Overview

Final Project—Page 1: Overview

            The purpose of this particular project is to discuss the effects and causes that the use of technology in classrooms can have on the lower income students within the educational system in the United States. The continued increase of technology in classrooms is creating what is called the digital divide. The digital divide can be thought of as the difference between individuals, usually individuals in the different social classes, who have the ability to have access to, and also the resources, to use technology. Many students that make up the lower income classes do not have access to technology, such as computers, at home, while the students in the middle to upper classes do. This is an extreme advantage for these middle to upper class children as they have the experience and resources to navigate the technology that is presented to them. This is leaving the lower income students behind in terms of their education. Yet, despite this, schools are continuing to increase their use of technology.

            There are many reasons as to why this divide is so prominent in this country today. According to an article titled “Roadblocks on the Information Highway: The Digital Divide Still Looms Large for Low-Income Children” by Donna Celano and Susan B Neuman, one of the main reasons for this divide is the lack of computers within communities for students to use should they not have access to technology at home. The other prominent reason is that if these students finally do get access to a type of technology, it is often too outdated for the student to use. However, in spite of the reasons for this divide, there have also been many attempts and ideas to fix this giant gap between the different social groups. One of these articles, “Crossing the Digital Divide: Bridges and Barriers to Digital Inclusion” by Sara Bernard, describes some potential solutions to this problem. One of which is to increase the availability of the technological devices, and also the accessibility of the technology itself. However, the digital divide is still very prominent today within every school. It is affecting thousands of students in the educational system.

 

APA Citations:

Bernard, S. (2011, August 8). Crossing the Digital Divide: Bridges and Barriers to Digital Inclusion.Edutopia, Retrieved from www.edutopia.org/digital-divide-technology-access-inclusion

Celana, D., & Neuman, S. B. (2010, November). Roadblocks on the Information Highway: The Digital Divide Still Looms Large for Low-Income Children.Educational Leadership, Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov10/vol68/num03/Roadblocks-on-the-Information-Highway.aspx