Digital Divide

After reading Warren and Tillberg's article Striving for Digital Equity as well as Alec MacGillis's article Law, software fuel new "digital divide" I've learned a bit more about the utilization of technology in schools. Some school districts are able to afford both highly qualified educators and technological resources to enhance their teaching.  However, some school districts are not as fortunate economically.  Many of these less fortunate school systems have made decisions to spend their funds on computers and software intended to "drill" students with knowledge needed to increase performance on tests mandated by No Child Left Behind (2001), sometimes at the expense of lower class sizes, highly qualified teachers and constructive learning experiences.  This creates a sense of "digital divide" between the have's and have not's.  In order to remediate struggling students, these computer programs provide rote practice on skills that are on the annual test, but do not reflect real-world knowledge.  Although many see the digitial divide in terms of access to technological resouces, it is important to view how the resources are being used: as a replacement for effective teaching, or as an enhancement to what highly qualified educators can provide.  Software can replace a teacher in terms of "drill and kill" practice, but cannot replace lessons on creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving. 

The digital divide's implication for educators is in how we select and attain appropriate technological resources, effectively use and implement the technology, and the quality of the content within the resources.  It is important for teachers to evaluate the needs of their students and choose technological resources that will enhance their learning, motivate the students and provide culturally relevant content.  A few solutions to overcome barriers and strive for digital equity include:

• Constructively using creative media that is culturally relevant to students
• Using financial resources to hire highly qualified teachers and lower class sizes
• Providing professional development opportunities to teachers on how to select and use technological resources
• Utilizing "open-ended" resources that allow for creative expression and problem-solving, rather than "drill and kill" software