As smart phones, tablets and laptops become increasingly popular in todays society it seems only logical that students begin to use them in our classrooms. They engage students in lessons and offer them new ways to experience the material. As more and more Americans own these devices throughout the U.S. many tend to forget just how many people still have no access to such devices or even the internet. This lack of connectivity creates what many call the "Digital Divide". It is the gap created between those with and without access to technology and the world wide web. This is not only an issue in our own country but creates a divide amongst countries all over the world. How Countries compare
As teachers we must be aware of this divide and the potential that we will have students in our classrooms with a wide range of technology access. This can range from students with tablets, PC's, and smart phones at their disposal 24/7 to students whose only chance to use a computer is in school. This creates a very wide gap in students' abilities to complete various types of projects, papers, and presentations both in school and after school. We can not assume that students have access to technology at home and never assume that every student will be able to effectively use a device or program. This means we have to talk students through processes that many may find easy to ensure that every student, regardless of familiarity is able to effectively use the technology we intend to use in our classrooms.
Internet users have increased dramatically over the last 20 years but it is still not available in every home across the United States either due to lack of service or affordability. This drastically impacts the people in the lower economic levels and sets up another barrier for them in terms of accessibility. As of Dec 2012 there were still 4% of Americans using dial up internet which is far too slow for todays internet packed with videos, detailed graphics, and large image files. At the same time 65% had access to broadband. This means at the end of 2012 31% of American homes were with out internet. This lack of connectivity directly impact how we can assign work, communicate with parents, and how effectively students can do research after school hours. The Divide is real and we as educators have to be aware of it!
http://www.minnpost.com/minnesota-blog-cabin/2013/04/digital-divide-statistics-dont-give-whole-picture-gap-real
http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/articles/a/c/c/Access_Group_3_SU_09_1758.html
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post, my name is Winnie, I'm a University of Lethbridge student located in Lethbridge, Alberta. I completely agree that as teachers, we need to be aware and assume all children have the same access and knowledge to technology just because they grew up in a technological advanced world. As teachers, it's important to adapt to the different situations of each students. However, I wonder what we can do as teachers to ensure students who do not have access to technology will gain the same level of computing/ technology competency as those who does to ensure their social economic condition does not impact their future success in this technological advanced society. Thanks for the informative post about digital divide!