Most recent public comments by Jacquelynn Davis https://nowcomment.com/users/51862 https://nowcomment.com/documents/130338?scroll_to=1268614 https://nowcomment.com/documents/130338?scroll_to=1268614 Great points, Taylor! My student teaching experience was at a Title I school that provided laptops to each student. As mentioned by others, sometimes there’s no Internet access at home and/or no one with the knowledge to assist if there’s a (minor) issue with the laptop; so it almost makes the assignment of the laptop useless. I say useless because the students were much more prone to use their cell phones in class (with the teacher’s permission) to complete assignments and then they had limited (at best) access at home. This was a high school so this may not be as applicable in other situations; but, several of the teachers utilized online programs to attempt to address this issue. They would make technology-based assignments with sufficient lead-time for the student’s to figure out how to secure Internet access to complete the assignments. Many technology-based assignments were done in class, with homework assignments due immediately done on paper (these were kept to a minimum because of the headaches in coordinating, grading, etc.). Other assignments with due dates beyond the next class period (most within one week) were issued two-to-three weeks ahead of time. This way the student/parents could figure out how to secure Internet access (public library, come to school early, stay late, etc.) and still submit the assignments on time. The teachers used “Remind.com” to prompt students with reminders about the upcoming due dates for assignments. I also like the practice of allowing students to go to the school library to work on assignments if they have finished their in-class commitments early. Sun, 24 Feb 2019 23:35:23 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/130338?scroll_to=1268607 https://nowcomment.com/documents/130338?scroll_to=1268607 I love the idea of allow hotspot to be “checked out”! Being that a cross-section of our population is aware of the challenges of the digital divide, I believe it will take a collaborative effort and creative thinking to work at closing the gap. I applaud the Seattle Library System for recognizing how their existence, and traditional role in society, uniquely positions them to impact change. As the article mentioned, this is a two-prong issue: access and skills gap. I believe it is essential to address both issues if we truly want progress. Providing hotspots for check out provides access and localized training (tailored to the impacted audience) could address the issue of skills gap. The library system can serve as the hub for such training but I believe it would have to move beyond library walls to be most effective. Perhaps community groups, corporate representatives, non-profit leaders, politicians, concerned citizens, etc. can work together to establish schedules of training throughout the community. These events can be conducted at community centers, senior living communities, churches, YMCA/YWCA/Boys & Girls Clubs, and senior centers. I think partnering with community and social organizations would be key in spreading the word, identifying appropriate venues to reach significant numbers of people in need of training, and conducting the training. I believe it would be great to certify and utilize students as facilitators for some of these training sessions. This would give them the opportunity to develop skills (communication, presentation, leadership, etc.) while providing the perspective and competence of the generation born into the technology age. This could also provide the opportunity for cross-generational, community-based learning. In this age of technology, the more we build computer literacy and capacity, the better off we are as a society. Mon, 25 Feb 2019 17:40:51 -0500