Monday, July 20th, 2020
The fall semester is rapidly approaching and the question is whether and how schools should reopen. As we consider the issue, let us not forget that a lack of internet access has been and will continue to be an issue for many families. Students without broadband and devices to connect to the internet are sadly cut off from virtual education opportunities. While the world is fortunate that virtual learning is an option (what would education look like if the COVID pandemic had occurred as little as fifteen years ago?) the technology does not benefit all.
Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
According to U.S. Census data, in 2018 over a quarter of households in Greene County did not have an internet subscription. Across the United States, rural areas have lower levels of internet usage and access, in a large part due to a lack of needed infrastructure. Broadband companies will only make expensive investments in the needed infrastructure when the return on investment is likely, so sparsely populated areas with fewer potential customers have less coverage, fewer options, and higher subscription fees than in urban areas.
Yet, even in the more densely populated county of Westchester, 15% of households do not have an internet subscription according to the data. For areas where there is robust infrastructure, cost can still be a barrier for many households.
There are several proposals for how to increase access and the affordability of the internet including making it a public utility, building out publicly owned infrastructure for lease at a low cost to private providers to stimulate competition, an increase in satellite internet options, and others.
While the debate of how to increase internet connectivity continues the need is greater than ever. Education is just one dimension of society that has migrated to the virtual space. As I write this post, I am working from home, as are the rest of Pattern staff, all of us are heavily reliant on dependable and fast internet access. Work, public meetings, healthcare, therapy, yoga, conferences, socializing, and more are all, for the most part, occurring over the internet. The people who do not have access do not have the option to participate.
As we plan for what schools should do this fall, let us remember that millions of school age children will not easily be able to participate in a virtual education experience. If schools must close for the health and safety of students, teachers, staff and families, then finding solutions that work for all kids is necessary. Of course, we should aim to ensure all households have internet access, but achieving this goal by the start of the fall semester seems unlikely.
In the City of Beacon, the school parking lots are now internet hotspots so that students who do not have home internet can bring their school-loaned laptop to the parking lot to attend virtual classes and do homework. The school district’s effort to accommodate students is commendable, but asking students to do their work in a parking lot for the unforeseeable future also seems unacceptable. Imagine the challenge of this workspace: a parent (we have to assume the parent is able to take time away from work) drives to the parking lot with two children in the back seat (we have to assume there is a car to do this in) and each child (assume each wears headphones so as to not disturb the other child) sits in the back seat with a laptop on their lap trying to follow along with virtual instruction. For some families the above scenario might be manageable, but not for all.
I do not write this as a critique of the tremendous effort that has gone into adapting our institutions and lives to the challenge of this moment. But, rather as a reminder that as we plan for the next few months to possibly a year, we must keep in mind that not all families have the same resources, specifically access to the internet. We should not assume that joining a zoom meeting is as easy as clicking a button from the comfort of the couch.
Above I posed the question, if we had a pandemic before the internet, what would education have looked like? Is virtual education the only alternative to in-person education?
With no clear answers myself, I think it is worth considering some alternatives and I invite the reader to do the same. The following are just a starting point for ideas:
- Create pre-recorded content and instruction in combination with work assignments. Televise this content for households that have a television but no internet (several school districts across the country are using this model)
- Outdoor classrooms under tents through the warmer months of the semester (Rice University will hold classes in large tents this coming semester). This could at least be an option along with the virtual classroom option.
- Project-based learning (PBL). PBL is a form of pedagogy where students work for an extended period of time (a semester) on a project. The curriculum content is embedded within the project. Teachers would guide students through projects with daily phone check-ins. Teachers not familiar with the PBL model would need a workshop on how to lead this type of instruction. https://hechingerreport.org/project-based-learning-gets-its-moment-during-the-coronavirus/
