Requirements:
Four synchronous sideby sessions with peers (One 20 minute session ~every 2 weeks)
Two solo reflection sessions on sideby (About 10 mins each in between sideby sessions with peers)
Completion of required tasks in between sessions, including:
An Experiential Learning Task of your choice - applying learning in practice
Four shared posts within sideby of your Small Wins
Completed course readings
sideby’s Advancing Digital Equity Badge earns 6 DEIB clock hours. This peer-driven course runs from March 18 and June 5, 2026 and is broken into four thematic units. See below for details.
-
My Why of Digital Equity
What does digital equity look like in your school — and why does it matter now?
Examine how your identity, role, and access to technology shape your leadership decisions, then ground your work in a clear equity challenge and aspiration based on your students’ lived experiences.
-
Inclusive Tools in Action
Which tools expand access — and which quietly create barriers?
Analyze a real digital tool used in your setting to understand who benefits most, where friction or bias shows up, and what conditions support more inclusive and effective use.
-
Systems Thinking & Leadership for Digital Equity
What leadership move could create meaningful change using what you already have?
Identify system-level barriers connected to your equity challenge and design a practical leadership move that repurposes existing resources, policies, or structures to move the work forward. -
AI & Ethical Leadership
How might AI help — or hinder — your equity goals?
Examine AI through an ethical and equity-centered lens, clarify your stance as a leader, and consider how AI can support (or undermine) access, belonging, and student learning in your context.
Limited Enrollment
Limited Enrollment
Your Course Designers
-
Erica Crane, EdD
Erica is a former teacher and high school founding principal. She is a current ceo and co-founder at sideby, a platform that connects educators for guided conversations along learning pathways to accelerate community-driven innovation at scale. She is also a faculty associate and course designer in Ed Leadership at ASU where she currently coaches principal interns. With an emphasis on liberatory practices, she has taught, coached, consulted, and led in schools and supported school systems across the United States since 2006, from the South Bronx to rural Northern California.
-
Mike Mendelson
Mike brings deep experience at the intersection of teaching, learning design, and applied AI in education. He began his career as a high school math and technology educator and later served in a district-level role supporting the implementation of personalized, competency-based learning systems. Across these roles, he focused on designing structures that support educator practice, student agency, and coherent learning pathways at scale.
-
Kippy Smith
Over the last 20 years, Kippy has held roles on all sides of professional learning—from classroom teacher, to programs designer and facilitator, leadership coach, and organizational leader. Kippy has spent her career at the intersection of school design, edtech innovation, and educator collaboration. Her work is grounded in the belief that transformational learning isn’t top-down — it’s co-created in schools, classrooms, and teams. As SVP of Learning at sideby, Kippy continues to lead SWD while influencing how we grow sideby’s learning network.
✺ Course Contact Information ✺
For course learning questions or technical support within sideby, reach out to: team@sideby.ai
For questions about your clock hours issued through AWSP or for info about registration in AWSP’s Learning Lab, reach out to: dameon@awsp.org
✺ Frequently Asked Questions ✺
-
No. This is a peer-driven learning experience designed to fit into the real work of school leadership. You’ll spend short, focused time learning with a peer, then apply what you’re exploring directly in your school through practical challenges and reflection.
-
The synchronous commitment is light: a 20-minute guided peer session every two weeks. Asynchronous work is flexible and embedded in your day-to-day leadership — not extra homework or long written assignments.
-
No. This course is designed for principals with a wide range of experience. You’ll focus on a digital equity challenge in your own school, explore tools and systems already in use, and clarify your leadership approach — without having to match anyone else’s pace or expertise.
-
You’ll leave with a clear digital equity focus, a leadership move grounded in your school’s reality, and a reflective story you can use to engage staff, districts, or communities. The learning is designed to create momentum — not just completion. 100% free for educators (to engage AND get the badge at the end). No credit card. No upsell.
Drafted content about course engagement is below.
Accessing Advancing Digital Equity on sideby
Below are the details of how to access and engage with the sideby platform
Sign in and access sideby
When you sign in, click “For AI” to toggle to your specific course: Advancing Digital Equity
Use your course access code: ADE
Already in sideby? Having trouble navigating sideby, just reach out to team@sideby.ai. We’ve got you.
Why sideby?
-
✺
We’re real educators too who designed sideby for transformational professional learning. We’ve taught, led, and facilitated great PD in real schools.
-
✺
AWSP and sideby have partnered to bring exciting new learning opportunities for education leaders to earn official clock hours.
-
✺
AWSP heard from ed leaders that they wanted clock hours through authentic learning opportunities and connection with peers.
-
✺
Education leaders should learn how they’d teach. Our approach to more personalized, peer-driven, application-based courses models deeper learning in action
-
✺
These courses offer an opportunity for collaboration and cross-pollination across leadership contexts. They are first offered to AWSP members before opening up registration nationally.
-
✺
Leaders deserve the best learning, just like students do.
How’s It Work?
Sign on and Reflect
SIgn in to sideby! Make sure to click at the top “for…” to select your Crew and what you’ll be using sideby “for.” Enter your specific “Crew Access Code” of ADE.
Click to reflect, hop into the software we use for our guided sessions.
Click enter.
Make sure you enable your video and audio.
It’ll say “searching for partners” so just wait a moment while it sends you to a reflect.
Record your reflection by responding to each prompt and moving to to the next one.
Finish reflecting! Ideas and matches come next…
Reach out if you’re ever stuck: team@sideby.ai
Get and Give Ideas
You’ll get an idea reflected back to you after your session. You can then play with your idea, share it, or add a brand new one of your own.
Get Matched & Message
You’ll get a notification that you have a match from your course. Get excited! You’ll then schedule with your match to connect for your one to one sideby session. Each session is about 20 mins so plan accordingly.
Engage in a sideby Session
You’ll click into the app when it’s time for your session and connect with your learning partner. Don’t worry, we have thoughtful prompts guiding your learning in the session.
✺ Couse Contact Information ✺
For course learning questions or technical support within sideby, reach out to: team@sideby.ai
For questions about your clock hours issued through AWSP or for info about registration in AWSP’s Learning Lab, reach out to: dameon@awsp.org