Digital Equity

In reading Chapter 2 by M. A. Kelly of the Handbook for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) for Educators I was struck at the expanded way of considering digital divides in education. He suggests that there are at least three divides that teachers need to be aware of. These divides are not necessarily an either/or situation, but rather exist as a divide continuum.
1st: Access to technology hardware, software and the Internet (p.33)
2nd: Access to achievement-enhancing TMI (technology mediated instruction) (p. 39)
3rd: Access to culture-sensitive technological pedagogy (p.43)

His exploration of these divides includes suggestions for teachers to reduce or mediate the potential divides and the effects of these divides. As I think about preservice teacher education I had been thinking a lot about ways for prospective teachers to learn about the community and context of a school and its students. I had not considered folding a technology access survey into this context discovery previously, but now think it is important to have future educators learn about these issues so that they can more effectively plan for instruction with technology integration in a manner that is senstive to the social justice implications of technology use.

I had thought about this issue before with the article Paul Gravelle had written for USM's Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation: Impact on the Digital Divide. However this article was written in 2003 and I would very much like to know what has changed since then. Regardless of the changes though it is important inMaine for teachers to be aware of how issues of access can greatly impact the learning taking place and the hidden messages that students learn with the use and requirement of technology. Considering these issues is a vital component of trainging new teachers, and I look forward to blending this into my instruction.



Just found this article as well from PBS: The Digital Divide
What is Maine doing about this issue LD 2080