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Laura
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 The old “digital divide” referred mainly to the technology inequality between

schools. This digital divide was basically concerned with what schools had computers

and what schools didn’t. Now almost all U.S. schools have computers and internet

access, so this is not what creates the digital divide. Currently professionals in the

education field face a new digital divide. This is referred to as the Digital Divide 2.0.

This new digital divide presents new problems. Two main issues create the Digital

Divide 2.0.

One of the issues that creates this current digital divide is what educators are

doing with the technology that is provided for them. Our job as educators is to prepare

our students and give them the skills to have a successful future in college and the

workplace. Technology in today’s current workplace and colleges is extremely

important. In the article The Digital Divide 2.0, the author states a quote by a principal

that sums up what educators should be doing with technology, but many are not,

“Schools can best prepare students for their futures in college and in the workplace by

“making technology not a separate subject, but a tool used to educate.”(Hoar, 2006) The

digital divide is created by the huge difference between how schools use technology and

what they use the technology for. These are examples of teachers using technology to

help students develop critical thinking skills. “Fourth graders learn how to create

animated shorts during an animation workshop. High school students use video

production skills to create video biographies of senior citizens in their community.”

(Route 21, 2007) Then there are classrooms like the kindergarten classroom I was in for

a practicum where the only time I saw students using technology was when they were in
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computer class. These examples represent in part how this current digital divide is

created.

The second main issue that contributes to how the current digital divide is created

is how many students have access to technology outside of school. For example, the

school my dad works at has an 80% poverty rate. That leads to the question of how many

students have computer and Internet access at home. The answer to this is probably not

very many. This piece of the digital divide creates big obstacles for those educators who

want to use technology in their curriculum. Educators do not want to use technology in a

way that isolates students and their families. An example of this might be if I wanted to

have my students do a research project using the Internet and a website I provided for

them. I would have to think about the digital divide issue of access to technology.

Would the students who have technology access at home have an advantage over those

who don’t? Another challenge I might expect to face because of this issue of the digital

divide is the wide range of computer competencies my students might have. Obviously

those students who are exposed to computers at home are going to have more knowledge

than those who don’t. One way to deal with these issues is by getting to know my

students and their families in the very beginning of the year. I would discuss with parents

what they think about how I plan to use technology in my classroom and if they have

access to technology in their homes. I would also make sure that those families who do

not have access know that it would not affect them negatively in any way. I think an

important aspect of dealing effectively with the digital divide is getting to know the

students and families you are working with. There are ways for educators to use

technology in their classrooms without putting those who do not have access at a
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disadvantage. Coming up with and learning about these strategies are part of being a

good educator.
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References

Hoar, J. (2006). The digital divide 2.0: Competing involves more than just computing.

Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/09/

Media Literacy/Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes. (2007). Retrieved from The

Partnership from 21st Century Skills: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/