Upon hearing about the growing digital divide in my own backyard, I decided to do a little research on the subject. An interesting website I found discussing the consequences of the digital divide turned out to be on a Clinton/Gore website.
http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/digitaldivide/digital3.html Clearly, this is not a new situation. Some startling facts include an increasing digital divide between races and a developing partition between those living in a rural community compared to those living in an urban setting. The site goes on to present the former administration’s agenda on bridging the divide. Although the site offers beneficial suggestion in closing the gap on a national level, it offered little help in assisting the classroom teacher on a classroom level.
After further research, I stumbled upon a podcast by technology expert Mario Armstrong.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6715965 In it, Armstrong mentions the array of digital divide definitions, from those with no computer at home, to those with a computer but dial-up internet. Armstrong offers several options to bridging the digital divide on a school district level as well as a classroom level. A fascinating issue he mentions is the vast amount grant money offered on Federal and State levels that is never touched!
An additional resource I discovered not only gave statistical information on the cause and effects of the digital divide but also present methods for presenting the problem to your students for consideration.
http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/01/011402t_divide.jhtml The city of Pittsburg is making great strides in closing the digital gap.
http://www.post-gazette.com/neigh_city/20010511techcity2.asp After the conclusion of an alarming study showing the city’s underwhelming technological advancements (a reality true of most US cities), the city is taking action by spending $1.5 million in foundation grants to train 700 staff members, and investing $24 million in hardware and software upgrades. The article touches on one extremely important thing to remember- even if provided with state-of-the-art technology, some teachers will still refuse to incorporate it into their classrooms.
In today’s world, including developing countries, technology is imperative for success. Studies have found that those students with access to technology are exponentially more likely to flourish. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to ready my students for life and for this to take place, technology must be incorporated into my classroom.
I have had the privilege to observe two schools in the same school district with a huge technological gap. In the magnet school, each teacher was provided with a personal desktop, as well as, a laptop computer. The classroom possessed both classrooms desktops and a smart board, and the students had access to personal laptops. At a rural high school (in the same district), the technology standard fell much lower. The teacher had a desktop computer, but the classroom lacked any additional computers for the students. The only other piece of technology in the classroom was an over-head projector! Noticeably, these students were not being given an equal education compared to the students attending the magnet school.
After doing research on this pressing issue, I came across numerous sites advertising classroom grants. (example-
http://teachersnetwork.org/grants/grants_technology.htm ) I believe this is a true solution to the digital divide problem. Netbooks today cost, on some sites, as little as $12.00!
http://www.swoopo.com/brw/laptops-netbooks_50.html If teachers and administrators will take the initiative and apply for grants or ask local businesses to sponsor technology in the classroom, I believe the gap can, in the very least, shrink.
