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Home›EdTech News›More schools are online than ever before – but it’s far from perfect

More schools are online than ever before – but it’s far from perfect

By Matthew Lynch
December 7, 2016
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Latest CoSN survey measures how far technology has spread

This article was written by NICHOLE DOBO

Credit: Getty Images

To take full advantage of all the internet has to offer, schools need to have reliable, speedy connections.

When teachers don’t know if a program will crash midway through class – or work at all – they are often hesitant to use online programs to enhance lessons.

In 2013, before a massive federal push to fund and support school internet upgrades, just 19 percent of public districts in the United States reported that all their schools had a speedy internet connection, according to a new report from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a nonprofit membership organization for school technology professionals. Today, 68 percent of districts say they meet that benchmark – a major increase that reveals just how many schools now see the value in improved internet connections.

Here’s why it matters: A technology snafu creates a situation where precious class time can be lost.

The best teachers know how to improvise – or, better yet, teach students a lesson about fixing mistakes – but failing internet connections are not ideal as an everyday occurrence. And it’s not just about wired connections. A cart full of student devices is of little use if the school lacks WiFi. Among high schools, only 6 percent nationwide now report that they lack WiFi, according to the CoSN report.

Some say technology can help teachers create lessons that are tailored to fit each child. (Is technology necessary to personalize learning? A new story in The Hechinger Report asks and answers that question.) Beyond that, the internet gives students and teachers access to a wide variety of tools. But even the best online program is not a panacea, of course. Speedy internet service and expensive computers can’t replace teachers, research shows.

68 percent of public school districts in the United States report that all their schools have a fast internet connection

Even though more schools are online, leaders say they will need more modern connections in the coming years to keep up with the pace of technological advancement. Nearly 60 percent of school leaders surveyed by CoSN said ongoing costs remain a major challenge.

“The good news is districts are making real progress in supporting modern technology infrastructure,” Keith Krueger, the CEO of CoSN, said in a statement. “However, it remains clear that more work and investment are needed over the long run to address the digital equity challenge of today and provide robust broadband connectivity for all students in and outside of school.”

Helping schools find affordable internet providers – and ensuring the school district is paying a fair rate – has been an area of interest for industry and education leaders alike.

The Education SuperHighway, a nonprofit organization with major funding from the founder of Facebook, has build a database intended to help schools compare costs with other districts. It’s also providing support to districts and states – New Hampshire, for instance – to build robust school internet networks.

And the Technology for Education Consortium, announced earlier this year at the SXSWedu conference in Austin, Texas, has vowed to help schools price-shop for hardware like computers and tablets.

This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Read more about Blended Learning.


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3 comments

  1. Maria Han 13 December, 2016 at 16:39 Reply

    A robust school internet connectivity is essential for a learning institution. Access to a reliable internet connection is another factor and also a message to the service providers would be, to offer fair prices to the consumer. A majority of the internet consumers happen to be students and the internet gives them a chance to access online resources in the form of e-books, journals , articles and other educational materials that contribute to the individual success of each and every student. Thank you for this insightful article that seeks to cover this area I hope most readers get a feel of how informative it is.

    I only have one question to ask, “how is the government helping out in ensuring internet availability in all States?”

  2. More schools are online than ever before – but it’s far from perfect – Daily EdTech 11 May, 2017 at 14:19 Reply

    […] post More schools are online than ever before – but it’s far from perfect appeared first on The Tech […]

  3. 5G Networks Promise to Make Instructional Technology Better - The Tech Edvocate 10 September, 2019 at 05:03 Reply

    […] will be faster, and the connections will be more reliable than ever.  That’s big news because only two-thirds of schools in the United States consider their internet connections to be fast enough for instructional […]

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Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

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