The term “Digital Divide” refers to the gap between people who have computers with Internet access and those who do not. Digital inequality refers to how digital resources are used among individuals, households, businesses, or geographic areas, usually at different socioeconomic levels or other demographic categories. Barbara O’Connor, a professor emeritus at California State University, Sacramento, and secretary of the California Emerging Technology Fund states “Closing the digital divide in California is essential for fairness, equity and economic prosperity. Today, 21 percent of all American households remain offline at home. Rural and poor children can’t use the Internet for homework assignments and fall behind in school. Low-income adults can’t search for better jobs, and public safety in times of emergencies is compromised.” O’Connor also points out that today, much of our community and government information is online, so if people are not able to access the information, they are being excluded from “democracy itself.”
In order to combat this problem, our team came up with nine proposals, four of which we felt were most workable and useful to the people of California. The four proposals we felt would be most effective were 1. to install more computers in public libraries and expand service hours, 2. to provide digital literacy courses to library patrons, 3. To create a program of renting or loaning laptops and tablets through the public libraries, and 4. to provide additional staffing in public libraries. We felt these four proposals would best serve the needs of the citizens of California. We believe that California should consider these proposals a priority when allocating funds in their effort to bridge the digital divide.
Through this experience, I have a better understanding of how the digital divide and the lack of access to technology and the Internet has a tremendous impact on those not privileged to have these resources. It is also important to note that just having access is not enough. Without knowledge of functional digital literacy the technology has little value. One takeaway I have from this project is a greater understanding of working collaboratively. We each brought our unique talents and world views to this assignment and contributed to what I believe is a quality final product. As I assign group projects in my own classroom, I will be mindful that the skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity are vital to 21st century learning.
This post is based on a group project I completed with a team from my EdTech 501 class.
Those are fantastic ways to reach students. There are a ton of options out there in which schools are combatting this notion. What frustrates me is that districts are out there who don't want to make an effort to do this. I"m sure there are people and organizations out there that are willing to help out to make this a possibility. I get the whole budge thing, but what extra things are these schools doing to close the gap.
ReplyDeleteWhen I took 501 last summer, I found the Coachella district, a district with a poverty rate over 95%. To combat a divide which is so great that the majority of their students are not connected outside of school, they put WIFI on school busses and park the busses out in the district at night. Since my research last summer, they have expanded the program to include salvaged cars to create even more mobile hotspots. What a wonderful way to think outside the box! http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-coachella-valley-school-district-closes-digital-divide-with-wifi-on-school-buses/
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