On today’s episode of the Connected Nation Podcast, we focus on important guidance provided by the US Department of Education regarding the use of assistive technology devices and services for children with disabilities.
 
We are joined by the woman who leads the office that provides that guidance – about the facts and the myths - that surround the use of these technologies within our public schools.
 
Recommended Links:
Myths and Facts PDF
About Glenna Wright-Gallo
A call to action for closing the digital access, design, and use divides (aired Feb. 14, 2024)
 

On this episode of Connected Nation (CN), we explore how CN's Engineering and Technical Services team  is helping states monitor broadband infrastructure builds and, most importantly, verifying that the billions of dollars set aside to help the most underconnected Americans are spent as promised.

Related links:
Learn more about CN's services by clicking here

See the team in action here->watch the YouTube video

Broadband Communities Summit 2024 - https://www.terrapinn.com/conference/broadband-communities/index.stm

Book your ticket now! http://terrapinn.com/BBCSummit/CNation/Ticket
Use the discount code NATION15

On today's two guest episode we are first joined by Joe Costello, the founder and CEO of Kwikbit Internet – an internet service provider with a mission to help some of the most underserved populations in the country.

Learn how the company is focusing on bringing access to everyone from rural communities to inner city households – by using what it calls “flexible deployment.”

BONUS: Following Joe, we are joined by Brad Randall of Terrapinn. Brad and Jessica preview the upcoming Broadband Communities conference in May!

Recommended Links:
Kwikbit website
Joe Costello LinkedIn

Brad Randall LinkedIn
Broadband Communities summit
Broadband Communities news
 

A recently released report examines how states are approaching reforms to telehealth laws – from allowing access to specialists across borders to creating more flexibility for innovation.
 
On today's installment of the Connected Nation podcast, we’ll talk with one of the co-authors of the research project – which provides a report card of sorts on how states are doing. Find out if your state is among the top performers – or the lowest.

Recommended Links:
The Cicero Institute Website
Agenda Report
Data Report
Josh Profile

In recognition of Women's History Month, we're putting a spotlight on women who are leaders in tech or leveraging technology in new ways. 

On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with award-winning writer, producer, and director Jessica Mathis (aka Divinity Rose) about taking her craft online in the days of and following the pandemic.

Learn how it changed her approach to making her critically acclaimed project titled “Triggered.”  Plus, we explore how it’s informed her screenwriting work since, what challenges remain for filmmakers, and what she sees on the horizon for movie making *outside* of Hollywood’s normal channels.
 
Related Links:
Websites: https://divinityrose.com/ and shedreamscontent.com
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1550617/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Rxjt4qBTMvcDH-f8q94uA
 

In recognition of Women's History Month, we're putting a spotlight on women who are leaders in tech or leveraging technology in new ways.  

On this episode of Connected Nation, we're talking with the CEO and co-founder of Oria Health, Amanda Havard.  Learn how the company is addressing the critical need for more mental health practitioners in rural America; why its approach is both improving quality of care and expanding treatment options; AND where Oria Health recently expanded its services. 

Related links:
Oria Health - https://www.oria.health/
Oria Health Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oria.health/
Oria Health Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/oriahealth
Oria Health Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oria-health/about/

On today's episode of the Connected Nation podcast, we welcome Ryan Adams, the President and Chief Operations Officer of GeoLinks, a California-based telecommunications company.

Ryan shares what he believes in standing in the way of helping millions more Americans, AND we explore the hybrid network model he says can connect the hardest to reach communities in the U.S.

Recommended Links:
GeoLinks Website
Ryan's LinkedIn 

On today's episode we celebrate and mark Black History Month by exploring issues important to African Americans relating to broadband, technology, and the Digital Divide.

We welcome guests that are leaders in a variety of areas in tech for a round table discussion on everything from the misuse of the term “diversity” to the future of Black tech in America.
 
Recommended Links:
Sabrina Morton:
Sabrina's LinkedIn
Sabrina's Company

Doug McCullough:
Doug's LinkedIn
Color Coded Labs
Black Tech Columbus

Heather Gate:
Heather's LinkedIn
Connected Nation’s Heather Gate earns spot in Women We Admire’s Top 50 Women Leaders of Kentucky for 2023

Dr. Fallon Wilson
Fallon's LinkedIn
Brookings article
Code for America article

On Season 5 Episode 5, we walk through the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. It examines how technologies can raise the bar for elementary and secondary students – and offers solutions already being utilized by schools, districts, and states to close digital inequities in learning. 

We are joined today by one of those who helped author that plan, Zac Chase, who is a Digital Equity Impact Fellow within the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology.

Recommended Links:
Read the plan -> https://tech.ed.gov/NETP/

U.S. Department of Education Releases 2024 National Educational Technology Plan | U.S. Department of Education

Educator Preparation Programs for Digital Equity and Transformation - Office of Educational Technology

Assistive Technology Devices and Services for Children With Disabilities Under the IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Myths and Facts Surrounding Assistive Technology Devices and Services (PDF) (ed.gov)

Digital Safety | Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (ed.gov)

On this episode, we are joined by an amazing guest that is a US Army Veteran, IT Adjunct Professor at South University and Technical Program Manager at Google. We discuss his time in Iraq, his 18 years of experience in the "Game of Thrones" world of telecommunications and what it is like to work at Google.

As he is our first guest of Black History Month, Demarkus also shares his experience as an African-American in telecommunications and what can be done to provide more opportunities for African-Americans in tech.

Recommended Links:
Demarkus Pruitt LinkedIn