This is the “I Am a Rural Teacher” Podcast: A project of the Rural Schools Collaborative. My name is Julia Levine. Over the past year, I’ve been traveling around the country talking with rural teachers. Now, we’re taking things virtual. Please join us as we explore what it means to be a rural teacher from six different perspectives around the country.

The Flexible Pathways Initiative, created by Act 77 of 2013 and found in statute under 16 V.S.A. § 941, encourages and supports the creativity of school districts as they develop and expand high-quality educational experiences that are an integral part of secondary education in the evolving 21st-century classroom. Flexible pathways also promote opportunities for Vermont students to achieve postsecondary readiness through high-quality educational experiences that acknowledge individual goals, learning styles, and abilities; and increase the rates of secondary school completion and postsecondary continuation in Vermont. Flexible Pathways provides for:

Closing the K-12 digital divide could cost $6 billion to $11 billion in the first year of such efforts as approximately 30% of all public school students lack at-home internet or adequate digital learning devices, according to a new connectivity report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in partnership with Common Sense and EducationSuperHighway.

When it comes to the digital divide, there’s frustration on both sides of the equation. Minority communities are frustrated at their lack of access to technology, training, and opportunities. On the flip side of the coin, many tech companies still struggle to fill their talent pipeline with qualified candidates.

Farmers around the world are missing out on the everyday technology that helps power the spread of information, commerce, entertainment, and even family relationships — broadband internet. Smaller farmers, particularly those in developing countries, are most at risk, according to the latest published research.

When the COVID-19 pandemic settled in for the long haul, and people were no longer tethered to an office building, or even a town, some of them looked to the hills. Manhattan, where space is scarce and rents high, saw its highest number of available units in over a decade this summer. Real estate agents in rural Pennsylvania told The Inquirer their phones were ringing nonstop from people wanting to move to less densely populated areas.

If you own a smartwatch, you’re already familiar with their assortment of health tracking features and motivational reminders, sometimes gentle and sometimes not, about your behavior that involves standing, moving, exercise, breathing, and so on. Even more sophisticated features are on the way, along with the potential for analyzing and sharing that information with your doctor. And the public acceptance of this wearable technology is continuing to grow.

WIN Learning is proud to partner with the National Rural Education Association (NREA) to provide exclusive access to its WIN ATLAS Career Planning and Exploration mobile app to all member districts and promote career readiness for ALL.

WIN values the leadership and forward practices that NREA offers its member districts. Preparing students in rural communities for the real world with the skills and opportunities for high-demand career pathways is the focus of our premier partnership. Together, our mission is to prepare learners with work-based learning experiences and the essential skills that employers value and seek.