The Digital Divide

The digital divide refers to the discrepancies in access, quality, and kind of technology and connectivity that different students have.   I expect that most teachers are somewhat aware of this, but may not be wise to all the nuances of it.  As an urban teacher and youth worker I am very aware of reality of the digital divide.   Though it is true that most students have cell phones this does not mean they have regular, consistent access to a variety of resources.  They may have a “smartphone” with which they can get on facebook, snapchat, and browse the internet, but that does not mean they have the ability to create documents, download large apps, or edit and adapt things online.  My experience has been that internet use in the classroom often excludes those applications that are the most easily accessible for students.  This have many implications for learners.  It creates barriers for low-income students to develop true 21^st Century Literacies, which puts them as a disadvantage when they move beyond high school.   One simple example is the current state of standardized testing.  Tests are in the process of being “digitized” and given on computers.  This is a positive step for many reasons, however, it highlights the discrepancies of the digital divide.  For instance, I work with a small charter school in Indianapolis that serves over 85% low income students.  Last year as students took the ISTEP and NWEA online for the first time teachers observed that students really struggled.  It was not the material in the test they had difficulty with, but rather how to maneuver dynamic test questions, basic mouse skills, and trouble navigating the screen.   The school knows that while many of these kids have internet access in some form it is most often via phone or tablet so they were lacking some very basic computing skills that students in other demographics often use regularly.    In this instance students test scores were dramatically affected.  Paper tests indicated that they knew the material in question, but they did not score well (and in many case did not even finish) the online tests due to the lack of necessary computer skills.  The school is now continuing to find ways to help their students develop these skills.  They even created an additional “specials” class (along with music, art, and P.E.) focused on technology and received numerous grants to increase access (in both quantity and quality) for these students.     

I especially appreciate the article about digital divide on Mashable where a teacher discusses how students responded when she assigned certain things that required technology to complete.  They simply did not do the assignments.  This is something I have observed as well.  As a result, I have seen teachers in schools where students lack access simply not use technology as a primary tool.  To some teachers it may be the easier approach and seem to be a more fair way of presenting the content.  This may bridge the divide in their own classroom, but it only creates a wider divide between their students and the skills they need in today’s world.  I have been reminded that we have to continue to find new ways to help students with even limited access develop these skills or we are only contributing to the problem and setting our students up for failure.  I have to remind myself the content is always readily available, but if I cannot teach them how to appropriately use it in today’s world knowing it may not matter much.