Brandi
Kalgren
June 28th,
2010
Policy
Brief
Access,
the Digital Divide, and Special Populations
Executive Summary:
Our
district has recently been provided with a grant to provide enough new
computers for another lab. However, due
to the diverse economic status of the students and families in the ____________ Area School District, there
is
a need to address several issues related to technology access that is
directly
affecting the success of our students academically and socially. Furthermore, our students are in competition
with other school districts and populations, and it is our
district’s goal to
ensure that our students are able to successfully compete in the
workforce with
graduates from other school districts. This
policy brief will provide an action plan to address the issues of
access,
digital divide, and special populations.
Our goal as a district is to provide access to technology while
ensuring
that all students have an equitable educational experience with
technology. Furthermore, our school
district is facing
the need to examine all current teaching practices and educational
software to
determine if those resources are meeting the needs of all students and
offer
the technological literacy needed for college and the future workforce.
Overview of Issues:
Access
and Digital Divide: Our district currently has a communal computer lab
available to all classrooms K-5; however, access to this computer lab
has been
an issue in the past. Previous access to
the computer lab only existed between the school day hours (8:30 am
– 2:35 pm)
and was on first come, first serve basis.
This lead to an inequity of access to computers as some teachers
fully
took advantage of the computer lab while other teachers only signed-up
for the
minimal amount of hours. Our district is
facing the need for accountability in the computer lab, not only for
scheduling
time-slots, but also for ensuring that the time is used productively in
order
to enhance our students’ educational experience with technology. Our district is also facing issues regarding
the Digital Divide, which refers to a significant difference in the
access to
and equity of technology experience based on categories such as income,
race,
gender, location, or education (1). Simply
put, it is the “gap between those who benefit from digital
technology and those
who do not.” In order to close the
digital divide amongst the district’s students, we need to
provide access,
ability, and empowerment so that the students in our district can be
successful
educationally and socially. Our students
need to be provided access to ICTs and with the ability or capacity to
efficiently use the technology to become technologically literate
members of
society. Our teachers need to promote
empowerment by teaching our students how to use the technology for
productive
gain. The key issue is using the
providing technology in order to benefit our students (2).
Policy Options:
Since
our school district lacks the funding to provide full laptop computer
labs for
every classroom or grade level, there are two proposed plans of actions
for
addressing access issues for computers and the internet.
·
OPTION
1: Providing small labs (5 computers) in each
classroom with investment in educational software that fosters
technological
literacy for all students.
o
PROS:
Classroom teachers will have access to a small group of
computers at any
point during the school day, including before and after school. Students can work collaboratively in small
groups, and those students who are lacking in technology literacy will
have
constant access to the computers.
o
CONS:
Teachers will not have access to a full computer lab for all of
their
students to work in. Access will be
limited to small groups of students within the classroom lab.
·
OPTION
2: Transportable laptop carts which can be
transported between classrooms with investment in educational software
that
fosters technological literacy for all students.
o
PROS:
There will be enough computers for an entire class. Computers
can be
accessed within the students’ homeroom to foster continuity. Computers are transportable and can be
utilized in several locations with a wireless internet option.
o
CONS:
Continued limited use of computer labs since computers must be
shared
amongst classrooms. Labs will require scheduled time slots and
cooperation
amongst teachers.
·
COLLABORATION:
Both options will involve collaboration and training for
teachers
regarding the effective and productive use of computers in the
classroom to
promote high-order thinking skills and technological literacy for ALL
students. Computers should be utilized
as a means for learning, research, networking, collaboration,
problem-solving
and telecommunications (2). In
addition, it is being proposed that
teachers will keep a log of computer usage during teaching and will be
required
to attend 6 hours of professional development (relating to productive
technology use) provided by the school district.
·
MOBILE MEDIA:
Computers will be equipped with internet, media players,
speakers,
headphones, webcams (Skype), and Podcasts capabilities (Audacity) in
order to
provide access to a variety of technological tools.
Student use and possession of mobile media
devices such as MP3 Players and cell phones will be prohibited during
school
hours. Computers will be provide the
services gained by the use of these mobile devices.
·
HOME CONNECTION:
The school will partake in a program that will provide students
without
computer access at home the means to have access. Students
will be assigned families that will
take them to locations with computers and internet access.
The school would like to offer use of
computers after-school hours for those students.
References:
1.
http://people.virginia.edu/~har4y/edlf345/elementary/files/digital_divide.pdf
Swain, C. & Pearson, T. Bridging the Digital Divide:
A building block for teachers. [In] Learning
and Leading with Technology. 28:8 (May
2001) p. 10-14.
2.
http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/ctdd.pdf
Jukes, Ian.
Closing the Digital Divide: The seven things
education and educators need to do. InfoSavvy
Group, May 2008 p. 30-31