Teachers, Education and The Digital Divide

The Digital Divide!

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  Children of the present era are faced with ever-present inequalities in education experiences due to financial shortfalls. According to the article, ‘Narrowing the Digital Divide: Head Start Teachers Develop Proficiency in Computer Technology’ by Chen & Price (2006), this is even more of an issue during information technology education. What began as an initiative between Head Start program in the Department of Early Childhood Education of the Chicago Public Schools and the Erikson Institute would ultimately become a program design experiment. Through a variety of current research, needs assessment, and current practices in class computer use via observation, this collaborative study developed 7 main principles in information technology education to close the digital divide in childhood education via teacher education. These 7 principles include: teaching for understanding, co-construction of knowledge, integration rather than isolation, responding to teachers, instructional needs, cooperative learning and peers as role models. To discover the teacher qualities required for information technology education and to read this full-text article, please click on the link provided:
  http://moodle.malaonline.ca/mod/resource/view.php?id=24392
  
  
  
  The following links may provide you with additional information about this topic:
• Research and the Digital Divide

• Areas of need in Technology Education

• BC Government Direction for Technology Education 8-10
  
  
  
  Question: As a pre-service teacher, what are your anxieties about teaching information technology in this era of financial inequalities among our students?
  

Posted by: Amanda Burrows

The Digital Divide

The digital divide is the inequalities in student’s access to computers. These inequalities could be from a variety of factors such as income and parent education. It is thought that to narrow this divide schools need to make technology assessable to all students, have schools with computer technology and train teachers in technology. However, to narrow the divide teachers need technology development programs and computers in the schools. To address this problem the Head Start program in the Department of Early Childhood Education and Erikson Institute joined together and developed a technology training program. The main goal of this training program was to help teachers develop their skills with computers and to use computers to be educationally beneficial to students. Some of the bases for this program are to be able to teach for understanding, integrate students rather than isolate them, and to use cooperative learning. This program has supported teacher learning of technology and has prepared them to use technology in the classroom that can help narrow the digital divide amongst students.

• This program was done in the U.S.A do you think that in Canada we have the same problems with the digital divide? Could a program like this work for teachers in Canada?
  
  
• Information From NARROWING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE Head Start Teachers Develop Proficiency in Computer Technology

• If you are interested in this topic here are some resources to look at:
  
  The Digital Divide Affects School Success
  
  The Digital Divide In Canadian Schools
  
  The Digital Divide In British Columbia
  
  
  

~Posted By Kelsey~