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: The Digital Divide Blog Post
Reflection
This artifact is from my blog which is a part of the portfolio website and I used it to reflect on my experiences in the Instructional Technology program. I also used it to share ideas for use in the classroom as well as a form to discuss digital equity and the digital divide.
The Internet is a wonderful tool for students to use, but as educators we must be cognizant of how our students are able to access the Internet and when. Through this blog post and associated learning experiences, I recognized that the digital divide is more than just access to technology, but a much deeper societal issue rooted in striving for equity among all people in both access and representation online.
From my observations, I think one of the biggest areas in the digital divide is between students who know how to effectively use the Internet for research and as a resource and those who do not. For example, I have some students who are able to use the Internet to find help with homework while I have others who have trouble finding and evaluating the resources they have online. I find that socioeconomic status and family background correlates with a student’s Internet savviness. As teachers it is our responsibility to show, as needed, to our students how to effectively use the Internet as a tool beyond social media and streaming music.
As a teacher and an instructional technology coach, I need to find ways to support students who do not have the access or experience with technology so that all students can take advantage of the opportunities provided by technology in the classroom.
As a technology coach, I must model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. In this blog post, re-reading it, I do think it would be helpful to provide more options, resources, and strategies to limit the size of the digital divide and increase digital equity – to make it more of a resource for other teachers and school officials. I am excited that this school year, my current school will be going one-to-one.
Additionally, as a technology coach, I need to think of ways to continuously ensure digital equity among my students, and I need to be an advocate for them. Stakeholder survey – including those from parents and students themselves – could measure perceptions of the digital divide. Teachers could be surveyed on their understanding of the digital divide in order to best create professional development to help teachers cope with the digital divide in their own classrooms.
This artifact is from my blog which is a part of the portfolio website and I used it to reflect on my experiences in the Instructional Technology program. I also used it to share ideas for use in the classroom as well as a form to discuss digital equity and the digital divide.
The Internet is a wonderful tool for students to use, but as educators we must be cognizant of how our students are able to access the Internet and when. Through this blog post and associated learning experiences, I recognized that the digital divide is more than just access to technology, but a much deeper societal issue rooted in striving for equity among all people in both access and representation online.
From my observations, I think one of the biggest areas in the digital divide is between students who know how to effectively use the Internet for research and as a resource and those who do not. For example, I have some students who are able to use the Internet to find help with homework while I have others who have trouble finding and evaluating the resources they have online. I find that socioeconomic status and family background correlates with a student’s Internet savviness. As teachers it is our responsibility to show, as needed, to our students how to effectively use the Internet as a tool beyond social media and streaming music.
As a teacher and an instructional technology coach, I need to find ways to support students who do not have the access or experience with technology so that all students can take advantage of the opportunities provided by technology in the classroom.
As a technology coach, I must model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. In this blog post, re-reading it, I do think it would be helpful to provide more options, resources, and strategies to limit the size of the digital divide and increase digital equity – to make it more of a resource for other teachers and school officials. I am excited that this school year, my current school will be going one-to-one.
Additionally, as a technology coach, I need to think of ways to continuously ensure digital equity among my students, and I need to be an advocate for them. Stakeholder survey – including those from parents and students themselves – could measure perceptions of the digital divide. Teachers could be surveyed on their understanding of the digital divide in order to best create professional development to help teachers cope with the digital divide in their own classrooms.