StudentFiles

The Digital Divide

The
Digital Divide: Closing the Gap

Allyson
McDowell

for

New
York Institute of Technology

More
than 80% of people in the world have never even heard a dial tone, let alone
surf the Web. And the gap between the information haves and have-nots will
widen if educators do not find ways to narrow this gap. Using
Information technology as a learning resource has opened up prospects for a
form for another way of learning that can be customized to students. This research is based on several reports one of
which was done by Henry Jay Becker and Margaret M. Riel in 2000 which was
compiled for Center for Research on Information Technology
and Organizations, University of California, Irvine and University of
Minnesota. It is a look at the digital divide that is plaguing the United States
educational system today. Recent studies show that this divide has the
potential of continuing into the future if a solution is not found to educate
teachers on how to close the gap between their use and understanding of
technology and the student’s basic knowledge and use of same. “The Digital
Divide” can be looked at as an achievement gap that exists as a social problem
within the United States and other countries that are not teaching their
students 21^st Century skills. Students today are using technology
tools as soon as they are born so that when they begin school they are more
advanced than their teachers. The following information is based on a review of
several articles that supports this hypothesis. It takes a look at how the use
of technology can enhance the student experience in schools.

A recent publication by the National Education
Association (2008), specific studies was conducted on the use of technology
infusion into the administration and instructional process of schools. Two
important questions that I am going to address are one: the significant
investment of resources and time and two how is this investment being used in
schools. I will attempt to break down this information into sections which will
make it easier for the reader to understand.

Social
ramifications of this “Divide”

To be competitive in a global market student need
technological skills and educators can no longer depend on the traditional
method of teaching. Implementation of technology skills into the present
curriculum should be introduced as this will give the students an opportunity
to develop 21^st Century skills. Students today require a variety of
learning experiences to help them survive in a technological diverse community.
Technology will help students to interact on a variety of mediums based on
their level of learning. By using different modes of technology tools students
can learn at their own pace regardless of the subject matter without feeling
pressure from their peers.

“We live in a fast-changing ‘runaway world’ where
the social, economic, cultural and political foundations of society are being
redefined on a continual basis (Giddens 2000). The much heralded globalization
of society is now manifested in a variety of ways, such as an apparent
acceleration of time, shrinking of space and reconfiguration of social
relations along international lines. Although traditional structures such as
the nation-state retain a significant importance in the governance of society,
their influence is increasingly being challenged by other entities such as the
transnational corporation.”

During the presidential elections the Democratic
Party (President-elect Obama made full use of technology; whereas the
Republican Party (Senator McCain) admitted to not even using email. “The use
of technology like blogs, mass texting and online phone banks has been a key component
to Sen. Barack Obama's surprise sweep of recent primaries. “The Illinois senator's campaign has been making use
of a range of technologies -- from ringtones to SMS -- to inspire Obamamania.
And it's working. Obama's recent parade of victories in the primaries has given
him a slight lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential
nomination.” According to the director of the Institute
for Politics, Democracy and the Internet "They've been using [texting]
to get out the vote, which is incredibly smart because it gives people a way to
take immediate political action.” “It's just what mobile technology is suited
for."

What
is the new role for education?

According to G. David Garson, “Quality education is
a universal goal. It is common to hear arguments that instructional technology
will be the key to educational quality as we enter the new millenium (cf. Fiske
and Hammond, 1997). Investment in educational technology is urged upon
policy-makers as the path to educational quality (Mergendollar, 1996). In fact,
enthusiasts for educational technology argue that quality has and will continue
to increase rapidly, creating a "new educational culture" (Connick,
1997). Whatever problems exist is seen as ones which can be handled through
better administrative and technological planning - that is, technology
believers perceive no intrinsic obstacles to total quality assurance using
information technology in higher education (ex., Roth and Sanders, 1996).”

He is basically saying that to receive quality
education today students need technological skills and knowledge. That to
alleviate the problems that everyone is afraid of requires better technological
administrative planning. Another technology specialist “Bork” has set forth
several aspects of his vision of "the future of education" he sees
education becoming interactive, individualized, and flexible in interaction,
accessible to the disadvantaged worldwide (Educom Review, 1999).

