The Digital Divide

The first article, “The Digital Divide: Where We Are” on Edutopia, was written in 2002. I wonder what in this article would be irrelevant or different now. Seven years is a LONG time in Technology Land. The statistics, I’m pretty sure, would be different, though I bet the concern would be the same, maybe even more so today because a hugely (in my opinion) increased dependency on the Internet. This article came out before Facebook, for goodness’ sake. :) I couldn't tell when the second article, “Three Dimensions of Racism and the Digital Divide in Education,” was written; the latest research mentioned was from 2002. However, I would imagine the argument is still valid, especially because it is based on systematic racism, which hasn't changed much, though I would also imagine that along with race, SES and geographic location also plays a large role.

I asked for volunteers to discuss technology with me at the end of the first hour I was subbing for Thursday. In my discussion with a black, female senior from Junction City High School, I discovered that there may be a discrepancy within some of the statistics: we were talking about difficulties in using technology, and she said sometimes at home it was difficult to find a wireless connection for her laptop. In asking more questions, she does not have a wireless network in her apartment; rather, she uses other connections she can find within her apartment complex.

The interesting thing is when I asked about how she and I would use technology differently, her response dealt with me as a college student and her as a high school student: she thought I probably got my homework done before I played games like TextTwist (a game we discovered we both loved). I am only four years older, so I think she assumed age didn’t affect what we do. I don’t think it occurred to her that there might be a difference between myself as a white woman and her as a black woman, even during my puzzlement at her trying to find wireless connections for her laptop. When asked, she thought maybe I would be able to get the Internet easier, though she recognized the idea of the “poor college student.” I told her all the wireless connections at my complex (and most that I knew of) had a pass key because people too many people using them would slow them down. She also talked about the frustration of updates and how often you have to re-learn how to use things, like Internet Explorer. (Take heart, older folks, we feel it too!)

Mainly her use of technology, when I asked, dealt with her cell phone and texting her mom when she was at work, using her laptop for gaming at home, and using the laptops from the mobile labs in class for typing papers and other classwork. She mostly enjoys using the entertainment side of technology, especially when it comes to using her mp3 player and games online. She also said she uses e-mail to communicate with family in Texas, but she was different from many young people in that she doesn’t use the computer much for its social networks, due in part to the fact she can’t access them at school, like Facebook, which she uses mostly for games. I asked if she used technology well at school, for classes, and there seemed to be a different definition for her when it came to technology at school vs. at home. This echoes the ideas in the second article about “Gaps in Pedagogical Access.” I don’t know everything teachers use technology for, but I know that this teenager seemed to equate technology with word processing.

Her most interesting comments dealt with advice for me as a teacher. She told me that no matter what, kids will find a way around the site blockers, so make sure I have students sit facing away from my desk to watch them, rather than having to get up and stand over their shoulder to check on them. She also encouraged me to let kids use their iPods when working on work during class; she likes it because it keeps class quieter and more kids get their work done that way. She also told me about a recent leadership conference she went to, where they discussed how much of a “crutch” technology, especially their cell phones, are, and they talked about how much face time they lose with people when they depend on texting for conversation. She even confessed to me that she texts people who are across the room from her.

Overall, it seemed as if this particular student did not think much of the digital divide. Not having their own Internet connection was just how they did it. Technology at school is basic at best, it seems, and though many teachers have smart boards, often they seem to be used most for projection screens.

Some thoughts on subbing

So. I've been subbing now for a little over a month (making twice as much as I did as a janitor at Bramlage and working half as much!), and I've got some reflections.

1. There is power in learning a kid's name. If only ALL the teachers left seating charts...
2. Speaking of things ALL teachers should leave, I like teaching. So teachers should not leave movies, and teachers should DEFINITELY NOT leave a movie without a note-taking guide or questions to answer. Boring!!
3. Kids like it when you trust them (and leave them alone to do work at their pace), but they expect you to be strict with them when they break your trust. If you aren't, they lose all respect for you.
4. Talking with other teachers can be helpful... and it can be poison. Teachers can be productive and talk about actual solutions or reasons for problem kids, but they can be just the opposite and gossip and share "horror" stories.

That's all for now. I'm subbing as we speak, though a friend of mine is the student teacher and is in charge of all the lessons today. Then, during seminar sometime, we have a pep rally. Woot. (Not really... mass chaos.)