Digital Inequality

The digital divide/digital inequality has always been present. I never really paid too much attention to it, although I knew it existed. The video by Aleph Molinari: Bridging the Digital Divide forced me to see the examples within my own schools. My favorite analogy Molinari used was that the digital divide is the new illiteracy. I thought this was a great video and shared it with my fellow teachers via Twitter. There are specific areas within the district I teach at and the district my own children attend which definitely have gaps related to the haves and have nots. In the San Bernardino District the majority of our schools are above 93% of the students qualifying for free or reduced lunch programs. Many of my students do not have internet access at home. Ninety percent of my students do have some type of mobile device, however, they may not have a data plan. They have access to public libraries, if they can get transportation. I have a classroom lab, but not all of my teachers do. We are increasing the labs and tablets every year though. In the Rim of the World School District, where my children will be attending, there are haves and have nots, but I think the biggest gap for my own children is the availability of technology in the schools themselves and the lack of trained, new blood. The district here is holding on to teachers that should be retired. They don't like their job, they don't like the children anymore, burn out is evident, but they continue to hold on for a better retirement package. Most of the classrooms have one computer and nobody knows how to use it. It drives me crazy. We know the gaps are there, now how can we help to close them? At my school, I would like to see more labs opened up to students after or before school. There are grants that will fund ideas like this. Also, my principal and I have been playing with the idea of Neighborhood Outreaches. How can we educate those around us, our parents, our students, our communities? If we reach out and try and involve and educate our parents then maybe our children will take more responsibility for their own learning as well.