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Now that you've learned about the importance of digital equity and SEL, please respond in writing with 1 thing you learned, 1 thing you are curious about, and 1 thing you still don’t understand.

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Learned: I knew nothing about Casel 5 going in, so I learned everything related to that!

Curious About: I'd like to know about some more actionable steps that we can take in our settings to lessen the impact of the digital divide - we can't fix things, but what are some things we can do to support our communities and students? Can we carry forward some lessons educators learned during the pandemic? I have not worked in a school during this period, so I did not learn those lessons myself.

Still Don't Understand: There was nothing I didn't understand completely. I guess I would have to say I don't understand why many people don't take the digital divide and SEL seriously in light of all the data you presented!

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I would not have thought to connect these two topics for a lesson, but I understand now how these are linked. Both are such important topics to discuss right now too, so I'm glad you all covered them so well! I learned about some of the resources that are available for online SEL instruction. I have never heard of “Courageous Conversations” but I’m curious to learn more about it! I don’t know if there’s anything I would say I don’t understand from your lesson. Your presentation was very clear and easy to follow!

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Learned: I really did not think about SEL and digital equity together. I generally think about SEL in terms of in person education. I learned about Courageous Conversations. As a high school library media specialist, this sounds like a great resource to teach in person (my current situation) or virtually (if that ever happens again).

Curious about: I am curious about how to best serve all students without making some feel alienated. I wish everyone could just have equal access without special programs.

Don't understand: I would like to learn more about integrating SEL into lessons and how often I should do this. Is there a tipping point where it is too much? Are there certain things that I am unqualified to speak about as a library media specialist and not a therapist?

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Like several others, I was unaware of the connection between social emotional learning and digital equity. I found it fascinating to learn about. When you consider how much of a technology-based society we are, it makes sense just how lost most students would be without something even as basic correct internet access.
Thank you for sharing those resources. I would have struggled with thinking of resources (free or otherwise) that would be beneficial for literacy skills among other things before this presentation.

Thank you again for such a well thought out and executed presentation!

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Excellent job on your presentation! One thing I learned that I found really interesting was the inaccurate perception that teachers had on how much access their students had to digital devices and the internet from home. The difference between 75% (the perception) and 50% (the reality) is a big gap! It can certainly be hard to address an issue if the extent of its existence isn't actually understood. One thing I am curious about is areas in education funding that may be available to be reallocated to the funding of digital equity projects as we move further into that focus. Are there areas that are becoming irrelevant or out of date that can help in areas that are needed today? One thing I still have trouble with is the concept of where SEL can fit at the secondary level. You did speak about the benefits for all students, but at the secondary level students are moving from subject to subject, all with state exams, including regents exams necessary for graduation, that require a hefty amount of content education. Should there be a separate SEL period in the week or day? Should all teachers receive SEL training and incorporate it into each class period? How can that be done well without losing time for content instruction? Does the content instruction time loss matter if SEL can have such a positive impact on academic achievement as well? Definitely a complicated situation!

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I never realized that digital equity and SEL were connected, but after watching the presentation it is very clear that they certainly go hand in hand. I am curious about the games that can be played in the classroom that will get students moving. I wonder how they will work in actual practice, especially with middle schoolers who can get a little squirrelly. One thing that I do not understand is what is stopping the Federal government with supporting students and closing the digital divide. Excellent presentation!

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Learned:
I never really understood the connection between SEL and digital equity, but it makes perfect sense. The most important thing that I learned was that there is a connection between the digital divide and our economy. There is a part of me that feels that many politicians don't care about this issue. I hope that research like this makes them do something about this issue.

Curious about:
I understand the connection between SEL and digital equity now, but it got me wondering. I was just talking to a parent of a 7th grader who was telling me that her child was being bullied. She told me that her child's art teacher had them using Snapchat filters for a project, but she doesn't allow her child to use social media. The child is under 13, so I understand completely why she would not want them on it. Now, this is a case where they have access to technology, but are being kept from social media and that is causing a social and emotional issue. So I am curious if there is a connection there as well.

