{"id":31667,"date":"2020-02-03T08:24:38","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T13:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=31667"},"modified":"2020-02-03T09:03:12","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T14:03:12","slug":"digital-durham-developed-by-metrc-assistant-director-laura-b-fogle-continues-work-to-close-homework-gap-through-catalyst-grant-institute-for-emerging-issues-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/2020\/02\/03\/digital-durham-developed-by-metrc-assistant-director-laura-b-fogle-continues-work-to-close-homework-gap-through-catalyst-grant-institute-for-emerging-issues-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Durham, Developed by METRC Assistant Director Laura B. Fogle, Continues Work to Close Homework Gap Through Catalyst Grant, Institute for Emerging Issues Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/people\/lbfogle\/\">Laura B. Fogle<\/a>, assistant director of the NC State College of Education\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/metrc\/\">Media and Education Technology Resource Center (METRC<\/a>), worked as a technology facilitator in Durham Public Schools, an encounter with a student opened her eyes to how the homework gap was impacting access to quality education.<\/p>\n<p>Fogle saw how a lack of access to technology was exacerbating this student\u2019s struggles in school, so she took it upon herself to help. She partnered with a librarian at her school to request a donation of a refurbished desktop computer for the student, thinking it would help address the issue. Although the student was grateful, he reluctantly had to admit he was unable to use his new computer, because he did not have access to the internet at home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe crushing realization I came to was that, while I felt so good about the things I was doing and the way I was empowering students and teachers in their learning, there were certain students I wasn\u2019t reaching because they didn\u2019t have access like I assumed they did,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was the beginning of my awakening to the issue of digital equity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That realization prompted Fogle to apply for a grant that provided funding for her school to distribute wifi hotspots and Chromebooks to students without internet access. Her efforts to address the homework gap in the community eventually grew into the <a href=\"http:\/\/digitaldurham.net\/\">Digital Durham<\/a> collaborative.<\/p>\n<p>Digital Durham, which began in 2016, has grown over the past few years through small grants and community support. The group, which includes librarians, technology refurbishers, and public school representatives, among others, meets monthly to share best practices, collect data and help community leaders understand issues related to digital equity.<\/p>\n<p>As a recipient of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/news\/2020-catalyst-grant-winners-announced-monday\/\">2020 Catalyst Grant<\/a> from the NC State College of Education and its Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, Digital Durham will be able to enter into its next phase of work, magnifying it\u2019s impact on the Durham community.<\/p>\n<p>[spotlight-box label=&#8221;&#8221; img=&#8221;&#8221; heading=&#8221;2020 Catalyst Grant Winners&#8221; cta=&#8221;Read More&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/news\/2020-catalyst-grant-winners-announced-monday\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"\">Digital Durham is one of six projects awarded a Catalyst Grant by the NC State College of Education and its Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. The full list of award-winning projects and researchers includes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"\">Multimodal AI Literacy: Supporting the Learning of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Through Multimodal Narrative Creation &#8212; Shiyan Jiang, Ph.D., and Bita Akram\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"\">Digital Durham Program Evaluation: Working Towards a Strategic Plan &#8212; Erin Huggins and Laura B. Fogle\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"\">Foundations of Media Literacy MOOC-Ed: Providing Professional Learning in the Era of Fake News and Mis-information &#8212; Megan Manfra, Ph.D., and Alex Dreier<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"\">Refining Survey Tools\u2019 Content, Theory and Presentation &#8212; Sara Weiss, Ph.D., and Paul Umbach, Ph.D.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"\">A Sense of Awe: A Tool for Enhancing Science Instruction &#8212; Gail Jones, Ph.D., Sarah Carrier, Ph.D., Cesar Delgado, Ph.D., LaTricia Townsend, Ed.D., and Jill Grifenhagen, Ph.D.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"\">Amplifying Youth Voices in University-Community Partnerships: Write. Engage. Lead &#8212; Crystal Lee, Ed.D., and Jose Picart, Ph.D.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/spotlight-box]<\/p>\n<p>Through the grant, which aims to increase research collaborations between faculty and staff at the College of Education and Friday Institute, Fogle will partner with Friday Institute Research Associate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/people\/eshuggin\/\">Erin Huggins<\/a>, who currently works on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/projects\/institute-of-museum-and-library-sciences-homework-gap-grant-evaluation\/\">Institute of Museum and Library Services Homework Gap Hotspot<\/a> grant-funded project.