Goal 1: Create a student driven information campaign focused on broadband access for rural communities.
Objectives and learning targets for goal 1 will be aligned with the Impacts of Computing standards (Computer Science Standards). Objective 2 and 3 will be aligned with the NYS Arts Learning Standards. Alignment with the Social Justice Standards from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) will also be a focus. Teachers, administrators, community partners, and consultants will provide pathways for students to create educational materials (media toolkits) and an easily accessible app/website; they also will host informational sessions aimed at rooting out broadband inequity.
Objective 1.1 Enlist students to create an advertising campaign that targets poor rural communities with regard to digital equity and justice.
Objective 1.2 Incorporate liberatory design for a student coded app/website that provides a repository of broadband access information to rural communities.
Objective 1.3 Host student-led informational sessions surrounding broadband universal access, digital equity, and justice for poor rural communities in rural community spaces (public libraries, fire halls, school districts, etc)
Learning Targets: Objective 1
Students will focus on how computing technologies perpetuate inequality for the Newfield Central School District.
Students will evaluate the impact of computing technologies on equity, access, and influence in a global society and in their backyard.
Students, with support from their ELA teachers, will debate laws and regulations that impact development and use of computing technologies and digital information.
Students will develop and defend a claim about specific laws, FCC regulations and oversight, and broadband benefits for marginalized communities.
Learning Targets: Objective 2
Students will develop information campaign materials and media toolkits that focus on digital equity.
Students will create Public Service Announcements that focus on digital equity and universal broadband access and publish/share them via radio/TV.
Students will work with CAN Cooperative Media (MWBE) to create an app/website that will provide information to marginalized populations seeking ways to access their broadband rights.
Learning Targets: Objective 3
Students will meet with marginalized populations and those seeking broadband access at a community hub (public library, fire hall, town hall) and provide 1:1 and group support for accessing broadband programs and benefits.
Students will regularly update the app/website they created.
Measuring success:
Quantitative: The district has collected data related to broadband service availability and access from the learning community. We will survey the community again and also ask families to complete a speedtest in various locations with school district devices. The speedtest is sponsored by the FCC and part of national broadband data collection efforts. Surveys and the speedtest will help us establish a baseline for measuring growth of actual broadband service in the community.
The district and students involved with the campaign will collect the following data from community participants at hosted events:
Do you feel that the internet should be available to all students and families?
Is/Are your student(s) unable to complete school work due to lack of internet access?
Do you think lack of internet access has contributed to your student(s) learning less or being at an educational disadvantage?
Qualitative: Students will create qualitative surveys to accompany their informational campaign and provide personal reflections on the campaign.
Surveys to community participants will include the following questions:
Tell us about the support you received from NCSD students with regard to our universal broadband access campaign.
Did the information and strategies provided help you access broadband resources?
If you were able to access broadband supports, how have they impacted your family’s ability to connect with the school?
Do you have ideas for how we can work together to bring about digital equity for all?
Reflections for students will include:
How did it feel to support the learning community with regard to our universal broadband access campaign?
Do you feel like your work made a difference?
Do you have evidence that it did make a difference?
Do you have ideas for how we can work together to bring about digital equity for all?
Find Artifacts from our Work Here: Artifacts Goal 1