Millions of students in the US remain unable to get online despite having at-home internet access because they are under-connected, according to a survey by researchers at New America. Of the 84% of low-income families with devices and internet access at home, 56% are under-connected -- primarily due to slow internet speeds -- researchers found.

There are three ways that educators can help students affected by poverty and personal issues -- unstable housing, food insecurity, absent parents -- overcome these hurdles and change their academic trajectory, Khan Academy founder and CEO Sal Khan says. In a recent interview with SmartBrief, Khan talks about how mastery, learning autonomy and resources in the classroom can help these students achieve better outcomes and work toward a more successful future.

Schools should offer a coding curriculum, according to Paola Valdivia, director of science, technology and engineering instruction at the KIPP Foundation. In this blog post, Valdivia shares five features that schools should look for in an effective program, including measurement of mastery and engagement of students.

The Clubhouse audio platform has moved out of beta to open its service to all users, and unveiled an updated logo and a refreshed website. Clubhouse reports that 500,000 rooms are added daily and average listening time is more than one hour daily, while Android users have downloaded the app 10 million times since being able to in May.

A study published in The Lancet estimates that more than 1.1 million children around the world have lost at least one parent or custodial grandparent, while more than 1.5 million children lost at least one primary or secondary caregiver because of COVID-19. Losing a parent or other caregiver can have severe consequences for children, increasing their "risks of experiencing mental health problems; physical, emotional and sexual violence; and family poverty," researchers said.

A library situated between rival gangs' territory in South Africa is built from shipping containers joined with plywood and sheet metal. Despite a leaky roof, "it offers a safe space to escape the harsh realities of daily life and to explore different worlds in the pages of thousands of donated second-hand books," and its membership has grown from 30 to more than 700, with "more than 2,000 books, ranging from Afrikaans romantic novels to popular crime thrillers, modern classics and reference guides to local flora and fauna."

Kathryn Nieves, an educational technology coordinator, writes that she adopted several strategies in the past year to inform her edtech usage in the future. In this article, Nieves suggests evaluating students' user experience and data privacy concerns and surveying students to determine tools they can use independently.

The Federal Communications Commission started the Emergency Connectivity Fund this month to help students access at-home internet, write Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chairwoman of the FCC, and Valerie Jarrett, president of the Barack Obama Foundation. In this commentary, they share how this program will support the estimated 17 million students affected by the "homework gap."

School libraries have evolved into workspaces where students can learn about programming, pore through research and develop 21st-century skills. This article highlights five digital tools to support school libraries, including 826 Digital, which allows access to resources aimed at engaging students in writing, and Skybrary, an interactive library of digital books.

The abrupt shift to virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic shed light on needed adjustments to how higher education instruction is delivered, according to a new report from the progressive think tank New America. The report lays policy changes and other ways that higher education can be restructured to improve outcomes for students post-pandemic.