Don't understand:
It's not necessarily that I don't understand this, but I would really like to get a better idea as to how I could use this in the library. Is there anything I can do outside of lessons?

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I learned many things from your presentation, but one that I found most practically useful were the SEL programs available for implementation; I've bookmarked them so that I can look at them in more depth at a later time so I can better develop my understanding of SEL. Something I had mentioned in my freewrite is that I do wonder what accounts for the difference in the "fully online" expectations for online learning during the pandemic; your presentation mentioned that white students were expected to be fully online 20% of the time, while students of color were expected to be fully online 39%-48% of the time, which is approximately 100% more online time. I have theories about why, but I am curious if there is research yet as to why there is this discrepancy. Finally, it's not something I don't understand, but more something that I am skeptical about, which is that the federal and state government will spend $ on the infrastructure required to bridge the digital divide. Because infrastructure spending isn't "sexy," and spending money on infrastructure that is somewhat "invisible" (e.g. it's not bridges everyone crosses or sewage pipes everyone flushes into) makes it even less likely to be spent on, especially since some lawmakers may see access to the internet as frivolous or fun, rather than an essential service (the lessons of the pandemic non-withstanding). It will be interesting to see what, if anything, appears in our federal and state spending bills to ameliorate the digital divide. Thanks for a really terrific presentation!

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I found it interesting to learn about how investing money in digital equity would ultimately help the economy, by helping students to be more successful, and ultimately helping them to earn more money. I am curious about how NY State’s digital equity numbers compare to the general statistics. I don’t think there was anything I didn’t understand. Your presentation was very straightforward and I appreciate how you linked these two important topics. Great job!

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Through your presentation I have learned about the various Social Emotional Learning Programs available to schools. The school where I work strongly believes in giving students breaks and check-ins. Although I think this program is awesome I'd always wanted to learn more about it. (It mostly applies to classroom teachers.) Your presentation taught me about the value of these types of programs. Something I am curious about is the Casel 5. I plan to watch the video Valerie talked about for more information. Finally, something I don't understand is how to close the digital divide. Providing students with wifi hotspots is one idea, but realistically where would those funds come from? I feel as if this is a policy that has to trickle down. The state has to allocate more money to schools or economic support programs so families can claim internet as a utility and receive assistance paying this bill. Basically I am wondering what the first steps to closing the digital divide would be.
Thanks for your awesome presentation!

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Our school does Casel and RULER but I was curious to  learn about some new programs.  I agree that academic achievement is improved when students have the SEL skills to communicate with one another.  One question I have is whether school districts will spend money for training and support programs like these.  Mine does but I’ve worked in many that don’t.   I don’t have any gaps in understanding right now. Great presentation.  Thanks so much, Rebecca Pollack

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Greetings, comrades.  A job well done; this is one of the finest presentations I've seen in the ISSL program, and I'm so grateful for the labour you all put into it!  Something I learned  about that I found so valuable is the importance of check-ins; it makes people feel connected and I can see why it would have favorable outcomes in school settings.  Something I am still curious about is the future of the "digital divide"; people seem determined to return to "normal", and my concern in that is that we're not going to see any follow through by politicians/administrators/concerned citizens in bridging this divide.  Your presentation was very clear, so I can't say that there was nothing I didn't understand.  Truly, this was a wonderful and informative presentation that made me think a lot about the power of SEL.  Thank you.

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Digital Equity and SEL-                       Serena Zingale

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Digital Equity and SEL-                       Serena Zingale

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I learned about the Casel 5 Framework and how the core competencies in this program support students beyond their experiences in the classroom. I am interested in looking into the source provided on this topic! I am curious about how the games to get moving will be helpful to students in the classroom. I don't understand why the federal funding seems to be split between supporting students affected by the digital divide and using technology in schools. As mentioned, the pandemic exposed the digital divide, so the rate of increasing use of technology did not match the rate of ending the digital divide.