Establishing digital equity in rural schools relies on more than just equipping students with computers and broadband.
Project Tomorrow, a nonprofit resource provider and STEM research organization, has been providing teachers in three high-poverty Kentucky districts with professional development in using mobile devices for instruction.
Rural districts have smaller IT staffs, which means teachers may get less assistance when integrating technology, says CEO Julie Evans, who presented on the PD project atDA’s 2020 Future of Education Technology® Conference.
Teachers also have to help rural families get used to the devices and make them comfortable that students can use the internet safely.
“When teachers have confidence that all students have access to technology and the internet outside of school, it does change the way they think about the use of those devices throughout the school day,” Evans says. “Teachers can be more creative and innovative in extending the learning experience.”
Read the other stories in our series on rural school districts and the challenges of COVID:
- Sunray ISD accelerates shift to self-paced learning
- Gilmer County Schools pick up STEAM
- How to ensure digital equity remains a priority
- Overcoming college access issues in rural districts
- How rural schools seized opportunity from school closures
