It is time education made a shift to bridge the digital divide.
One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has done is bring the inequitable digital divide to the forefront of the education conversation. Educators and students alike were unprepared for the overnight shift in instruction, leaving many behind. The Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative (NvDLC) strives to bridge this digital divide so that ALL students and ALL educators have the necessary tools to continue their journey with high-quality, standards-aligned instruction no matter what the world brings.
In order to bridge this divide, the NvDLC is working with county, state, government, and industry partners to provide the necessary supports. The chart below shows an overview of the anticipated timeline and the partners involved.
Nevada Connecting Kids is an organization dedicated to getting students and families access to digital devices and connected to reliable internet services. It takes a village and Nevada is rallying around our kids. Please visit this site to see what you can do to help bridge this wide digital divide: https://connectingkidsnv.org/
Bridging the Digital Divide
Short-Term (6 months)
Districts are making sure students have access to digital devices as they are able to obtain said devices.
A statewide technology team of eRate experts in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology and the Nevada Department of Education are working on short-term and long-term goals to provide equitable access to the internet from every student’s home.
The NV Digital Learning Collaborative (NvDLC) was created to support educator professional development and access to high-quality, standards-aligned curriculum through a statewide LMS system. In addition, the NvDLC will support families who are partners with education as they work with their children at home.
2-3 Years
Continued support from the Digital Engineers of the NvDLC will take place throughout each region in Nevada; continued efforts towards quality connectivity and access to devices for all students; continued build-out of the processes established with long-term sustainability built in.
1-Year
The NvDLC Fellows will create professional development materials for educators and families, provide localized training in their areas/regions, and develop Nevada online curriculum to be accessible to all Nevadans.
4-5 Years
The NvDLC will be sustained and replicated locally in each region, grant and district funding will be provided to sustain the statewide curriculum, communication, and professional development platform for future years to come. All students will have internet access available throughout Nevada and the ability to continue their education online from anywhere they live.
If you can see it, you can be it! Sometimes a visual example of what a great virtual and/or hybrid model looks like is just what is needed to build off of. In the coming months, Lab Schools throughout Nevada will be recognized below for their stellar digital learning and successful online/hybrid learning models that can be replicated anywhere and everywhere.
Case Studies: Lab Schools
Coming Soon
Lab School A
This school is an outstanding example of a high-quality, effective, one-to-one initiative with blended learning for continued standards-aligned, research-based, instruction whether face-to-face or online for all K-12 students.
Does this sound like YOUR school? Please share with us!
Lab School B
This school is an outstanding example of a high-quality, effective, one-to-one initiative with blended learning for continued standards-aligned, research-based, instruction whether face-to-face or online for all K-12 students.
Does this sound like YOUR school? Please share with us!
Observations
“Future comment from Lab School A”
Educator Name
“Future comment from Lab School B”
Educator Name