<\/p>\n<p>Fogle said that the partnership will allow Digital Durham to leverage Huggins\u2019 previous knowledge as well as the resources she has helped develop to address the homework gap and ensure that children in Durham have internet connectivity, an internet-enabled device and the digital literacy training to use it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Catalyst Grant can launch us into this bigger place where we can have a sustainable, measurable impact that\u2019s multifaceted in the community. We\u2019ll be able to look at our collective impact and really leverage the work that each of the different participating organizations is doing,\u201d Fogle said.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to receiving the Catalyst Grant, Digital Durham has been accepted into the <a href=\"https:\/\/iei.ncsu.edu\/\">NC State Institute for Emerging Issues<\/a>\u2019 ReCONNECT to Technological Opportunity Cohort, where Fogle will receive professional coaching and learn from communities across the state about initiatives to increase access to broadband internet.<\/p>\n<p>As a member of the ReCONNECT cohort, Fogle will also be given the opportunity to speak about digital equity at the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum on Feb. 10.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re giving us the stage to be able to talk to stakeholders across the state about the work we\u2019re doing and the importance of that work being done in Durham, which will allow us to attract other key stakeholders that we need to have at the table for this project to grow,\u201d Fogle said.<\/p>\n<p>In her talk, which will focus on digital equity and the homework gap, Fogle said she will share the story of another student she encountered while working with Durham Public Schools.<\/p>\n<p>This girl &#8212; a seventh grade, English language learner who was one of an estimated 500,000 students in North Carolina impacted by the homework gap &#8212; had big dreams for her future and was willing to do whatever it took to succeed in school, Fogle said. In order to complete her assignments, the student typed and submitted her work on a cellphone with a severely cracked screen. It was the only device she owned that was capable of accessing the internet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImagine what those students could do if they were connected, if they had access to online homework help, if they could apply to college online and if their parents could see what they\u2019re doing through PowerSchool like all the other parents can,\u201d Fogle said. \u201cThis is an issue every day. There are kids who are missing out because of this and the opportunities for them and their futures are limited because they don\u2019t have access.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"When <a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/people\/lbfogle\/\">Laura B. Fogle<\/a>, assistant director of the NC State College of Education\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/metrc\/\">Media and Education Technology Resource Center (METRC<\/a>), worked as a technology facilitator in Durham Public Schools, an encounter with a student opened her eyes to how the homework gap was impacting access to quality education.\r\n\r\nFogle saw how a lack of access to technology was exacerbating this student\u2019s struggles in school, so she took it upon herself to help. She partnered with a librarian at her school to request a donation of a refurbished desktop computer for the student, thinking it would help address the issue. Although the student was grateful, he reluctantly had to admit he was unable to use his new computer, because he did not have access to the internet at home.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe crushing realization I came to was that, while I felt so good about the things I was doing and the way I was empowering students and teachers in their learning, there were certain students I wasn\u2019t reaching because they didn\u2019t have access like I assumed they did,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was the beginning of my awakening to the issue of digital equity.\u201d\r\n\r\nThat realization prompted Fogle to apply for a grant that provided funding for her school to distribute wifi hotspots and Chromebooks to students without internet access. Her efforts to address the homework gap in the community eventually grew into the <a href=\"http:\/\/digitaldurham.net\/\">Digital Durham<\/a> collaborative.\r\n\r\nDigital Durham, which began in 2016, has grown over the past few years through small grants and community support. The group, which includes librarians, technology refurbishers, and public school representatives, among others, meets monthly to share best practices, collect data and help community leaders understand issues related to digital equity.\r\n\r\nAs a recipient of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/news\/2020-catalyst-grant-winners-announced-monday\/\">2020 Catalyst Grant<\/a> from the NC State College of Education and its Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, Digital Durham will be able to enter into its next phase of work, magnifying it\u2019s impact on the Durham community.