ISTE Presents First Digital Equity Award at NECC, Explores International Digital Divide

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) named the first recipient of the Excellence in Digital Equity award Tuesday, July 1, at the Digital Equity Summit at the 29th annual National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Jenelle Leonard, director of School Support and Technology Programs at the U.S. Department of Education, received the award for her efforts to promote digital equity in schools.

It was Leonard's vision in 1995 to create a forum for digital equity issues. Every year since then, leaders and advocates have gathered at NECC to share strategies and resources.

"It's vital that we explore and name the barriers to digital equity and look for resolution and strategies to bridge the digital divide," said ISTE President Trina Davis. "Sharing stories and engaging in a global dialogue can improve the economic, political and social quality of life for individuals, communities and countries around the world."

The Summit featured a keynote address from Paul Resta, founding ISTE president and director of the Learning Technology Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Resta named essential conditions for digital inclusion at the global level.

He shared examples of how communities can move away from the digital divide and toward "digital opportunity." He pointed to the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) new Digital Opportunity Index as a tool for gauging movement toward digital opportunity.

Resta also cited the recent release of UNESCO's competency standards for teachers. "ISTE played a key role in helping to formulate these competency standards, and it's very fortuitous that ISTE updated their standards for teachers around the same time," he said.

ISTE thanks Verizon Thinkfinity, Atomic Learning, Intel Education, Pearson and Sony for their support of the event.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education.