Great resources on Digital Equity from CoSN (free)


As schools go more and more digital with systems, curriculum, assignments and more, they face the need to provide equity in digital access for their students. Student devices are part of it, but so is internet access at home.

This year has seen a huge increase in attention to "Digital Equity" or the "Digital Divide". Here are some great free resources from CoSN ( Consortium for School Networking ) that can help you understand the issue, and address it.

CoSN - Go to Home Page

Digital Equity Action Toolkit

Students without home access to high quality broadband connectivity are at a disadvantage, unable to realize the full power of digital learning. Only 3 percent of teachers in high-poverty schools said that their students had the digital tools necessary to complete homework assignments, compared to 52 percent of teachers in more affluent schools, a discrepancy sometimes labeled the "homework gap."
To address this key challenge, CoSN launched the Digital Equity Action Agenda initiative. This effort highlights how some school districts are building meaningful community partnerships and creating tools to help district leaders get started in achieving digital equity.
Our new toolkit provides educational leaders with the information they need to address digital equity in out-of-school learning. As a member said:
"The CoSN Digital Equity Action Toolkit is the best and most practical document I have seen on this topic." --Devin Vodicka, Superintendent, Vista USD, California

Download the ToolKit here: http://www.cosn.org/digital-equity-action-toolkit-february-2016


Digital Equity Infographic (click to go to original PDF)









More resources

Digital Divide Resources

Digital Literacy Resources

Digital Equity Resources






-

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

September is National Preparedness Month - Here are some great resources!

Image
It's National Preparedness Month , and start of the Hurricaine Season. With all of the crazy weather we have seen, it's good to be prepared. It is important to consider three scenarios when planning for an emergency: 1) an escape route and meeting point if everyone is in the house; 2) what to do during a school day; and 3) how to handle an emergency during the weekend, when family members might be scattered. Although many people are familiar with the concept of developing a family plan for emergencies, most fail to take the time to sit down and actually come up with one. One great resource is the FEMA -sponsored website: http://www.ready.gov/ . Check out their kids section too:  http://www.ready.gov/kids Schools need to be prepared themselves, as well as teach their staff and students how to be prepared. Each household, business, and school should have an emergency plan, emergency kits and people trained in emergency preparedness and response. I started my training in emergency...
Read more

Social Media and Kids - what you should know - guest post

Image
How Kids Are Using Mainstream Social Apps What You Should Know About Your Child’s Social Media Platforms The Most Popular Social Apps Among Teens and How They’re Using Them What Are the Mainstream Social Apps and How Are Teens Using Them? Guest Post: Hilary Bird is a digital journalist who writes about the things that fascinate her the most: relationships, technology, and how they impact each other. As more and more people become more and more reliant on their tech devices, Hilary wants to help them stay safe and understand how these devices will reshape the way we communicate. According to new research by the Pew Research Center, 95% of teens say they have access to a smartphone, and 45% indicate that they’re online “almost constantly.” With increasingly easy access to social media via smart devices—and an hour’s worth of social media data being within reach in under two seconds as internet speeds grow—parents and teachers should stay informed and aware of what social media platfor...
Read more

Google for Education Best Practices Resources and Tips

Image
Google Apps for Education and Chromebooks  are very popular with education for many reasons, one of which is the ease of management and deployment. The Admin Console allows staff to manage apps, user settings, devices settings and much more. Here are some tips and best practices for settings in the Admin Console. The Admin Console is relatively easy to use, although some settings can be hard to find. Remember to use the help features by clicking on the question marks throughout the console. The icons on the console can be moved and arranged via drag-and-drop so you can put the ones you use most up front. Typically, Users, Device Management, and Apps are the most used.  Here are some excellent resources: Resources for IT Teams (G Suite for Education) - Learn more about G Suite for Education and Chromebooks, review best practices for deploying the tools smoothly, and access support when you need it. Transition Guides - help prepare your organization for the switch to G Suite. ...
Read more