The Digital Divide!
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
- 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
7 comments:
(The first one was removed b/c I forgot to add my name :P)
Interesting issue Amanda. I think that with technology, as with any school materials, the have and have not schools often cannot partake in the same opportunities if equipment is lacking. My concern with information technology would be that my school may be lacking in up-to-date equipment or computer numbers for the number of students in the class. These challenges could limit the hands-on time needed by the students to actually generate and develop computer skills.
~Megan
(Forgot to add my name on last post..hence the deletion.)
You hit that one right on the main issue, Megan!
Financial shortfalls are the main reasons why children do not experience technology to its full potential. This digital divide is impeding the knowledge of our up and coming generation.
Maybe there are technology lessons, experiments, or forms of technology where students can share the resources.
Any thoughts out there as to some examples of sharing technology resources?
-Amanda
Hey Amanda,
I guess the teacher could bring in a laptop and projector like we've mentioned in class so that the students could see how the technology works, but again it is the hands-on issue. As long as there is enough time to get into the lab to work, even dated machines can be used for skill development.
I think that like you said Megan in order to learn technology you need to have a hands on experience with it. I don't think you can really understand how to use technology until you try it for yourself.
~Kelsey
Your comments are very interesting. What I do notice is that a lot of us tend to focus merely on computers as the form of 'technology'. Technology is such a small term for a vast array of electronics and communication. Technology also includes digital cameras, video recorders, iPods, etc. There is so much for students to be emmersed in technology. Maybe we can defeat this technological divide by bringing in multiple forms of technology and share these within our learning environments. Thus, students will understand what technology is and how it is incorporated into their lives.
-Amanda
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