Leveling the Field: Local companies answer education's pandemic-induced demand for tech.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: TELECOM & TECH

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Alaska's education system in a massive and indelible way. In the past year, schools at all levels partnered with telecommunication companies to implement technology on an unprecedented scale. From rural to urban areas, K-12 and post-secondary schools have incorporated technology like never before to connect teachers and students remotely. Technology-savvy teachers have emerged as "superheroes" to facilitate the learning process through perhaps the most daunting year of their career. Ultimately. schools have been able to generate efficiencies in content delivery, enhance teaching and learning, and create other improvements that are expected to continue into the next school year and beyond.

Technology Levels the Field for K-12 Students

The public education system is rooted in tradition, but the pandemic has provided an opportunity for Alaska's school districts to finally do something different. However, the use of technology in K-12 education is nothing new. School districts and teachers had already been relying on technology solutions to enhance instruction and provide personalized opportunities for students, according to Tamara Van Wyhe, director of innovation and education excellence at the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED). "What's new is the pervasiveness of the technology," she says. "It's been a really positive thing. Technology has leveled the playing field for students in a lot of school districts."

During the past year, individual families have had the opportunity to take advantage of fully online courses through the Florida Virtual School (FLVS), an accredited, public, e-learning school serving students in grades K-12 in Florida and all over the world. "We knew the pressure on the system would be tremendous as schools were having to move things online," says Van Wyhe. "Through the Florida virtual partnership, we were able to offer one layer of education to students... Through the summer, we were able to provide extensive training to teachers and educators to build our own virtual school."

More than 300 educators participated in the training to establish Alaska's statewide virtual school, and there were more than 3,500 seats for students who were taking courses, according to Van Wyhe.

Alaska DEED also purchased a one-year, statewide license for the Canvas learning management system. Canvas was an obvious choice; it was already being used in multiple school districts in the state--twelve districts by the summer of 2020. Plus, Canvas offers greater customization than the FLVS platform as it allows educators to create original content. The department has extended its contract with Canvas for the next two years--although Alaska districts are not required to use the online platform.

In addition, Alaska DEED has provided technical assistance to help school districts establish an online platform. Of the state's fifty-four school districts, thirty-two districts are set up for online learning or are on the list to do so, according to Van Wyhe.

The implementation of technology at the K-12 level has varied across the state, depending on the needs, infrastructure, and personnel of each district. Implementation was also impacted by broadband or internet availability. Most students had access to devices, but some schools and students struggled with internet access, which was a key concern since most students were required to learn remotely during the pandemic. The districts got creative to address the connectivity issue, from letting students check out hot spots to use in their homes to offering Wi-Fi in the school parking lot.

When the use of education-technology tools increased, many educators discovered that they could do more with technology than without it, Van Wyhe says. At the same time, the value of teachers in the learning process has become even more obvious. "A big fear is that technology will replace the teacher, but that can never happen; the teacher will always be the most important variable in learning," she says.

Remote learning has significantly changed the way content is being presented in education. For example, in middle and high school, instruction is traditionally delivered via lecture. With the infusion of...