Digital Divide
Education news, analysis, and opinion about the inequities in students’ access to technology and their effect
Classroom Technology
Ed-Tech Lessons from 'The Simpsons'
In a recently aired episode, classic animated comedy The Simpsons parodied failed 1-to-1 student-computing initiatives in hilarious fashion.
Ed-Tech Policy
Ed-Tech Expansion Slowly Takes Shape in Rural District
School leaders from a 3,500-student district described their cautious and at times difficult move to expand Web connectivity and the use of digital devices.
Equity & Diversity
Teachers File Broad Set of Complaints Against Calif. Virtual Provider
The California Virtual Academies are the subject of a series of complaints focused on their data-privacy protections, academic quality, attendance and truancy policies, and a host of other issues.
Ed-Tech Policy
FCC Moves to Add Broadband to 'Lifeline' Program for Needy Households, Students
The commission voted 3-2 to invite public comments about restructuring the Lifeline Program to cover more affordable broadband access for low-income families.
Equity & Diversity
Will Changes to Federal 'Lifeline' Program Boost Students' Home Internet Access?
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler says he wants to make major changes to a federal program that subsidizes low-income families' Internet access.
Equity & Diversity
$3.9B E-Rate Bonanza Will Be Awarded to Schools and Libraries, FCC Says
A record $3.9 billion in E-rate funds will be awarded to schools and libraries this year, with no phone-bill increases for consumers.
Equity & Diversity
U.S. Students Awful at Evaluating Reliability of Online Science Readings
Fewer than 4 percent of students in a new study displayed the skills to effectively evaluate the reliability and credibility of online science information.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Businesses Build Online Wi-Fi Network in Ga. School District
A network of about 50 businesses and facilities in Forsyth County, Ga., are advertising themselves as offering free Wi-Fi to students who are seeking to continue their blended-learning lessons outside school.
IT Infrastructure & Management
District Loans Out Wireless Hubs to Bring Students Online
The Green Bay, Wisc., district allows students, many of them from poor backgrounds, to check out mobile, wireless hotspots so that they have the Web connectivity to do online assignments.
Teaching
District Extends Wi-Fi to Students in Public Housing
The Kent, Wash., district has set up kiosks with Web connectivity across the community, including public-housing complexes, to help students take part in blended learning away from school.
Privacy & Security
Guide for Ed-Tech Developers Issued by U.S. Department of Education
Technology should make learning more meaningful and better support teachers, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told developers at the ASU+GSV summit on Tuesday.
Curriculum
Ed Tech in Elite Private Schools: A Look Ahead
An examination of ed-tech use in prestigious private schools prompts a big question: Would public school educators prefer abundant resources, or no standardized tests?
School & District Management
E-Rate Funding Requests Booming; Application Deadline Extended
Requests for E-rate funds could hit $5.1 billion this year, in part thanks to new funding for internal wireless connections.
Classroom Technology
L.A. Schools Can't Afford Computers for All Students, Superintendent Says
The Los Angeles Unified district doesn't have the money to continue with plans to provide all students with a computer, superintendent Ramon Cortines said.