Solving for the Homework Gap

My role as CIO has changed significantly over the 5 years I’ve been at BVSD. My first major challenge was to modernize IT practices and provide reliable technology and systems to support teachers. Today, that goal has been largely accomplished with open IT issues at their lowest point ever, and the reliability of our systems greatly improved.

This new, more stable environment has allowed me to focus on bigger picture issues. One in particular that strikes home for me is the “homework gap”.  Also known as the digital divide or opportunity gap, it is the recognition that some of our students go home to little or no Internet access.

Ironically, the homework gap is happening at a time when quality educational resources are rapidly moving online. The Khan Academy alone is a significant force in helping students learn outside of the traditional classroom environment. With thousands of tutorials on everything from basic math and calculus to classes in science, computer programming, history, art, and economics, Khan Academy and similar resources can be of significant help to a struggling student.

But what if you are a student with no Internet at home? What if you don’t have a mobile device to take to the library, Starbucks, or hundreds of other publicly available Internet access sites? This is what creates the homework gap, and it is real for many of our students.

At BVSD, we are working to eliminate the homework gap through these pilot programs:

• Providing Internet at a Boulder Housing Partner site while determining the feasibility of expanding the program.
• Promoting both the Comcast and CenturyLink $9.95 Internet access programs for students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
• Providing Chromebooks to all freshman at Centaurus and Broomfield High Schools through our 1:Web program.
• Providing Chromebook carts to all schools to be used at the school's discretion, including taking the devices home. 

Although the above pilot programs are a start, I’m exploring additional ways to close the homework gap.

I am working with administration to find funding for a district-wide 1:Web rollout, but at a cost of $2.2 million it will take time and have to be balanced with other critical needs, all at a time when state K-12 funding is critically sparse. A more feasible first step may be funding 1:Web at the high schools for $800k.

This November, BVSD is asking voters to consider an override to SB152. An override would allow public/private telecommunication partnerships that are not available to BVSD today. New partnerships could allow the district to monetize the portion of the fiber that we are not using, giving the Board of Education new revenue to use at their discretion.

CoSN, a professional organization I belong to, is studying other ways to help resolve the homework gap. CoSN's CEO, Keith Krueger, is on sabbatical at Harvard studying the digital divide and how to address it. I encourage you to read his latest blog on bringing the Internet to our students.

As curriculum and educational tools move online, the need for ubiquitous Internet is becoming a necessity. I’ll continue to spend my time working to reduce the homework gap.

I would appreciate your ideas and comments on this topic.  Please chime in below.

Andrew

BVSD Launches 1:Web

After many years of hard work by teams within and outside of IT, I’m very excited that BVSD is on the path towards a 1:Web initiative, which signifies a fundamental shift in teaching and learning in our district. Read on to learn more about 1:Web, what it entails, and our next steps.

First, the term

1:Web is a term derived from 1:1 (or 1 device for every person), a phrase common in school districts across the globe. When we were researching this initiative for our own adoption, we came across the term 1:Web, which emphasized the importance of accessing the internet rather than focusing on the device itself. At its core, 1:Web is about each student being able to connect to the world online through any device.

1:Web is more than devices

Since the focus of this initiative is on the learning that happens when the world is at your fingertips, we knew that purchasing a device for every student wouldn’t be enough. We knew that we had to change instruction at a fundamental level in order to create next generation learners, not just 20th century students with new computers.

That’s why, as part of the 1:Web initiative, we are supporting teachers with targeted professional development designed to enable this shift in education. The 21st Century Cohort is just one example of a program we have in place to fundamentally change instruction at BVSD. For more background and details about 21st century teaching and learning, check out the BVSD Ed Tech blog and the Ed Tech website.

Trailblazers

1:Web wasn’t developed in a vacuum. We were fortunate to be able to learn from the schools that have already started down this path, including Monarch High with their BYOD program, and Centaurus High, who is officially piloting 1:Web starting in January 2015. Both of these schools invested significant resources in teacher professional development and school culture to make a successful transition to using devices instructionally.

Other schools have also started down the path toward a 1:1 environment. Eldorado K-8 has a BYOD program for students who pass a digital citizenship requirement. Angevine Middle allows student to bring their own devices, including cell phones, and their teachers receive ongoing technology integration training. Bear Creek Elementary has a 1:1 Chromebook program for 4th and 5th grade students.

With the help of all these schools, we are able to plan an effective transition for the rest of the district.

Next steps

An initiative of this size needs a lot of resources, especially staffing, funding, and digital content. In order to purchase devices for most every student and to provide professional development to support this initiative, we will need ~$2.2M more per year than what we have today for Tech Refresh. The cost for just the high schools is ~$800k per year, which makes this path more likely in the next few years.

In the meantime, schools interested in making the leap to 1:Web with their own funding are welcome to after talking with Ed Tech on program requirements. I know that for some schools, the excitement for this initiative is outpacing the availability of district resources. Schools can also prepare for 1:Web by investing in professional development for teachers in the area of 21st century teaching and learning. That way once the devices arrive, teachers will already be practicing transformative instruction.

I look forward to providing you with more updates about 1:Web as I learn more about funding and logistics. In the meantime, please leave your thoughts below. (Please login first.)

Wireless Upgrades Approved

IT knows that most of the existing BVSD wireless environment does not reliably meet the needs of our schools. This is a challenge we've been working to resolve for some time.

That’s why I’m pleased to announce that on Tuesday night (5/28/13), the Board of Education approved the upgrade of wireless technology at all high schools, middle schools, and K-8s this calendar year; elementary schools will receive supplementary wireless equipment.

High Schools, Middle Schools, and K-8s

All high schools and many, if not all, middle schools and K-8s will be updated over this summer. Those schools not updated over the summer will be completed by the end of the 2013 calendar year. The new wireless system will allow approximately two simultaneous devices per user.  

Elementary Schools

As a temporary fix, the equipment pulled from the highs, middles, and K-8s will be offered to supplement the existing wireless systems at elementary schools. In the meantime, I will continue to work to find funding for a long-term fix.

I’m excited to see how the improved wireless technology will transform the learning environment for BVSD students, especially by opening the door to 1:1 and BYOD initiatives. 

What excites you about the upcoming wireless upgrades? Please chime in with your comments below.

Andrew