Bridging the Digital Divide: A Building Block for Teachers

Bridging the Digital Divide: A Building Block for Teachers was a great article that actually touched on the topic of lack of technology in many student’s lives. I hear a lot that these students do not have access to the technology and computers but we as educators should stress the importance and support technology in the classroom. It was very confusing how this goal could be accomplished with the reality of our school budgets, yet after reading this article I feel somewhat more clear.

Viewing technology as an extra is the first idea that really stuck with me. This is so true of our society, but it should no longer be viewed this way. Like the article states it should be viewed as an essential part of the learning and teaching processes. I also liked some of the suggestions on how to set up computers in the classroom. It is small tips such as ensuring the computer is central and accessible to all are little things that go a long way. Also, the teacher using technology for instruction rather than personal and “teacher things” only is a great idea. Finally, being able to be well rounded and educated as a teacher on technology is like being a role model. Although trainings may be expensive or difficult to attend, one or two technology trains can help your school and students go a long way. I foresee myself using some of the resources presented in this article. I have a good beginning stack of references and resources from our article readings alone!

I wish I knew about Wikis before the end of my degree. So many times I have worked on group papers back and forth over email and like Professor McCulloch said, you cannot ever keep track of the versions and updated drafts. I never knew sites existed that multiple people could access and edit them without access passwords. I foresee myself using Wikis in my classroom to assist me in tracking my students group work contribution because I was always the student doing most of my groups work and wish my teachers had tracked our participation using Wikis!