Within the last few years’
technology devices have nearly flooded schools with new software and handheld
devices. Walking into an upper-middle class suburban school district, you will
find students working on Chromebooks, iPads, working on projects on
GoogleClassroom, SMARTboards in every classroom and more. Meanwhile, in the
same state just a 20-minute drive away you can walk into an inner-city school
and would be lucky to even see at least two computers in the back of the
classroom.
Our worlds
future is slowly revolving around technology more and more, but is it meeting
the needs for our diverse learners? We need to prepare students for the 21st
century and incorporate technology in the everyday classroom. As current and
future teachers, we have so many options ahead of us to include technology to
ensure a bright future for our students. It is not just bringing the latest and
greatest technology to the classroom, it’s all about how you can use it.
The digital
divide is not just with the students, “Students in high poverty schools are
less likely than their counterparts in wealthier schools to have teachers
receiving training in how to integrate technology into their classroom instruction,
according to a new Education Week Research Center Analysis”.
As
technology is becoming more and more important it is crucial that every teacher
is required to receive the same training to prepare each individual student for
future success!
Herold, Benjamin.
(2017). Classroom Technology: Where Schools Stand. Education Week. Retreived from: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/06/14/poor-students-face-digital-divide-in-teacher-technology-training.html
You make a very good point about the division that exists socioeconomically for our students. Schools have often been a have vs. have not example and leaders need to focus on making technology accessible for all learners.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that teachers should receive training on how to efficiently incorporate technology in the classroom. Obviously the growth of technology is rapidly increasing, which means training needs to be a regular practice in order to constantly update our tools and strategies to incorporate with students. Also, kids are much more tech savy than many of us adults, so we also need to make sure we are educated enough in this area to be on their level!
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out that not only is there a clear divide on the availability of quality technological resources for students in all schools, there is also a divide in professional development for the teachers. In this digital age it is so important that students are given the opportunity to learn and grow through the use of technology and this certainly won't be possible without a teacher who is prepared and knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I touched on the digital divide in my blog post as well. I agree with your point about how all teachers should be educated and trained on how to integrate technology into their classrooms. I know many teachers who work in underfunded programs who have just tried to make the best of the technology they have but I think there needs to be improvement all around to make sure all students are receiving equal opportunities when it comes to their public education.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I feel that as technology is becoming more prevalent in our schools, teachers should have training regarding these new technologies. When they are trained on how to use these technologies, it will better enhance the lessons and their student's learning. There is definitely a divide over technology, but, as you said, these devices are flooding the classrooms. I believe that one day, technology will play a larger role in schools than it already does!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great point! My cousin teaches in Stamford and she said she is lucky if her students have crayons or colored pencils to finish their assignments at home. She has to make sure that the students who do not have the resources at home have enough time in class to finish all their work. Using computers at school is a big deal because some do not have them at home. Students in wealthier district do not understand how lucky they are to have the resources that support the digital world we live in.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. There is a huge divide. I had only thought about the technology ratio to students. I hadn't even thought about the fact that they can't afford to train the teachers. Everything I've learned has been from other teachers and my own mistakes. We need to make sure our teachers and our students have an equal opportunity to learn and grow.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! Since this class, I have been thinking more and more about the gap that exists when it comes to technology in certain school districts. I really appreciate you bringing up the fact that teachers in "high poverty schools" don't receive the training necessary to effectively incorporate technology into the classroom. That is not something I realized prior to reading your post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It really made me think about how a child's education differs due to the amount of technology that is available in their classroom. As students in wealthier classrooms continue to receive more technology and their teachers receive PD to help them teach it, the students in not as well off classroom continue to fall further behind in their technological learning in schools.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how you touched upon professional development for teachers. It is so important to provide teachers with opportunities to be introduced to new technology and given opportunities to explore it so that they are comfortable and able to teach it to their students. Effective professional development for all teachers is so important!
I comepltlpy agree with you that there is definintly a divide with technology in different districts. I have seen first hand the types of technology used in different types of districts and it truly is a divide. It's definfintly something that many teachers do not think about.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Brianna! It is one thing to be sure that classrooms are equipped with modern technology, but there definitely is another major component in providing teachers with the proper training to effectively incorporate these devices into learning. I honestly had not given the second component that much thought, but you are completely right!
ReplyDeleteLove how you pulled in high poverty schools! I believe that the high poverty schools are lacking all this technology and it is very unfair to the students. Wealthy schools have too much technology that they don’t even use, why aren’t these school donning technology to the school that need it the most? Since technology is booming we must consider the high poverty schools and figure out a way to solve this problem. Hopefully this will be fixed soon so these student can be provided with the knowledge our students have been given.
ReplyDelete