Digital Inclusion Week: Thoughts on Digital Equity

As we tackle digital equity, Digital Inclusion Week (October 4-8, 2021) is a time to anchor and amplify our commitment with learning, campaigns, and recognition of lessons learned and opportunities to grow in closing this divide. Innive's partner, CoSN, has championed Digital Equity with an accompanying toolkit that helps us understand this imperative and the impact that this gap has had during our shared pandemic experience. As you engage in Digital Inclusion 2021 many organizations are collaborating to provide quality learning in a variety of formats. Perhaps you will put one into your learning schedule or share these experiences with friends, family, and co-workers. One such organization is the International Society for Technology in Education. They share 5 things you should know about Digital Inclusion:

1. No internet at home? Tap into your community to narrow the digital divide. When schools implement 1:1 computing initiatives that allow students to bring devices home, they often neglect a crucial component: internet access outside school hours. Learn how Rowan-Salisbury schools in North Carolina partnered with stakeholders in the community to narrow the digital divide.
2. Ensure equity in your BYOD classroom. BYOD programs, which allow students to bring their tech from home, are proliferating in the U.S. But not all students have laptops, tablets or smartphones with unlimited data plans. Professor and ISTE author Liz Kolb shares tips on how to connect learning with any phone.
3. Maker movement: Bridging the gap between girls and STEM. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, a former director of technology and innovation at an all-girls school in Pittsburgh, explains how maker education is allowing girls to learn and apply STEM skills to solve problems, while developing dexterity, teamwork and ideation skills.
4. 27 tools for diverse learners. Educators Luis Perez and Kendra Grant share more than two dozen Universal Design for Learning tools to make classrooms more flexible, accessible and personalized.
5. How digital equity can help close the homework gap. Authors Keith R. Krueger and Marie Bjerede share some surprising ways that edtech affects achievement and the successful approaches savvy districts are using to close the homework gap.

What other innovative ways have you heard of schools and districts addressing digital equity? Comment below!