The updated U.S. National Ed Tech plan highlights the digital divide regarding access, design, and use. We discuss the challenge of getting reluctant adopters to use technology equitably. We also touch on the need for more diversity in ed tech leadership and the importance of using tools like live captions to promote equity. We wrap up with thoughts on bridging the digital use and design divide using the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards as a blueprint.

Follow on Twitter: @ISTEofficial @mrhooker @VictoriaTheTech @jonHarper70bd @shellthief @hyphenatic @bamradionetwork

Resources: Elevate Equity in Edtech | Blindsided by AI

Victoria Thompson is an education industry executive at Microsoft, an instructional designer for EduSpark and an ISTE Ambassador. She began her journey teaching fifth and sixth-grade math and science in Summerville, South Carolina. After completing her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, she moved to the Seattle area, where her career pivoted to focusing on STEM integration in schools; K–12 mathematics instruction with research on decolonizing mathematics curriculum for teachers and learners; creating inclusive math environments; and using technology to bridge equity gaps in education. She has presented at ISTELive, the ImpactEducation conference, the CUE conference, and the DigCitSummit on topics such as creating inclusive math classrooms, culturally responsive STEM education, and equity in educational technology. She was recently named one of the top 30 K–12 IT influencers by EdTech Magazine.