The Digital Divide - A Discussion IAM 2500-002

Not many people realize that the digital divide is an issue many people face, if they never struggled with it. I think it goes unnoticed and ignored. I mean, honestly, I was not very aware of it until I started college a few years ago. With technology constantly changing the surrounding environment with consistent upgrades, I can imagine it is hard to keep up for those behind by no fault of their own. 

I think one of my main concerns with schools becoming more engaged with technology in the classrooms, is the digital divide in education and the lack of digital literacy knowledge taught. In high school, I was a teacher assistant for a first grade class and I loved every minute of it. Now I can’t help but think about those kids as I see the digital world currently as I am a soon-to-be graduate in May. According to the American University, most digital disparities impact low-income families, which creates a second issue as well, but we won't get into that right now. 

“The U.S. Department of Education defines the digital divide through three distinct barriers—digital access, digital design, and digital use:

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• - The digital access divide refers to the “inequitable access to connectivity, devices, and digital content.”

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• - The digital design divide refers to the inequitable access to professional learning for educators to build their “capacity to design learning experiences” that use technology in meaningful ways.

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• - The digital use divide refers to the inequitable implementation of assignments and learning experiences that utilize technology in meaningful ways.” (Shoemaker Demio)

Along with that issue there is the issue of some kids having a fair shot and those that don’t because of this divide. Things like college application prep, SAT and ACT study guides, college applications, and more can be very hard to navigate if someone cannot access them efficiently. This creates a new wave of unpreparedness in students which can be discouraging. 

In order to create more awareness about this issue, I think it starts with the educators and administrators. Communicating with those in higher power, like the school boards, government officials, etc. could create more awareness and possibly funding for more support. It’s easier said than done, I am aware, but it always starts with one person who wants to make a difference and teachers are already doing that with the future generation.