When the federal government released its revised educational technology plan last month, it was expressing hope for a future that delivers effective instruction to students.
The plan was first published to comply with the American School Improvement Act of 1994 and was last revised in 2016. The January update was published along with guidance on using technology to helping students with disabilities. Some observers believe these reports mark a thoughtful step toward ensuring digital equity.
For some, the update was overdue.
This is one of the first documents to really give schools a roadmap for looking at their technology systems as a whole, says Lindsay Jones, executive director of CAST, a nonprofit that advocates for equitable learning conditions.
It has intensified the long-standing desire to deliver a truly inclusive education system. But with funds evaporating, will those hopes be dashed or delayed?
'Islands of Innovation'
In some ways, observers say, the update responded to the pandemic's reinforcement of technology in schools. While the emergency shift to remote instruction caused students to fall behind in learning (regular assessments showed a decline in test scores, especially in math), it also significantly accelerated the adoption of digital devices and stressed districts the importance of technology. according to defenders.
The U.S. Department of Education's 2024 National Educational technology Plan really lays out an aspirational vision for how technology could transform learning, says Keith Krueger, executive director of the nonprofit Consortium for School Networking. The plan separates technology gaps (barriers that prevent some students from fully participating) into access, design, and use.
The latest version focuses more on usage and design, which emphasizes how these technologies are used in schools. In addition to highlighting examples of what officials consider effective programs, the report tech-plan-gets-first-update-since-2017″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener nofollow”>suggests that states appoint educational technology directors, create digital equity plans, and evaluate how technology is currently used in their schools.
Unlike the latter, earlier versions of the plan seemed to separate technology as a component of the education system rather than a pervasive part of students' lives, says CAST's Jones.
“It's a mindset shift we need in education right now,” Jones says.
In some ways, it's a shift to recognize another aspect of the digital divide in America: the quality gap when it comes to the implementation of educational technology, which arises because all this new technology is not necessarily being leveraged in the best way possible. . classrooms.
Ultimately, some hope this plan will move the conversation beyond students' access to technology and toward a discussion about how effective that technology really is in learning. After all, schools have seen a flood of new devices and tools in recent years, especially since the pandemic forced so much remote learning. But putting devices in the hands of students is just one step toward boosting education in the digital age.
Still, dwindling funding threatens to set schools back.
Despite significant progress across the country to put devices in the hands of all students and have stable Internet in their schools and homes, not everyone has access. And these disparities spread: The same families that can't connect to the Internet for learning also don't have the connectivity for telehealth care or to find work, according to Krueger.
Worse yet, the funding is expiring.
The Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program, which connects low-income families to the Internet, has run out of funds. The program stopped accepting new applicants earlier this month. And without more funds from Congress, the warned program that millions of families you could lose internet access in April.
There are some attempts to plug the gaping hole that would be left in funding broadband advances. For example, on a smaller scale, the FCC is looking to allow schools to use its E-rate program to purchase hotspots and devices, Krueger says. But there's no silver bullet, he adds: The more schools work within their communities, the more they can use a wide variety of programs to connect families to reliable Internet.
There are other problems too. For example, schools purchased many devices with temporary funds during the pandemic, but now many officials are I'm not sure if they will have the cash to replace them..
Another challenge: whether teachers receive support. It's crucial to make sure teachers have enough professional development to understand how to use technology powerfully, creatively, and in ways that encourage students to collaborate, Krueger says.
There is no shortage of individual teachers who do wonderful work using technology, Krueger adds. What's missing is a system where it doesn't matter what class you're in, what teacher you have or what school you go to, he says, adding: “We need to move beyond those islands of innovation to where there is a system that is innovative and has a expectation for each student.”
Educators may not have learned how to use technology to make curriculum engaging and improve student learning in their teacher preparation programs, says CAST's Jones: “And we need to address that as a real problem “.
The focus on designing education for all students in the classroom and the real-world examples of technology use in the report are critical to meeting this challenge, Jones says.
'Last 10 miles'
Even with these challenges, some advocates remain optimistic.
“I feel like we're all running this marathon,” says An-Me Chung, New America's director of teaching, learning and technology and strategic advisor to the organization's education policy program. The country has increased access to broadband and devices in the country, although some segments, such as low-income families and rural, mountainous and tribal areas, have continued to be left behind, he says. But the steps have been adding up and universal broadband access is within reach, he says, adding: “If we're running a marathon, I'd say we're in the last 10 miles.”
If educational technology is used and supported correctly, this can expand the number of students who receive a truly high-quality education, Chung maintains.
Ultimately, this will require schools to work more collaboratively with their communities, Chung says. For example, the pandemic strengthened relationships between schools and libraries, which had to partner to provide students with devices and access points, or to improve instruction when schools were closed, she says. Other digital equity activists have also noted that providing stable Internet access will mean schools working closely with community programs to ensure the connection is available both inside and outside the school walls.
These types of broad systemic changes can be slow and incremental, according to Chung.
The challenge is to prevent technology from becoming another division that separates students, says COSN's Krueger.
“We are at a really critical moment,” he says. “Are we going back?”
