Kelsey Hubbert

Kelsey Hubbert TEAC259 Oct. 1st, 2009 Closing the Gap of the Educational Divide When I think of the “digital divide”, I think of my parents and grandparents who do not understand, or do not want to understand, technology. I also think of poorer countries outside of the US who cannot afford computers, telephones, or Internet access. I do not tend to think about kids in classrooms in the United States who are unequipped to use technology in their classrooms because they don’t have access to it at home. This is odd, because my own family was without Internet for most of my childhood. Coming from a rural area, broadband access wasn’t available until last year for my family, and it is still unreliable. However, at the University there is constant access to the Internet, and even students without computers can access 24-hour computer labs in several locations on campus. This constant access to technology has spoiled me, and it is hard to understand teaching in a classroom where even a few students don’t have Internet and computers readily available at home. Older generations of teachers may argue that access to Internet and computers is not necessary, because children already have too much exposure to technology. What these teachers don’t realize is that technology can be a useful tool if correctly used, but that most kids don’t know how to use it in ways that facilitate learning and growth. According to 21stcenturyskills.com, “ Different media forms — print, video, and web — permeate 21st century society. Students need to be literate in these forms not just as consumers of digital media but as producers who can actively interpret the wide array of messages that flood their lives and construct their own messages using the same media forms.” (2007) How can teachers expect children to properly use technology and media in ways that enhance the learning process, if they have not been shown how?

All students can have access to the computer and Internet, if the teacher is creative. More time needs to be allowed for students to be in computer labs. Most elementary schools students spend only half and hour to an hour a week in a computer lab at school. At the school I attended, the computer labs sat empty for a large part of the day. Work stations are another great way to incorporate technology, when the students only have access to the few computers in the classroom. I think that it is so important for these kids to be given the opportunity to learn to use technology. Too often it is assumed that the kids just “know”. Electronic means of communication like blogs, emails, and texts, are an important part of keeping parents connected, and it is easy to forget that some parents may be left out if we only communicate by these means. It is the responsibility of the teacher to make sure that all parents are well connected without having to ask for communication. These parents need the same information mailed to them at home, or they needed to be reached by telephone, so that there is less opportunity for them to become disengaged from their child’s educational process. 21st Century Skills Route 21 Snapshots (2007) Media Literacy/Core Subjects & 21st Century Themes. Retrieved October 1st, 2009, from http://21stcenturyskills.org. Edutopia (2008) Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many.

Retrived October 1st, 2009, from http://edutopia.org.