The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 23, 2017

For years policymakers have fretted about the “digital divide,” that poor students are less likely to have computers and high-speed internet at home than rich students. When it comes to mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, the gap has virtually vanished.

Digital Divide 62

Digital Divide Technology Survey Smartphone 62

The Hechinger Report

APRIL 22, 2020

Almost no district was truly ready to plunge into remote learning full time and with no end in sight. There is no one-size-fits-all remedy and no must-have suite of digital learning tools. After dealing with the first priority — making sure students were safe and fed — schools had to figure out how to keep the learning alive.

Learning 67

Learning Laptops Smartphone Accessibility 67

The Hechinger Report

APRIL 26, 2016

I have guidelines for cellphone and smartphone use, but it’s a constant struggle to keep kids engaged in lessons and off their phones. On the one hand, we know that most students bring a mini-supercomputer to school every day, a device with vast potential for learning. These are issues I deal with as an English teacher at Fern Creek.

Smartphone 40

Smartphone Accessibility Learning Social Media 40

The Hechinger Report

JULY 5, 2017

When students lack high-speed internet outside of school walls, the vast digital resources that promise to bridge opportunity gaps — the online tutorials, the distance learning, the troves of data and the instant feedback from teachers, mentors and peers — widen those gaps instead. That matters. Here’s why.

Broadband 87

Broadband Mobility Digital Divide Learning 87