Panelists
Alison Dwier-Selden, Principal, Walton Middle School (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Vincent Scheivert, Chief Information Officer, Albemarle County Public Schools (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Scott McLeod, PhD, Director of Innovation, Prairie Lakes AEA 8 (Pocahontas, Iowa)
Pamela Moran, EdD, Superintendent, Albemarle County Public Schools (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Terri Schwartzbeck, Senior Policy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education
Chip Slaven, Senior Advocacy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education

Rural youth continue to be less likely than their urban counterparts to reach their educational goals, and evidence indicates that they continue to be disadvantaged in terms of school resources to prepare them for college and a career. Some of the most promising efforts around improving rural education are taking place in schools where digital media and technology resources are being effectively utilized to connect students to the world outside their community and building their skills to make them better citizens within it.

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar on October 25 to learn more about how rural schools are overcoming the challenges of funding and support to provide students with the best education the twenty-first century has to offer.

Terri Schwartzbeck of the Alliance moderated a conversation with two educators from rural Albemarle County, Virginia and Dr. Scott McLeod, who is currently serving as Director of Innovation in Pocahontas, Iowa while on leave from his position as an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE) at the University of Kentucky. Superintendent Pam Moran discussed some of her districtwide strategies for using digital tools and technology to improve student access to enriching educational experiences. Alison Dwier-Selden, principal of Walton Middle School shared her experiences working to provide better access to broadband for not just her school but her entire community. Chip Slaven of the Alliance discussed efforts under way in rural McDowell County, West Virginia. Panelists also addressed questions submitted by viewers from across the country.

Support for this webinar was provided in part by Carnegie Corporation of New York.