According to the Pew Research Center, 90% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 own a smartphone. An article on LinkedIn recently backed up the claim that there are more smartphones than toothbrushes worldwide. Though this may be the case, ReadyRosie users have posed the question of what to do when the opposite is true – when families have toothbrushes, but not a device.
One thrifty school teacher collects used smartphones from parents willing to donate old devices in order to create a 1:1 classroom. To solve the toothbrush-device divide, what if a school collected unused devices and provided them to parents with an agreement to use them to connect to ReadyRosie a certain number of times per month? Restaurants such as McDonalds offer patrons free Wi-Fi access. Perhaps an agreement to watch a playlist including Restaurant Story Problems and All Done would work as would a playlist including My Library List and Book Selection while connected at the public library. While families may not be able to brush teeth with the device, such an idea could be used to help resolve the equity gap for those without access.
How are you using ReadyRosie in your school? We’d love to hear from you! Using your phone, record a 1-2 minute video of yourself sharing your great idea and we’ll share it with the ReadyRosie community! Upload you submission here.