[Editor’s Note: “Build on This” is a letter series between education leaders. Our second pair is Karen Cator, who leads the nonprofit Digital Promise, and David Liu, the Chief Operating Officer of Knewton, an educational technology company. This is the second of four letters.]

Dear Karen,

We’re definitely in agreement on the premise.

The Digital Divide gets a lot of attention today. Many kids today do lack basic access to technology. As you point out, addressing this issue is a crucial first step. Stopgap solutions can help, while governments and schools work toward long-term solutions.

But just giving children (or teachers) devices isn’t enough. We’ve seen this time and time again in places like L.A. and the Guilford County Schools in North Carolina — broadband access and tablets alone won’t move the needle.

I agree that beyond the Digital Divide, we need to solve the Digital Learning Gap. This involves training teachers and students in how to most effectively use different types of technology.

Professional development for instructors is key. As a study from CITEd points out, these programs must be “planned and intentional,” “ongoing,” and “systemic” in order to be effective. Building leadership and advisory teams to support technology integrations is also crucial, and should include everyone from supportive administrators, to teachers who can model the technology in the classroom, to facilitators who can provide the necessary resources to train and troubleshoot with teachers.

There are many teachers who embrace technology with open arms. There are others who are more skeptical. Let’s encourage schools to make use of these technology evangelists to show other teachers first-hand how tech can make their jobs easier.

A big part of the burden lies with education technology providers, too. We can create the best technology in the world and give it to every student everywhere — but if it doesn’t fit the needs of teachers and students, it won’t be used.

“EdTech” companies should partner with teachers from the start. They should conduct focus groups to help refine product vision. They should rely on user testing in the beta stage. And they must gather feedback once a product has launched.

Tech shouldn’t be a chore; it shouldn’t be something that teachers or schools feel like they “have” to use. It should help solve real problems teachers and students face every day: whether that’s assisting teachers with classroom management or streamlining student logins or facilitating collaboration and networking in a safe space.

You mention “pockets of excellence” — schools and classrooms in which children are tackling real-world problems and using technology to experiment, think critically, question previously held beliefs, and make mistakes in a safe space. You’re right: We need more of these pockets. We need to build school environments that encourage experimentation on the part of both teachers and students, and which place value not only on test scores but also on critical thinking skills, engagement, problem-solving, and out-of-the-box thinking.

Solving the Learning Gap is relevant in every school across the country and world — regardless of their current access to digital learning and technology. If we only solve for digital access, we’ll continue to miss the boat. I’m curious about your ideas around how we can prioritize both goals, and create learning environments in which technology is used to help students address deeper questions, encourage participation, and grow as critical thinkers.

David

Here is Karen’s response to David: