The digital divide refers to the widening gap between people who have regular access to digital and information technology and those who don’t. The effect of this gap promises to compound an already economically polarized society of the “haves and have nots” by also potentially limiting a population segments ability to “participate”, further their education goals, and even function in modern day society. For example, computer-based democratic participation could result in someone’s inability to even vote.
As a school district, it is our moral responsibility to be proactive about taking steps to insure our students aren’t victimized by this growing phenomenon. My specific recommendations would include:
1. Establishing each school building as a high-speed wireless campus.
2. Purchase 1 wireless mobile laptop cart for every 300 students for teachers to sign out and use in their classrooms. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation welcome grant applications for this very purpose.
3. Establish “TRT’s” (technology resource teachers) with each school building to help teachers and students troubleshoot through their various applications. As we all know, even the best technological applications have their “glitches”, it is important that qualified personnel are in place to help guide everyone through both the peaks and valleys of technology integration.
4. Allocate funds/ write grants for the purchase of “Promethean” boards for teachers who prove they have the aptitude for, or are willing to be trained in how to use this hardware.
5. Move technology into the “core” portion of our school districts curriculum. The reality is that for all of our current students, mastering technological applications won’t be “elective” for them. We cannot provide students the “option” of being on the wrong side of the “digital divide”.
6. Establish a timeline for eventually mandating that students submit a portion of their coursework digitally in selected courses.
These steps will require a commitment on the part of the district, some belt tightening of the districts budget, and most importantly a pro-active mentality with regard to insuring our students don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the “digital divide”.
The primary obstacle will be funding, however it is important to keep in mind that many of the fiscal costs associated with implementing these recommendations are primarily of a “start up” nature, and that there are ample grant opportunities to help offset a good portion. My initial formal recommendation would be to bring in a grant-writing consultant to sharpen our districts focus with respect to fundraising/grant-writing.
About Me
- Patrick Coleman
- I'm busy as heck these days, I teach, parent, perform as a student, exercise, and scour the internet for any Cleveland Browns & Cavs news I can find.
6 comments:
Good recommendations Patrick!
I like your idea for your fourth recommendation in particular:
"Allocate funds/ write grants for the purchase of “Promethean” boards for teachers who prove they have the aptitude for, or are willing to be trained in how to use this hardware."
It seems like a good policy to make sure expensive educational material is put in the hands of people who will use it and use it well. Your suggestion would ensure for that to happen.
I know we have a good amount of Smart Boards collecting dust in my school.
Some great ideas. I will have to look into the Bill and Melinda Gates grant for our school.
We have technology coordinators in our schools (your TRT's). I am one of two tech coordinators for our the high school. Every time we have a district tech coordinators meeting, our superintendent tells us that the money they spend on the tech coordinators is some of the most effective money they spend.
Your number 5 is so true.
Fantastic! Do you teach in a large area? I can't remember. It sounds to me like you are ready to go with your technology endeavors. Do you want to be a TRT? Are you taking advantage of any grants?
You made two good points that I want to address.
1. You agreed with me last week on not using technology just for the sake of using it because we have access to it. However, if we are creating an initiative to eliminate the gap in the digital divide, I couldn't agree with you more that it needs to be built into the curriculum. If it is built into the curriculum, I won't feel bad 'just' teaching how to use it and practical applications of it.
2. The funding issues. If we looked at the percentage of school districts who do not have funding issues, I'm sure it would be a ridiculously small percent. Unfortunately, these schools that are caught by the digital divide always seem to have them -- Go figure. I think this has to be looked at immediately upon the initiative being put into action. Money is out there, but somebody or a group of people need to go out, write grants and ask for it, otherwise someone else (possibly unworthy) will receive it.
Good job on the memo.
Patrick, your point 6 is one that so necessary for our students. At the university level the student is expected to be able to turn in assignments online. It seems to me that we need to start doing this much sooner, at the high school level or even the jr. high level. I think this would save time and resources. I'm with Shaun in that I'm going to check out the Bill and Melissa Gates grant page. Our school certainly needs more computers. Nice ideas!
Patrick, I like the diversity in your different recommendations. I think the recommendation for TRT's is right on, but unfortunately I think many schools short cut this step with several teachers that are part time tech and part time teacher. I really think this is unfair to these teachers as both jobs a really full time jobs.
I also really believe that each district need to integrate some sort of technology into the district curriculum. The level of intergration should be different for each district depending on the budget and access, but there has to be some accountablility for technology education. There are less and less jobs that contain no tech trainning so we have to start in the schools.
I really like the idea of a timetable for turning in assignments. All my students next year will have tablet laptops. My goal is to have everything done online, and use less than 5 reams of paper for the year.
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