EDUC 5353: The Digital Divide Blog 2 Call to Action

 

As I mentioned in Blog 1, the district I work in is a big virtual charter school where students can either work one-on-one with a teacher online or go to the Learning Center for daily interaction with their teacher and other students. When COVID-19 hit, our district was a step ahead of many other schools since all students get a Chromebook or iPad and a Mifi device when they enroll. But, the way our students worked had to change. Those who were meeting with teachers one-on-one had to switch to remote learning, and the students who went to the Learning Center now had to learn remotely as well. 

Now that Covid has become a part of our “seasonal” normalcy, school has begun to look as it did before. We have transitioned into one-to-one meetings again and students can choose to attend the learning center. There are still many dividing factors in my district that could possibly impact student learning. Even though students are issued a Chromebook and portable Mifi device many students do not have the support they need at home due to a lack of digital literacy. 

The Digital Divide in Online Education states that effective distance learning requires not only access to digital tools but also a conducive study environment, digital skills, and active parental involvement (Werfhorst et al., 2022). Some of our students are living with parents who can barely read themselves or with grandparents who just do not have the knowledge that is needed to assist their student. 

The lack of technological knowledge affects not just our parents, but also our staff. Some educators may struggle to navigate the platform in which they are required to use, while others may struggle with how to read the data available to help them support their students. I believe that not only educators but also parents/guardians would benefit from technology training. These trainings could be provided through the school district. This is one way to ensure that every student has the support they need to succeed.

References

van de Werfhorst, H.G., Kessenich, E., & Geven, S. (2022). The digital divide in online education: Inequality in digital readiness of students and schools. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9435462/pdf/main.pdf

EDUC 5353: The Digital Divide

 Week 1 Post: The Digital Divide

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog. My name is Melody McCarty and I am a graduate student at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. I am pursuing my Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Technology. I received my Bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University and I have been in the Education field for 15 years. I am currently working as an RTI Specialist at my current district where I support teachers in meeting the needs of students requiring Tier 2 and Tier 3 academic services. 

My husband, Patrick, and I just moved to the small town of Salina, OK from the small town of Barnsdall, OK. Patrick is also an educator (17 years of teaching, coaching, and driving a bus). He is currently an Assistant Principal. We are the proud parents of 3 boys, who are all grown now, and the grandparents…Mellie and Boompa…to 2 of the most precious granddaughters. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of 2 more baby girls who will join us in April and May (they are 4 weeks apart!).

I love being an educator, but that role is not the same today as it was 15 years ago. When I first started teaching, students were still taking their State Test with paper and pencil and I would have to take them to the computer lab to do any type of research. I also still had a dictionary and thesaurus on the shelves of my library for students to utilize when needed. When I left the classroom to begin my journey as a specialist, I had a movable cart with 35 Chromebooks and chargers for my classroom to use for projects. 

In the district where I currently work, the students who attend come from diverse economic backgrounds. I work in a large virtual charter school where students can either work virtually 1:1 with a teacher, or they can attend the Learning Center where they have the opportunity for daily interaction with their teacher and other students. According to the National Center for Education  Statistics, we serve 27,052 students in PrK-12 grade. 

Here is a chart with the breakdown between Elementary and High School demographics:

Total high school students….13,350	Total elementary students…13, 702
Native American/Alaskan …908	Native American/Alaskan …761
Asian…75	Asian…63
African American…773	African American…1,160
Hispanic…1,981	Hispanic…2,036
Caucasian…6,911	Caucasian…6,751
Free and reduced lunch …9,698	Free and reduced lunch …19,850

One positive about my school is because of its unique characteristics, all students are issued a Chromebook or iPad and a wireless MiFi device. We want to make sure that every student has the devices they need for success.

But it’s not just about having access. The Digital Divide: Impact of Access points out that even with devices and the internet, students may lack the digital skills to use them effectively. Plus, many parents, or grandparents, do not know enough to help their students use digital tools for learning. My idea is to focus on ways to put the knowledge in the hands of those who are responsible for their student’s education, whether it be their parents, or legal guardian. 

National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)  Home Page, part of the U.S. Department of Education. Ed.gov; National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/

Van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2017). Digital Divide: Impact of Access. The International Encyclopedia of   Media Effects, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783764.wbieme0043