Whether you look at technology as a consumer or an educator, we all probably can agree it is an ever-changing landscape. There is an old Best Buy ad that I always thought was quite clever:
This 32-second clip encapsulated our society’s fascination and dependence on technology, and yet showcased just how quickly it changes! Richard Kurzweil has a theory, The Law of Accelerated Returns, that basically concludes that in the next 100 years, we won’t progress 100 years but 20,000 years! This exponential growth is almost hard to conceive. Do notice the right side of this graphic that illustrates when computing power will surpass human brain power:
Next, take a look at this TEDIndia video from Pranav Mistry that highlights wearable technology known as Sixth Sense … pretty cool, right?
This TED talk was given in 2009, meaning that this technology was possible over 12 years ago! The Apples, Googles, and Microsofts of the world do a pretty good job of making sophisticated technology available to you and me for our everyday needs. Yet our schools are a bit behind the curve in adopting the latest and the greatest, which is understandable when you consider that “trying” new technology with kids could be considered high-stakes since we are talking about impacting individuals’ learning journeys.
However, recent research from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that 14% of students, ages 3-18, in the U.S. did not have access to the internet at home (April 2020), meaning more than 9 million students had difficulty finishing their school assignments during the pandemic. These inequities of learning loss or interrupted learning can have lifelong lasting effects according to studies conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2020. From educational performance to economical potential, the current learning loss conundrum will lead to increased achievement gap and loss of earnings, especially hitting hard already-disenfranchised populations.
Technology is not THE answer, but in this day and age it is a key factor for school improvement and student success. And MAPLE, a hotspot provider since 2017, has rearchitected their design with worldwide-patented Virtual SIM technology. Thus, their hotspots address the unique needs of schools trying to support their students who may not have internet access at home.
This school-based hotspot solution means that schools can roll out, manage, and track usage across entire fleets of devices. Other features of MAPLE’s hotspots and service include:
With so much change, often knowing where to start is the hardest obstacle to summit. MAPLE’s white-glove customer service means that you have an ally ready to support you from start to finish of a school year. Reach out to Michelle Mirshokri at MAPLE (michelle@mapleconnect.co) to help secure EFC support during this third application window, April 28-May 13, 2022. You could bring this new wave of technology to your school for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year for $0. Help bridge the edtech chasm with MAPLE.
