Chat: Bringing Blended Learning Home: Boosting Web Access

The chief information and digital strategy officer for the Kent, Wash., school district discusses efforts to boost students' out-of-school access to the Internet by setting up free Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the community.

Bringing Blended Learning Home: Boosting Web Access

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Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 4 to 5 p.m. ET

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Live Blog Chat: Bringing Blended Learning Home: Boosting Web Access



Bringing Blended Learning Home: Boosting Web Access

Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 4 to 5 p.m. ET

One of the biggest barriers to making blended learning a reality is not educational, but technological: Many students, particularly those living in poverty, lack reliable Internet access at home. This lack of connectivity prevents students from doing the online homework and research their peers take for granted.

The Kent, Wash., school district is taking creative steps to overcome the problem by putting kiosks providing free Wi-Fi near public housing areas and partnering with local organizations and business to offer Wi-Fi to students.

In this live chat, Thuan Nguyen, the chief information and digital strategy officer for the district, fields questions about the challenges Kent officials have faced in establishing the hotspots, and discusses lessons for other districts trying to boost students’ connectivity outside of schools.

Guest:
Thuan Nguyen (@KSDIT), chief information and digital strategy officer, Kent School District, Kent, Wash. (@KentSchools415)

Moderator:
Michelle R. Davis (@EWmdavis), senior writer, Education Week

Related Stories:
District Extends Wi-Fi to Students in Public Housing (April 13, 2015)
Video: Creating an Out-of-School Wireless Community (April 13, 2015)
Chief Technology Officers Play Key Role in Curricular Issues (March 16, 2015)

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