Crossing the Digital Divide

     The use of technology in the classroom presents teachers with a minefield of ethical issues, which we are required to navigate our way through. One of those issues to be conquered is the digital divide. The Internet and other technologies can be divisive in many ways, with differences arising between different groups of people. There are barriers between the young and the old, between the 'haves' (with access to technology) and the 'have-nots', between the web-confident and the web-restricted. 

     As primary school teachers, our students will be much younger than us and will grow up taking for granted technology that is new to us. For this, we will need to be actively involved in keeping up to date with the latest technology, in order to stay on par (if not a step ahead of) our students.

     Addressing the issue of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ is more perhaps more difficult, but there are strategies that can be put in place. The classroom could be left open at lunchtime to allow particular students to have access to the computer, or schools may set up an optional afterschool computer club. Carefully chosen students could be matched with students who have less access to technology so that peer learning can occur.

     Which of these ideas would you use in your classroom? What other ideas are there?

Thanks to Flickr for Image: 'I've reached the end of the world' 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95572727@N00/3410783929