The Digital Divide: What Can One Teacher Do?

The digital divide is a broad issue with far-reaching implications for education. Who has access to technology? Who has access to education about technology? Who decides?

It can be about the differences in access to and use of the the Internet between continents, countries, or neighborhoods. 

It can be about gender, age, or education level of users of information technology.

What are we teaching our students about information technology?

What can one teacher do?

One teacher can: 

teach students to be informed users of phones, computers, tablets, and personal devices.

 teach Internet search skills and information sorting skills.

 teach students that all you really need for Internet access is a LIBRARY CARD.

use Bloom's Digital Taxonomy to design lessons and assessments that prepare students to work and live in the 21st century. 

 make students aware that what they think about, they learn.

Here is a set of questions to start a discussion in your classroom:

How many Americans have cell phones?  (91%)

How many Native Americans are without high speed Internet access? (90%)

How many US-born Latinos go online? (85%)

How many white people in the US own computers? (65%)

How many adults in the US use wireless Internet connections? (59%)

How many African-Americans own computers? (51%)

How many foreign-born Latinos go online? (50%)

How many Native Americans live below the poverty line? (25%)

You can guide the discussion in any direction you like. An issue I explored with high school students was the use of technology for entertainment vs. learning and empowerment. Does it matter? Why?

 For more information:

The Digital Divide and What To Do About It (an overview)
A Digital Divide Lesson Plan by 13Edonline (6-12 grade)
Bridging the Digital Divide in New York City (a 2 minute video describes one solution)
What Five Year Olds Can Do On the Computer  (an article about teaching computer skills)