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.