Digital Divide

I believe that there is a digital divide, especially between the social and economic classes. I also believe that there is a digital divide between genders, but I believe that it is derived from social divides between male and female and the different ways that boys and girls learn, since they are such different social creatures.

Socio-economics play a tremendous role in who gets access to technology, how much access they get, and in the quantity and quality of the instruction. Technology tends to be expensive, so for those who don't have much disposable income, acquiring it may not be possible. Their children have less exposure to using and exploring it. Sometimes the access they have is to older, out of date equipment so they will be behind the technology curve. For educators, this means that when they use technology in their classroom, students who have not had much access to technology will need more instruction than others. The teacher will have to take extra time to instruct the student before starting the actual lesson.

The solution: access to updated, quality technology and nstruction for all students...easier said than done. Schools and communities are already economically stretched so more expensive equipment and programs will not happen. One thing that works is the new free or inexpensive technology that can be downloaded from the web. Support for companies that create them is important. The other solution for teachers is to do your best to ensure that your students aare given access to technology in your class, that would be a start.