\r\n\r\n[spotlight-box label=\"\" img=\"\" heading=\"2020 Catalyst Grant Winners\" cta=\"Read More\" url=\"https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/news\/2020-catalyst-grant-winners-announced-monday\/\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"\">Digital Durham is one of six projects awarded a Catalyst Grant by the NC State College of Education and its Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. The full list of award-winning projects and researchers includes:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"\">Multimodal AI Literacy: Supporting the Learning of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Through Multimodal Narrative Creation -- Shiyan Jiang, Ph.D., and Bita Akram\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"\">Digital Durham Program Evaluation: Working Towards a Strategic Plan -- Erin Huggins and Laura B. Fogle\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"\">Foundations of Media Literacy MOOC-Ed: Providing Professional Learning in the Era of Fake News and Mis-information -- Megan Manfra, Ph.D., and Alex Dreier<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"\">Refining Survey Tools\u2019 Content, Theory and Presentation -- Sara Weiss, Ph.D., and Paul Umbach, Ph.D.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"\">A Sense of Awe: A Tool for Enhancing Science Instruction -- Gail Jones, Ph.D., Sarah Carrier, Ph.D., Cesar Delgado, Ph.D., LaTricia Townsend, Ed.D., and Jill Grifenhagen, Ph.D.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"\">Amplifying Youth Voices in University-Community Partnerships: Write. Engage. Lead -- Crystal Lee, Ed.D., and Jose Picart, Ph.D.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[\/spotlight-box]\r\n\r\nThrough the grant, which aims to increase research collaborations between faculty and staff at the College of Education and Friday Institute, Fogle will partner with Friday Institute Research Associate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/people\/eshuggin\/\">Erin Huggins<\/a>, who currently works on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fi.ncsu.edu\/projects\/institute-of-museum-and-library-sciences-homework-gap-grant-evaluation\/\">Institute of Museum and Library Services Homework Gap Hotspot<\/a> grant-funded project.\r\n\r\nFogle said that the partnership will allow Digital Durham to leverage Huggins\u2019 previous knowledge as well as the resources she has helped develop to address the homework gap and ensure that children in Durham have internet connectivity, an internet-enabled device and the digital literacy training to use it.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe Catalyst Grant can launch us into this bigger place where we can have a sustainable, measurable impact that\u2019s multifaceted in the community. We\u2019ll be able to look at our collective impact and really leverage the work that each of the different participating organizations is doing,\u201d Fogle said.\r\n\r\nIn addition to receiving the Catalyst Grant, Digital Durham has been accepted into the <a href=\"https:\/\/iei.ncsu.edu\/\">NC State Institute for Emerging Issues<\/a>\u2019 ReCONNECT to Technological Opportunity Cohort, where Fogle will receive professional coaching and learn from communities across the state about initiatives to increase access to broadband internet.\r\n\r\nAs a member of the ReCONNECT cohort, Fogle will also be given the opportunity to speak about digital equity at the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum on Feb. 10.\r\n\r\n\u201cThey\u2019re giving us the stage to be able to talk to stakeholders across the state about the work we\u2019re doing and the importance of that work being done in Durham, which will allow us to attract other key stakeholders that we need to have at the table for this project to grow,\u201d Fogle said.\r\n\r\nIn her talk, which will focus on digital equity and the homework gap, Fogle said she will share the story of another student she encountered while working with Durham Public Schools.\r\n\r\nThis girl -- a seventh grade, English language learner who was one of an estimated 500,000 students in North Carolina impacted by the homework gap -- had big dreams for her future and was willing to do whatever it took to succeed in school, Fogle said. In order to complete her assignments, the student typed and submitted her work on a cellphone with a severely cracked screen. It was the only device she owned that was capable of accessing the internet.\r\n\r\n\u201cImagine what those students could do if they were connected, if they had access to online homework help, if they could apply to college online and if their parents could see what they\u2019re doing through PowerSchool like all the other parents can,\u201d Fogle said. \u201cThis is an issue every day. There are kids who are missing out because of this and the opportunities for them and their futures are limited because they don\u2019t have access.\u201d"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An encounter with one Durham Public Schools student opened METRC Assistant Director Laura B. Fogle\u2019s eyes to the issue of digital equity. Today she is working to close the homework gap through the Digital Durham project, which was recently awarded a Catalyst Grant from the NC State College of Education and its Friday Institute. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54576,"featured_media":31726,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[185,205,203],"tags":[1301,1303,614,270,1300,1302,1299,223,217,255,253],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-31667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-our-people","category-research-and-impact","tag-catalyst-grant","tag-erin-huggins","tag-friday-institute-for-educational-innovation","tag-homepage-news","tag-homework-gap","tag-institute-for-emerging-issues","tag-laura-b-fogle","tag-metrc","tag-news","tag-research","tag-technology"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54576"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31667"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31727,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31667\/revisions\/31727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31667"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=31667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}