4.1 Digital Equity
Candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. (PSC 4.1/ISTE 5a)
Artifact: Article
Reflection:
This document is an article I wrote in the spring of 2014. The article was written for the ITEC 7430 course, Internet Tools in the Classroom. The article is about Equitable Access, how the digital divide is a very serious concern for students and schools alike, the importance of finding a viable solution to a growing problem, and how to meet learners’ needs. The article was shared with my professional learning community to help build awareness, and it was published on my educational blog.
Standard 4.1 states that candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. This article addresses a variety of elements specific to Standard 4.1. Initially, the article addresses specific ways in which digital tools and resources can be utilized to help bridge the digital gap between those students who have steady and reliable access to technology, and those who do not. Furthermore, the article addresses technology-related best practices for both teachers and students by addressing a variety of possible solutions for filling the digital divide, one of which being a well-developed communication plan with families and the community to start a BYOD program.
Grasping the far-reaching potential of technology to reinvent education has been key in my studies at Kennesaw State. This article represents my ability to model and promote these understandings in order to articulate technology-related best practices. Through the composition of this article I was able to further develop my understanding of the challenges that society is faced with as technology becomes more and more of a foundational tool in schools. I understand that teachers are the key to bridging this gap, as students oftentimes feel like there is a disconnect between what teachers ask of them and what they, themselves, are able to do. Specifically, the digital divide doesn’t just span socio-economic backgrounds; it spans age groups, as well. Digital tools and resources, when available and used appropriately, bridge the poverty gap and allow equitable opportunities for success in society for all. Digital natives have the leg up, but this is not the end of the road for those who are not digital natives. Ultimately, This article helped me understand the profound need to model and promote equitable access in my school. If I could improve this artifact, I should like to add more solutions to bridging the gap. It isn’t an easy challenge, but it is very important.
This article, while quite eye opening for me, doesn’t quite apply to my school or the population that I teach. Coming from a private international school in Costa Rica, my school serves the top 1% of wealthy families in Costa Rica. And, while I haven’t had to suffer at the myriad of issues that plague teachers because their students don’t have access to technology, I do see the ignorance that privilege breeds. So, it is a struggle to expose my students and the community to the idea that the digital divide is very real and very serious. And, while I have had many beneficial conversations regarding the digital divide, I have yet to see revolutionary change in the status quo.
Reflection:
This document is an article I wrote in the spring of 2014. The article was written for the ITEC 7430 course, Internet Tools in the Classroom. The article is about Equitable Access, how the digital divide is a very serious concern for students and schools alike, the importance of finding a viable solution to a growing problem, and how to meet learners’ needs. The article was shared with my professional learning community to help build awareness, and it was published on my educational blog.
Standard 4.1 states that candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. This article addresses a variety of elements specific to Standard 4.1. Initially, the article addresses specific ways in which digital tools and resources can be utilized to help bridge the digital gap between those students who have steady and reliable access to technology, and those who do not. Furthermore, the article addresses technology-related best practices for both teachers and students by addressing a variety of possible solutions for filling the digital divide, one of which being a well-developed communication plan with families and the community to start a BYOD program.
Grasping the far-reaching potential of technology to reinvent education has been key in my studies at Kennesaw State. This article represents my ability to model and promote these understandings in order to articulate technology-related best practices. Through the composition of this article I was able to further develop my understanding of the challenges that society is faced with as technology becomes more and more of a foundational tool in schools. I understand that teachers are the key to bridging this gap, as students oftentimes feel like there is a disconnect between what teachers ask of them and what they, themselves, are able to do. Specifically, the digital divide doesn’t just span socio-economic backgrounds; it spans age groups, as well. Digital tools and resources, when available and used appropriately, bridge the poverty gap and allow equitable opportunities for success in society for all. Digital natives have the leg up, but this is not the end of the road for those who are not digital natives. Ultimately, This article helped me understand the profound need to model and promote equitable access in my school. If I could improve this artifact, I should like to add more solutions to bridging the gap. It isn’t an easy challenge, but it is very important.
This article, while quite eye opening for me, doesn’t quite apply to my school or the population that I teach. Coming from a private international school in Costa Rica, my school serves the top 1% of wealthy families in Costa Rica. And, while I haven’t had to suffer at the myriad of issues that plague teachers because their students don’t have access to technology, I do see the ignorance that privilege breeds. So, it is a struggle to expose my students and the community to the idea that the digital divide is very real and very serious. And, while I have had many beneficial conversations regarding the digital divide, I have yet to see revolutionary change in the status quo.