Even since the beginning of Internet use in the classroom, there has been a digital divide. The authors state, “The gap between “info-rich” and “info-poor” is demonstrated by the statistic: Schools with larger proportions of poor students are only half as likely to have access to the Internet versus students serving wealthier populations.” How could this have been prevented from the start? Was there a way? I feel like most of the use of Internet was learned as the Internet unfolded and its uses were learned. It is sad to know, however, that since the beginning of the Internet, nothing was able to be done that could have fixed or minimized this digital divide that exists more than ever across the country and across the world.
When students use the Internet, it is extremely important that they know how to be appropriate with it. Appropriate Use Policies (AUPs) are now put in place within schools across the country to educate students about the appropriate usage of the Internet. Students learn about, read, and sign these policies so that they understand the correct ways to use this form of technology. In addition to these AUPs, teachers must also educate students about how to evaluate online sources. We must teach students that just because information is posted online, it does not make it reliable. I believe that teachers and parents are responsible for educating students about biases that exist within information provided on many different websites. The article states, “Before students commit to a belief, they should become aware of the range of existing opinions and to identify, at least, some of the ones they do not accept.” I completely agree with this statement and think that it needs to be left to parents AND teachers to teach students this important principle. Just as students need to learn how to evaluate print sources, they also need to evaluate online sources. Furthermore, educating students about the importance of citing sources is a crucial step to take when using Internet resources for research purposes. If students begin learning about how to effectively evaluate and cite sources at a young age, it is hopeful that as they get older and progress through their educational careers, they will only become better writers and students, as a result.
The Internet, in addition to being an excellent resource for finding information, can also be used as a tool for communication. This communication can take place between students, students and teachers, or even teachers and parents. Blogs, wikis, and other Internet sites can be used as the place where students write and communicate their thoughts about a given content area. Teachers can comment directly on the website and parents can also access student work. Though this is of great benefit to teachers, students, and parents, I find that it can also become problematic. When parents have full access to work that is completed by students, they can become very critical and may begin to question the teacher about student grades and feedback. The article discusses the positive benefit of using the Internet as a communication board for parents to critique their children’s work. Though it is presented as a benefit, I find it to be the opposite. Parents can often be very critical of their children and giving them access to be able to critique their work online can either discourage their children or inadvertently offend someone else’s child. I feel that the Internet has great uses as a tool for communication between parents and teachers, but parent access should be limited and they should only be able to see their own children’s work without the ability of writing comments. The work that is done as a part of a school assignment should be commented on only by the teachers and staff from the school setting.
Overall, the world wide web has many uses in the educational setting. It has always been seen as having great potential as a learning tool. However, it has also been known that Internet usage within schools needs to be regulated and students need to be educated on appropriate use of it. Though there have been many transformations and changes with Internet usage today, the fundamental uses have remained the same. In time, I think that the Internet will continue to change and its use in the classroom will change, as well. However, we, as teachers, must be aware of how to educate our students about how to use this tool appropriately and effectively in order to enhance their educational experiences.
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This website for a nonprofit American development organization aims to bridge the digital divide that exists among children in India. The organization, which works out of New York and California in the United States, and New Delhi and Bangalore in India, attempts to bridge the divide by providing computers and other forms of technology to students in Indian schools that do not have such resources. It seems to be an organization that has raised money in order to help bridge this divide effectively.
Bridging the Digital Divide for Kids (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P6FP6JJazY
This is a YouTube video that highlights some of the work that has been done by the American India Foundation. Indian students are interviewed and the positive effects of this organization are highlighted.
Hoar, J. (2006). The Digital Divide 2.0. CBS News Online. Retrieved from: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/09/gentech/main1699023.shtml
This is an article that discusses the change that the digital divide has encountered, from simply being a disparity between the availability of computers to now being “more than lack of a machine.” The author writes about some of the ways that companies try to bridge the divide and the obstacles associated with make positive changes.
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