Key Findings to Successfully Address Digital Inequity

What does it mean to be under-connected? On this episode, Dr. Vikki Katz shares insights from a recent research report on the levels of technology access and internet connectivity in U.S. households. Dr. Katz and Dr. Wendy Oliver discuss the recent paper, Learning at Home While Under-Connected: Findings from a National Phone Survey of Parents during the Pandemic, which Dr. Katz co-authored with Victoria Rideout.

You’ll hear how “under-connected” is defined, how lower income families have supported each other during the COVID-19 pandemic, what parents have learned during this pandemic year-plus, and the compelling evidence that digital inequity prevents social equality. As students have engaged in online learning, parents have gained a great perspective on their children’s strengths and how to help them flourish as students. Further, families have engaged in “digital teamwork,” helping one another navigate new technology. While we still have a long way to go in creating digital equity, you won’t want to miss this conversation that highlights some of the positives families have experienced.

To read the full paper, visit: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/learning-at-home-while-underconnected/

Access many more resources, including a survey to find out if the families in your community are under-connected, at: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/collections/learning-at-home-while-under-connected-project/

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EdCircuit Staff

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Wendy Oliver

With more than 20 years of experience in digital education, Dr. Wendy Oliver, a highly qualified Tennessee teacher and administrator, thrives when implementing innovative learning models and creating amazing learning experiences for students. Throughout her career, Wendy has had the opportunity to develop and pioneer a district, TN’s state-wide, and international digital learning programs. She served as the Chief Learning Architect for Arizona State University’s digital charter network of schools and recently launched a network of private, for-profit schools. Wendy created Oliver’s Frameworks for Blended and Online Instruction, and subsequently, a software that allows teacher to self-assess their knowledge of instruction in each respective environment, a software that has been implemented in multiple districts and states.
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Vikki Katz

Dr. Vikki Katz is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Information, and Affiliate Graduate Faculty in Sociology, at Rutgers University. She conducts research with children growing up in low-income and immigrant families. Dr. Katz examines how working class, low income, and immigrant children and their families adopt and integrate technology into family routines and learning experiences. She also investigates how parents and children manage interactions in U.S. social institutions, including schools, healthcare facilities, and courts. Dr. Katz serves on the Board of Directors for the National Center for Families Learning and the Advisory Board for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-Public Broadcasting Service (CPB-PBS) Ready to Learn Program, which supports development of educational media targeted at preschool and early elementary school-aged children and their families to promote early learning and school readiness. She advises numerous PBS affiliates on creating and adapting content for immigrant families with young children, and for families who have inconsistent internet connectivity.
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Key Findings to Successfully Address Digital Inequity

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