Lessons from History / The Digital Divide

I was surprised at the ways in which technology has been present in English curricula over the past 100 years. I thought the introduction of technology into teaching was a more recent development. I guess I think of technology as things like laptops and tablets and forget that radio and film were new forms of technology once. I personally think that incorporating technology into the classroom is a great way to get student engaged with the course material. McCorkle and Palmeri found that in many of the English Journal articles teachers felt this way too: “teachers valued new media because they viewed them as more engaging for students.” My high school had laptop and tablet carts that teachers could reserve for lessons. I remember that the class was always super excited on the days we got to use those carts. I think my high school is now a one-to-one school where each student gets a chromebook. I wonder how students engagement with technology has changed now that they each have a laptop to use. As technology becomes more of an everyday thing and less of an exciting rarity do students lose interest? Or is it just as engaging? Personally I really like classes where I get to work on a computer everyday, but I also know students in high school who dislike their chromebooks and dislike having to use them.

I think it’s problematic that teachers are relying more and more on technology for homework and other assignments, yet some students don’t have reliable access to the technology or wifi needed to complete those assignments. I agree that, in this day and age, students who lack access to technology are at a disadvantage. I don’t think that’s fair, but I don’t know what we do to fix it. I had also never really thought about that it’s not just about providing students with a laptop and internet access and calling things equal. The paper pointed out that there’s also a divide in computer literacy and how computers are being used. Hopefully we can find a way to even out the playing field, so that the digital divide doesn’t grow bigger.

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 31, 2018 at 7:55 AM

    I agree that using technology to teach is an amazing tool. What kids don't like getting to use a computer in class instead of reading a book or writing a paper? I think it's an exciting tool and allows students that don't have as much access to technology at home, expand their horizons at school and maybe find something they love to do, whether that be English, or some other kind of software used in the classroom.

    -Miquela Chudy

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  2. AnonymousAugust 31, 2018 at 9:24 AM

    I remember the excitement I would get when I saw the laptop cart roll into class. Obviously this meant that we got to do something other than sit and take notes in class. I think that technology can be such an important tool to use in a class, when used correctly. Like you said, it can't be fair to assign online assignments for homework when not everyone has access to a computer or wifi. Maybe using technology within the classroom and assigning written homework??

    -Kylie Kittner

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  3. AnonymousAugust 31, 2018 at 9:34 AM

    I love your connection to the rolling cart! I also completely agree that technology access should not be expected outside of class. Although, within the article we learn that technology in the classroom has been evident for a hundred years; it still should not be expected that everyone has the same financial circumstances.

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