Students who have access to constant, high-speed Internet access have more opportunities. The more chances young people have to explore and learn online, the more their comfort with technology and the wide array of opportunities widens. These lucky students have chances to become innovators, artists, journalists, publishers and they will continually integrate technology into their everyday lives. Also, these people will use their skills to help shape the future. This will look very different for the millions of people both in America and around the world who grow up and learn without the same experiences. In the “Closer Look” page, we learned that the Digital Divide is not just an issue that other counties around the world face, but many people in America do not have access to the Internet. According to Pew Research , there are 30 million American households that do not have a computer. In 2007, about half of American adults accessed Internet outside the home. Most kids in households without Internet access rely on their school or public library, which may diminish their educational experience, especially compared to their more fortunate peers. When kids have to go to the public library or stay after school to do school related work, it decreases their continuous learning and opportunities for them to use the Internet for school work at any time of the night.To learn more, watch this video about people's stories and experiences without regular access to Internet.
An example of a successful district model is Bering Straight School Distict in Alaska. BSSD uses high speed broadband access for every aspect of their school day; it is integrated into instruction and is a key to the district’s standards based education model. BSSD has implemented an instruction management tool that allows tracking and reporting of learner progress based on goal areas, helping teachers to plan instruction based on their students’ areas of content strength and weakness. Since the district is spread across 80,000 square miles, this connection is very important so the teachers can interact with effective technology rather than flying to each others school. BSSD uses a wiki-based system for collaborative writing and curriculum enrichment across the district. Online learning environments are used for instruction and learning management, as well as portfolio creation and tracking. With videoconferencing, BSSD delivers classes in Algebra and Spanish to students across the district, because the geographic area is widespread. The model applies learning standards in flexible ways so students create new media products by videoconference, podcast, and wiki for an authentic audience. Technology has helped many schools and students across the country enhance their learning by interactive programs and authentic feedback and connections.
An example of a state model of trying to close the digital divide is ConnectKentucky. A statewide model in Tennessee in 1996 inspired this model. ConnectKentucky is a statewide public/private partnership created to “accelerate the growth of technology in support of community and economic development, improved healthcare, enhanced education, and more effective government.” ConnectKentucky is an effort to ensure that every household has a form of broadband access. Currently, 95% of the state can access broadband, which is up from 60% only 3 years ago. Also, high-speed broadband access for all enables administrators to utilize online assessments, which may be formative, diagnostic, or summative. Online assessments are used principally to measure what students have learned. Online assessments may also be used prior to teaching a concept to determine a students’ current knowledge. High-speed broadband access also enables the use of data for administrators and teachers. Using data empowers teachers and school leaders to improve teaching practices and individualize instruction for all students.
Resources:
SETDA "High-Speed Broadband Access for All Kids: Breaking Through Barriers" - Great resource for community, school, and statewide models that integrate technology into education in different ways.
Pew Research, "Mind the Gap"
Statistics about Internet use in America assessed in different groups such as age, location, income level and how they impact Internet use.
To learn more...
