We’re excited to share the news that Hive is featured prominently in the U.S. Department of Education’s new National Education Technology Plan. It’s a big deal, and a major source of pride that the work our Hive communities are doing is influencing how the United States thinks about technology and education.
The National Education Technology Plan — available in website form here, and as a PDF here — is an educational technology policy document that outlines a vision of equity, active use and collaborative leadership for improving learning. This plan is an update from the previous 2010 NETP. The influential report draws on the findings of educational researchers, classroom teachers, developers and nonprofits.
The Hive model plays an important role in the section “Leveraging the Power of Networks: Cultivating Connections Between Schools and Community Institutions.” The report notes Hive’s ability to bring together educators, youth, technologists and others for powerful connected learning.
“Hive Learning Networks, a project of the Mozilla Foundation, organize and support city-based, peer-to-peer professional development networks and champion connected learning, digital skills, and Web literacy in youth-serving organizations in urban centers around the world,” the report notes.
A report from the Hive Research Lab about building connected learning pathways in Hive NYC through brokering future learning opportunities is also cited in the Plan, and Hive is included in learning recommendations throughout the report. And that photo on the report’s cover? That’s from a Hive NYC Maker Party at Brooklyn Public Library!
This isn’t the first time the Hive community has contributed to the conversation on how educator networks can collaborate and build web-enabled solutions for their communities. On Digital Learning Day in March, Hive participated in the Department of Education’s monthly roundtable on techquity, or the effort to achieve equity for learners through technology.
This is a major moment for Hive communities around the world. Our approach to collaborative, community learning is making a major positive difference. Congratulations!