4.1 Digital Equity
Candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. (PSC 4.1/ISTE 5a)
The artifact that supports Standard 4.1, Digital Equity, is the Equitable Access Blog entry that I wrote for ITEC 7430. The blog entry describes the value of digital equality and how important it is to maintain digital equality inside and outside the classroom. Explained in the blog entry are the ways that teachers can help bridge the gap in digital equality and ensure that all students have equal opportunity to be successful in their learning goals through technology.
Standard 4.1 outlines expectations for understanding digital equity. This artifact demonstrates my knowledge of digital equity and its value inside and outside the school. In the blog post I discussed the different ways in which equitable access can be assessed, evaluated and promoted. At Norton Park there is a digital divide, and the access to technology can be predicted based on socio-economic status. This is why it is very important for schools to model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources. Though many students have some sort of device, the struggle is whether or not they have access to the Internet. This is the reason why my school has a computer lab that is open after school hours for student and parent use. Parents and students are given access to the Internet in order to limit the digital divide. As more and more teachers are using technology related best practices I have been able to model and promote these practices to teachers and students. By modeling and promoting parent communication digital tools and resources parents are becoming more involved in their child’s education because the digital divide is being lessened from year to year as certain technologies become cheaper and necessary. The teachers’ abilities to incorporate such digital tools and resources into technology related best practices, creates an atmosphere that promotes appropriate and effective uses of technology.
Through this program, I have acquired a deeper understanding of equitable access issues and encounter them often. I have learned that it is very important to model and promote digital equality to other teachers so that they can use technology in the most effective manner. I truly believe that there are many things that can be done to improve the digital divide at my school and it is something that I plan to further look into.
Bridging the digital equity gap at my school will only help improve student achievement and motivation. By evaluating, modeling, and promoting digital tools and resources, solutions will arise to improve digital inequality and will also impact faculty development. Improving digital equity will only help improve the school and can be assessed by observation and surveys.
Standard 4.1 outlines expectations for understanding digital equity. This artifact demonstrates my knowledge of digital equity and its value inside and outside the school. In the blog post I discussed the different ways in which equitable access can be assessed, evaluated and promoted. At Norton Park there is a digital divide, and the access to technology can be predicted based on socio-economic status. This is why it is very important for schools to model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources. Though many students have some sort of device, the struggle is whether or not they have access to the Internet. This is the reason why my school has a computer lab that is open after school hours for student and parent use. Parents and students are given access to the Internet in order to limit the digital divide. As more and more teachers are using technology related best practices I have been able to model and promote these practices to teachers and students. By modeling and promoting parent communication digital tools and resources parents are becoming more involved in their child’s education because the digital divide is being lessened from year to year as certain technologies become cheaper and necessary. The teachers’ abilities to incorporate such digital tools and resources into technology related best practices, creates an atmosphere that promotes appropriate and effective uses of technology.
Through this program, I have acquired a deeper understanding of equitable access issues and encounter them often. I have learned that it is very important to model and promote digital equality to other teachers so that they can use technology in the most effective manner. I truly believe that there are many things that can be done to improve the digital divide at my school and it is something that I plan to further look into.
Bridging the digital equity gap at my school will only help improve student achievement and motivation. By evaluating, modeling, and promoting digital tools and resources, solutions will arise to improve digital inequality and will also impact faculty development. Improving digital equity will only help improve the school and can be assessed by observation and surveys.