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Digital collaboration platforms and online privacy and safety tools are two of the most important tech “enablers” schools are counting on, because proper use of these resources can promote equity and bridge learning gaps during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report says. The report, published by the Consortium for School Networking, identifies five tech enablers, which it defines as innovations that help schools surmount various hurdles to learning. The report is the second part of the consortium’s yearly series on K-12 (education from kindergarten to 12th grade) tech innovation.
COVID-19 has accelerated the use of digital collaboration platforms in various parts of the world. One case of a K-12 collaboration tool cited in the report follows from the work of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic School in Delray Beach, Fla., which used Zoom and Skype to collaborate with students from the Roosevelt School in Peru in creating a philanthropy program which yielded a $13,500 award from a U.S.-based contest known as Philanthropy Tank. The award supported an elementary school for migrant children, the Hope Rural School in Indiantown, Fla.
Further, educators in places like India are leveraging mobile apps and one-way communications platforms like radio and TV, to support learning during the pandemic, the report states.
Online privacy and safety tools are assisting schools looking to provide innovative learning approaches during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, said Laura Geringer, director of CoSN’s Driving K-12 Innovation division.
One strategy for improving online safety is through professional development, focused on boosting educators’ competence and equipping teachers with tools and strategies for teaching students about privacy protections. The need to protect privacy poses a complex range of issues for schools, who must guard against hacks, data breaches, unauthorized information sharing, cyberbullying, and other threats. Communities of practice and professional organizations can be powerful K-12 allies in addressing privacy and safety issues in education, according to the report.
CoSN leads the Trusted Learning Environment, which provides guidance, community, and a seal to recognize school systems that meet data privacy standards. Further, Child-net International develops policy recommendations and resources for a range of age groups around topics including cyberbullying, and Common Sense Media offers reviews of websites, apps, and other media, sortable by age, CoSN noted.
The report also included five recommendations for strengthening online privacy in schools: They should integrate digital and online privacy and safety across their organization as a regular priority; teach responsible behaviors for digital and online privacy and safety; build trust with vendors, parents, and students; build leadership capacity and a culture prioritizing privacy; and, prioritize equity, access, and accessibility.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?
A) Digital platforms pose new risks to personal privacy.
B) Online resources can be conducive to education equality.
C) The COVID-19 pandemic spurs educational innovation.
D) CoSN’s report identifies several obstacles to learning.
2. The word “leveraging” (Line 1, Paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to ______.
A) making use of
B) keeping balance of
C) appealing for
D) making comparison between
3. The author reveals COVID-19’s impact on the use of digital platforms by ______.
A) analyzing causes
B) presenting data
C) giving examples
D) describing a phenomenon
4. Which is one of the main functions of the Consortium for School Networking?
A) It helps and guides schools to create a safe e-learning environment.
B) It is responsible for evaluating different digital collaboration platforms.
C) It enables the digital platforms to meet the data privacy standards.
D) It helps to develop policy recommendations for the authorities.
5. What is the passage mainly about?
A) Recent advance in K-12 Tech Innovations in the COVID-19 pandemic.
B) Recommendations for strengthening online privacy.
C) A report on creating safe digital collaboration platforms for K-12 students.
D) The leadership of the Consortium for School Networking.