Disrupting Opportunity Gaps Will Hinge on Networks
https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/09/17/disrupting-opportunity-gaps-will-hinge-on-networks/?all
Researcher Raj Chetty from Stanford University released another new study about the colossal differences in opportunity gaps that influence how many people become inventors (have patents). He analyzes the relationship between children’s exposure to innovation versus the likelihood that they become inventers themselves. He calls the children “lost Einsteins” because they have potential to become inventors, but because of the lack of exposure to different opportunities, they are far less likely to become inventors. The research compared demographics, income, race, and gender and discovered that it is based on inherited networks – families, schools, communities, and friends. One surprising find is that the differences fall on demographic lines.
(Map of demographic lines: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/03/opinion/lost-einsteins-innovation-inequality.html)
Because of this discovery, they have developed online platforms to introduce students to a broader spectrum of opportunities available in the local community and around the US. CommunityShare or ImBlaze are apps used for teachers to find other teachers or members in the local community that can talk to a class or teach a certain topic. ImBlaze connect students with businesses in the area for internships. Through these new opportunities, students can connect with professionals that they otherwise might not know in their area. In a more national scale, Nepris or Educurious connect teachers with mentors or other educators that can teach through videochat. It is interesting that people’s interests are influenced by their ego network. Even if a person enjoys working on new ideas, if there is no exposure to innovation and patents, then the person is far less likely to develop his inventions. Educational institutions are currently developing new methods to expose students to more opportunities around the community and the US due to this. Inherited networks play an impactful role on the potential “lost Einsteins,” and this exposure will encourage development and advancements in society.