We spent some time in class talking about the technology gap between schools with a large amount of financial resources and schools who barely have enough resources to open every day. We also talked about schools that either require or give electronic devices such as ipads or laptops to students to use in the classroom.
When it comes to the technological divide, it has to be agreed that children in economically-depressed areas are fallowing behind in the use of technology. Even if they have laptops or desktop computers, chances are that they are obsolete or broken and there is no money for replacement and repair, thus depriving poor children of the same technological education that students in better-funded districts receive. To allow this practice to continue places a "separate but equal" conundrum on the table withe argument that "well at least they HAVE computes, so they should be happy. The concept of "separate but equal" died when the Brown vs. Board of Education decision was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. In my opinion, allowing this disparity in technological education and resources must stop, and all schools should have truly equal access to technology in the classroom.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, other districts try giving techological devices to their students for free in an attempt to both familiarize them with technology and raise test scores. But the truth of the matter is that the mere presence of technology in a school is not going to automatically transform children into technological whizzes. Instead, technology must be integrated into lesson plans to support what is being taught in order to get the results you want.
I don't have any hard or fast answers to this problem. But jobs are becoming more technologically driven and our failure to include meaningful technology use in the classroom is disadvantageous to students from all socioeconomic classes. This is a problem that must be addressed sooner than later.
