Digital Equity in schools involves many different conversations, from big-picture politics to families and their access to - and knowledge about - technology used for learning. Dr. Beth Holland from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and Mindy Fiscus from the Illinois Learning Technology Center discuss what digital equity conversations are going on at both the national and state level before we dig down to talk about what schools and teachers can do to ensure equity within their classrooms.
Dr. Beth Holland is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Rhode Island and the Digital Equity Project Director at the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). With over 20 years of experience in education, she has taught in K-12 classrooms, served as Director of Academic Technology in an independent school, designed professional learning programs for schools around the world, and created tools and strategies to support education leaders. She blogs regularly for Getting Smart and Edutopia and presents nationally as well as internationally. She holds an Education Doctorate (EdD) in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education from Johns Hopkins University, a Master's degree in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard University, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Northwestern University.
Mindy Fiscus is the Digital Access Coordinator for the Learning Technology Center of Illinois. She has earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois in Springfield and brings nineteen years of educational technology experience to the position. She also serves as the IL State ERate Coordinator and IL representative and governing board member to the State Education Technology Directors’ Association.
Center for School Networking (CoSN)
Learning Technology Center of Illinois (LTC)
Strategies for Tackling Digital Equity by Beth Holland for Getting Smart
Closing the Homework Gap (CoSN publication)
5 Things Every Educator Should Know About Digital Equity (ISTE publication)
Digital Equity Act (2019)