Mobility Labs focuses on helping organizations meet their goals using digital and online tools and resources. Every industry and sector is experiencing a wave of transition, as existing tasks migrate online and now possibilities open up. Today, we’re looking at one of the areas we have found especially rewarding—education. This introduces an ongoing topic that we will be returning to regularly.

Today, we start with the impact on middle and secondary school teachers. According to this Pew Research study, almost all teachers now see the Internet as having a major impact on their work. Specifically:

• 92% of these teachers say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to access content, resources, and materials for their teaching
• 69% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to share ideas with other teachers
• 67% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to interact with parents and 57% say it has had such an impact on enabling their interaction with students

While much of this is positive, many report that all these resources has actually increased the burden on teachers.

At the same time, 75% of AP and NWP teachers say the internet and other digital tools have added new demands to their lives, agreeing with the statement that these tools have a “major impact” by increasing the range of content and skills about which they must be knowledgeable.  And 41% report a “major impact” by requiring more work on their part to be an effective teacher.

Another drawback to the prevalence of online tools is the gap it creates between lower and higher income students. According to the survey:

• 39% of AP and NWP teachers of low income students say their school is “behind the curve” when it comes to effectively using digital tools in the learning process; just 15% of teachers of higher income students rate their schools poorly in this area