“Youths’ participation in this networked world
suggests new ways of thinking about the role of education. What would it mean
to really exploit the potential of the learning opportunities available through
online resources and networks? Rather than assuming that education is primarily
about preparing for jobs and careers, what would it mean to think of it as a
process guiding youths’ participation in public life more generally? Finally,
what would it mean to enlist help in this endeavor from engaged and diverse
publics that are broader than what we traditionally think of as educational and
civic institutions?”

Closing
the Digital Gap

This type of integration requires the highest level
of selection by using curriculum knowledge and assessment of student needs and
abilities. This knowledge is required before technology can be integrated.
Teachers who are proficient in technology can establish learner-centered approaches
to teaching the curriculum where students take responsibility for their
learning. These teachers can become facilitators instead of the sole repository
of knowledge. “Berg, Benz, Lasley, and Raisch (1998) completed a descriptive
study that identified and described how exemplary technology using teachers are
using technology in their elementary classroom. In this study, the researchers
identified an area they grouped as “instructional design;” an area in which
coordinators stressed such things as the importance of collaboration,
integration of subject areas, individualized and interactive learning, and
communication with parents. Exemplary teachers verified this importance, citing
motivated students and keeping students interested and experiencing success and
changing from traditional classrooms to using a wider variety of teaching
techniques as the two most important uses of technology. The teachers in this
study invested a great deal of time with professional development and most
frequently learn technology skills on their own.”

Technology
and Teachers

A technologically informed teacher can employ more
resources and methods in one classroom and by doing so reach multiple learning
styles. Another method of technology use is information management which is
used by this generation who are known as “Information Society” due to the
technological literacy of the students today. “In 2000 only half the teachers
with computers available in their schools used them for classroom instruction
(Smerdon & Cronen, 2000). In 2003 Norris, Sullivan, Poirot, and Soloway
reported that teachers’ use of technology for curriculum purposes was almost
exclusively a function of their access to that technology. Technology
acquisition creates a different context and opportunity for learning.
Technology must permeate all aspects of a school’s ecological system, including
students, teachers, classrooms, and administrative leaders (Staples et al.,
2005).”

Educators can help students become better analyzers
and synthesizers of information gathered from a variety of resources by
integration. They can be taught how to use this information to develop
different forms of multi-media. Blooms taxonomy defines this skill as Higher
Level Thinking. “Integration requires that teachers readily and flexibly
incorporate technologies into their everyday teaching practice in relation to
the subject matter they teach (Hadley & Sheingold, 1993). Integrate means
to make whole or to renew (Kinnaman, 1994). Integration is incorporating
technology in a manner that enhances student learning. Technology integration
is having the curriculum drive technology usage, not having technology drive
the curriculum (Dockstader, 1999).”

Conclusion:
Closing the Divide

Efforts around the world are aimed at closing digital divide. These
initiatives take many forms including charity, subsidization, and
public-private partnerships. Closing
the digital Gap will require time and support which is needed to encourage
teacher’s use of the technological resources available. A basic requirement is
ongoing professional development in the school, with release time and attendance
at technology conferences built into the curriculum. Flexibility for planning
and implementation is another requirement for effective integration.

There is also the question of costly software
programs. The answer to that problem that is now Free and Open
Source Software which renders these kind of concerns a complete non-issue. It’s
really a very simple and elegant solution to an artificially created problem.

Another real solution has also been solved by a nonprofit
organization called Teachers Without Borders who has pledged to provide new
tools that will provide the world’s 59 million teachers with easy access to
online educational materials that previously have been available only in
developed countries with access to high-speed Internet connections and
elaborate computer networks and platforms where teachers can easily access
online course material and adapt it to meet local needs, create courses and
manage their classes, and collaborate on everything from books to lesson plans
to Web sites with other teachers around the world. “The new software -- called
TWB Tools -- is highly flexible, Mednick told USINFO in an e-mail
interview January 11. The various tools “allow for easy content authoring and
collaboration, classroom management, the adaptation of texts to meet local
contexts -- in print, PDF, CD-ROM form, available across all platforms. The
offline reader (TWB Reader) can allow versions of digital textbooks, allowing
users to highlight, bookmark, and create notes that can be uploaded when one is
back on the internet. It also handles various languages and includes a
universal keyboard,” Final conclusions also
challenge teachers to create learning centers that teaches the whole child
which the use of technology advocates.