Level the Playing Field

I recently read an article entitled Bridging the Digital Divide: A Building Block for Teachers by Colleen Swain and Tamara Pearson, who both have ties to the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida. Within the article, the authors described the “Digital Divide” and provided steps that could be taken to help resolve the issue. The Digital Divide has to do with both the accessibility and the equitability of technology for students, which is dependent on the “category” they fall under. The authors believe that one step educators can take toward resolving this issue, is to advocate for school computers to be placed in the classrooms as opposed to computer labs. They believe that allowing students to utilize the school computers in the classrooms will be more beneficial and promote greater collaboration among they and their peers. The authors believe that all teachers and educators need to be taught how to use computers properly in order to increase productivity. Students should not spend all of their classroom computer time using educational software, they should be allotted some time to research ideas and develop other vital skills, by exercising their creativity and the learning styles which best suite them. Reflection is a very important part of being a teacher. The authors highlight the importance of teachers reflecting on the use of technology within their classrooms. Teachers ought to think various thoughts, such as: how they can best incorporate technology into their classrooms to maximize student learning; how they can get the support of parents; and how they can acquire the funding needed for technology.     

I believe that the information presented in this article is of extreme significance for both current and future educators, because it lays out the importance of ensuring both the accessibility and equitability of technology in the classroom. The most important insight that I gained in reading this article is to remember that all students need to be taught how to use the technology you plan to implement; in other words, the playing field needs to be level. I feel the authors were very thorough in their descriptions and explanations, and I hope to utilize in the near future the information that I have gained. 

In the future I hope to apply the information that I have learned as a direct result of reading this article. Although I am going to teach physical education, I do plan on incorporating technology within my curriculum. And although I most likely will not have my own classroom with computers in it, I intend on utilizing a computer lab on campus and having my students work together to collaborate on projects that pertain to health and fitness.

Swain, C., & Pearson, T. (2001). Bridging the digital divide: A building block for teachers. Learning & Leading with Technology, 28(8), 10-13, 59.