students remain to be connected
schools do not have the bandwidth they need
Our children are trying to learn skills for tomorrow with dial-up speeds of the past.
High-speed broadband is key to restoring our educational standing. Our schools now rank 27th in math, 17th in reading, 20th in science, and 16th in technological readiness compared to other developed nations.
We must leverage technology to transform education.
Schools Need High-Speed Connectivity
In 2013, 30% of school districts were meeting the 100 kbps/student goal
In 2017, 94% of school districts are meeting the 100 kbps/student goal
To meet future demand, the typical school district will need to grow bandwidth at least 2.6x and ensure ubiquitous Wi-Fi to support digital learning needs.
Digital Learning is Transforming Education
Peer-to-peer learning
Keaau Elementary School students visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park wearing Google Glass and toting laptops equipped with Wi-Fi. Students broadcast this virtual field trip to peers at neighboring schools, along with the University Lab School and Peterson Schools in Mexico City, which is teaching Hawaiian as a third language.
Collaborative, personalized learning
Carson City School District in Nevada implemented a learning management system that gathers students’ demonstration of proficiency in real-time. Teachers are able to immediately assess student knowledge and work in collaborative teams to build shared knowledge about best practices for different learning styles.
Snow-day virtual lessons
Kentucky’s Owsley County Schools’ students miss close to a month of school each year due to snow and ice. However, the school district now uses a digital learning management system that assigns students virtual snow day lessons. High school students go beyond standard classwork and use virtual winter work days to work on short-term credits for courses not typically offered at the school, such as genealogy and abnormal psychology.
We Must Take Action to Connect All Students
States and school districts can ensure student connectivity for digital learning by addressing three key components of school access
Close the fiber gap
Get Wi-Fi to every classroom
