity Funding
The Federal Communications Commission announced it is committing over $266 million in two new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, helping to close the Homework Gap. The funding supports applications from all three of the program’s application windows, supporting over 1 million students across the country, including in Delaware, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon. Over $12 million from the first and second application windows will provide support in the upcoming school year for approximately 15 schools, 2 libraries, and 1 consortium.
Computer Refurbishing and Cybersecurity on House Agenda
The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives announced bills that will be considered under suspension of the rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-thirds majority vote. The bills include:
Verizon delivers faster connections to 64 Native American reservations in 13 states
Verizon will deliver enhanced connectivity to approximately 80 Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools operated by Native American tribes on 64 reservations in 13 states. Verizon’s network investment across diverse tribal lands is expected to lead to reliable, high-speed internet service and connected devices for thousands of students. The work will support BIE's mission to provide quality education opportunities from early childhood through life in accordance with a tribe's needs for cultural and economic well-being.
Teacher Perceptions of One-to-One Laptop Implementation: Suggestions for the Role of School Librarians
The purpose of this study was to examine variables related to teachers’ perceptions of the impact of a one-to-one laptop program on learning. This study used a survey designed to determine the teachers’ self-reported level of technology adoption, demographic variables, professional development needs, and perception of the impact of one-to-one laptop availability on student academic performance. Findings indicate that most teachers identified themselves as Early Majority Adopters.
Can one laptop per child reduce digital inequalities? ICT household access patterns under Uruguay's Plan Ceibal
The study of information and communications technology (ICT) adoption signals that diffusion processes within highly unequal societies produce stratification in the access to digital technologies
The Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Identifies and Connects Schools to CalREN
CENIC’s current last-mile efforts for K-12 are funded through the Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program, which was created in 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and the California State Legislature to identify and implement fiber-based broadband solutions for K-12 schools lacking broadband connectivity. The BIG program emerged from CENIC’s success in supporting the Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grant (BIIG) project.
FCC Announces Over $244 Million In Emergency Connectivity Funding
The Federal Communications Commission is committing over $244 million in Emergency Connectivity Fund program support, helping to close the Homework Gap. The funding supports applications from the program’s third filing window which ran from April 28, 2022 until May 13, 2022, and will provide support in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year for 259 schools, 24 libraries, and 1 consortium across the country, including for students in California, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Virginia.
Teachers Reported Many Obstacles for High-Poverty Students and English Learners As Well As Some Mitigating Strategies
While the pandemic presented obstacles for many students during the 2020-21 school year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s nationwide survey of public K-12 teachers showed that teachers with certain vulnerable student populations were more likely to have students who faced significant obstacles to learning and an increased risk of falling behind academically. Teachers reported that students encountered obstacles to learning including difficulty in getting support, a lack of appropriate workspaces, and a lack of tools for learning.