Solutions for getting students Internet access outside class

Technology and Learning Colleagues,

In this CoP -- and in several others --  there has been a recent lively discussion that began with a post by Cynthia Zafft about online learning portfolios. Ed Latham started an important sub-thread inviting us to think about Internet access as a basic right. Ed then posted an interesting free Internet access solution for students in Down East Maine. Then Steve Quann offered to gather and share local solutions for adult learner Internet access. Although this discussion occurs in a longer thread elsewhere in our community, it is important enough that I want to call your attention to it and urge you to respond, if you can, to Steve Quann's request. (See his message below).

David J. Rosen

Technology and Learning CoP Moderator

djrosen123@gmail.com

Edward Latham May 29, 2015 - 7:52am

Is Internet access a public utility right in this day and age?

In many political arenas there have been some discussions starting up centered on the increasing divide among those that have Internet access in the home vs those that do not. If you think about many of our utilities like water, electricity, septic... these industries were determined to be vital to the common citizen to be healthy, productive and safe in our society. Current arguments are pushing that access to Internet is just as vital in today's digital and more global world. Would you agree? What are the negatives in legally transforming Internet access into a public utility as we have with many other systems to the house?

Cynthia Zafft June 19, 2015 - 8:54am

Is Internet access a public utility right in this day and age?

Hi Ed:

It was great to meet you at this week's Maine Adult Education Association/COABE Region 1 conference and to attend one of your sessions (and it was amazing to see the model/structure you are developing to align resources to the adult education CCR standards).  At the LINCS table and throughout many of the conference sessions, technology was either an overt focus or played a key role in access to resources.  I think the public/private collaboration of EveryoneOn.org/adulted is showing itself to be a viable model for many areas.  Rural areas, however, seem to be left out of the mix -- either they appear to have no private internet service providers in the area or teachers and students are on dial-up.  Serving rural residents might take another model.

Cynthia

Edward Latham June 20, 2015 - 6:49am

Internet to the students

A pilot project started up in the Down East area of Maine (impoverished,  remote, sparse population). In this pilot, students that can show inability to get Internet (financially or physical location) can go to the local access point and sign out a laptop and a Hotspot WiFi box. Now the student can plug in the box at home and get internet provided by the cell phone companies for FREE to do their school work at home. This pilot project has gathered an awful lot of interest in how cell phone companies and other technology providers can help adults and students participate in the educational opportunities. I feel that in the next few years there will be an increase in access to technology to those underserved in many creative and innovative ways.

Steve Quann June 21, 2015 - 10:11am

Internet to Students - Collecting Lending Practices

Hi Ed and others,

Great to hear about solutions for getting students connected. I know libraries and some literacy programs in New York and Rhode Island have been leading out laptops and recently Wifi Hotspots.  I would like to collect exemplary lending practices and plan on creating a tool kit geared specifically for adult education programs. If you know of material that is already out there or experiences that you are willing to share, either post them here (or email me directly steve_quann@worlded.org and I will share what came together with this group). 

Thanks,

Steve Quann

David J. Rosen June 21, 2015 - 11:58am

Internet to Students - Collecting Lending Practices

Steve, and others,

Collecting examples of program solutions for helping students access the Internet is a great idea. I am glad that you have asked the members of this CoP for help with solutions or strategies that they are aware of or have used. I hope as many people as possible will help with this. I look forward to seeing the practical, local solutions that people in rural, urban and other areas can suggest. Sharing our knowledge is very important in a community of practice. It's how we can all improve what we do.

David J. Rosen

Technology and Learning CoP Moderator

djrosen123@gmail.com

Comments

Hello David and all,

I have been on a quest over the last year for internet solutions for adult students and have found a few that have potential. www.kajeet.net is education broadband for schools which also provides wifi hotspots for home use. While the company markets mainly to K-12 districts, the benefit of their services to adult learners in the home is obvious. Even if you are teaching in a program not associated with a school district, I would not let that stop you from reaching out to companies like this. Or, better yet, can you inquire of your local school/school district as to how their students complete assignments or access calendars, grades, teacher-contact, etc. Since so much of that is done online in many k-12 districts, I don't think it is unreasonable to ask if your adult students (many of whom are local parents) could also benefit from the resources made available to their kids outside of school. 

Amy G.

Thanks, Amy. Yes, it is surprising beyond the offers at http://everyoneon.org/adulted how many vendors and companies are offering  low-cost deals. Always good for us all to be educated consumers and comparison shop! 

I like the idea of approaching school districts about access. Has anyone else had experience with this?  How about lending programs in this setting? Would suggesting lending program idea get any uptake or do you think in this sphere there would be too many obstacles?

Thank you,

Steve Quann

World Education, Inc

Hi David, Steve et al,

Just wanted to flag that another program to look at for best practices is Chicago Public Library's Wife hotspot lending program - some of the details are described here: http://www.chipublib.org/faq/technology/   Like New York's lending program, it was funded by the Knight Foundation.

And though the Latino Community Foundation's "Get Connected" initiative in the SF Bay Area was challenged by a partnership with Comcast (they are requesting help to pressure Comcast to improve its Internet Essentials program ($9.95/mo), they developed some training materials (click through for a series of 10 classes) in Spanish that might be of interest. They trained nonprofessional community-based instructors called tech promotoras to deliver the classes.

In New York City the public libraries have developed a program to lend WiFi HotSpots.  We have three public library systems and they are all participating in the Library HotSpot program which will provide 10,000 HotSpots to patrons (including students in adult education programs).  You can read more about the offerings from each of the library systems at the links below.

New York Public Library

Brooklyn Public Library

Queens Public Library 

best,

Nell Eckersley

 

 

Thank Nell and Alison, 

It is pretty amazing what New York and Chicago are doing thanks to Knight.  

I have gotten some great information from FAQs/ guidelines from your links. Thank you. Interesting that Chicago doesn't seem to lend laptops that I can see, but lend WiFi for three weeks and can be renewed up to 15 times if no one else has placed it on hold.

I know some cities have free WiFi and there are free numerous free hot spots and such. And there are a lot of possibilities for low-cost purchases, of course. But right now, aside from those cities, I only know of Rhode Island Family Literacy program and a program in Maine that lends hot spots. 

Some programs lend textbooks, are there any other Adult Ed programs that lend laptops or hotspots?  What do you think would be the greater concern? The cost (Initial cost of 3/4 G device is in the range of $60-90 with $9.99 a month plan.) or the logistics (Monitoring return of devices, dealing with tech issues, etc.)?  

Thanks,

Steve Quann

World Education, Inc.

 

Rhode Island Family Literacy Program (RIFLI) has developed a Tech Lending Program that includes Wi-Fi hotspots.  Learn more about why they did it and what they are doing by viewing this webinar recording. (Note: Discussion about their lending program begins at approximately 35 minutes into the recording.

Based on their experience and what libraries are doing, with input of Mobile Beacon, and ideas from others on this list, I have finally drafted some preliminary steps that I hope might be useful to adult education programs considering setting up your own lending program. (Sorry this took so long to get back to you.)  See link to a Google doc below.

Setting Up Wi-Fi Lending Programs in Adult Education Programs 

This is a work in progress and I would very much like any further comments and ways in which it might be improved.

Thanks,

Steve Quann

World Education, Inc.

steve_quann@worlded.org