| Of all the difficulties surrounding public education at this time, the "Digital Divide" is the one that proves to be the most materially rectifiable. Because the government is intent on providing more funding towards technology in public schools, and often want to see tangible evidence, computers and professional development are items most often easily acquired. Unfortunately, what results at many schools is a pointed emphasis on one particular aspect of technology over another (i.e. computers, but little training, or vice versa) and a lack of understanding that it is a concerted effort that makes up a whole. I’d like to share the stories behind two schools where I’ve taught. At each school, the focus was placed either on computers or training. I'd like to focus on where the emphasis was placed, and the resulting technology environment that was created.
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Woeful is the student who doesn’t follow exact orders. They are lectured on the expense of such technological bounties and return to their desks watched closely.
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School is a middle school in a metropolitan area of greater Los Angeles. Although there are a few students at the school with strong computer skills, most are unfamiliar with terms as simple as the "return" key. Thus, this school begins with a fairly ideal situation - its students are all approximately at the same level of proficiency (low), and most have never used any type of program beyond a word processing program. The school offers a keyboarding class, but no computer programming or software courses. The school has worked with the elementary schools in its district so that all students will have had a keyboarding class by the time they reach middle school.
The creation of a technology lab, largely driven by the principal, is well funded and maintains a bountiful supply of Macintosh computers. Additionally, many teachers have computers (provided by the school) in their classrooms equipped with printers. The principal makes technology a priority and teachers are given opportunities for professional development using the software available to the school through site licensing. The lab is run by a teacher who is familiar with the software and near zealous in the maintenance of the computers and lab. Students follow strict guidelines for behavior in the lab - they must not touch certain keys, must not put their feet up on the table legs, must follow the exact prescribed order of typing in specific key sequences. Woeful is the student who doesn’t follow exact orders. They are lectured on the expense of such technological bounties and return to their desks watched closely.
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Accessibility is limited to a teacher’s motivation, the resources available, and the planning time a high school teacher can afford to expend towards a meaningful technology project.
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Despite the seemingly regimented structure of the lab, it is accessible to all teachers on campus. In my decision to utilize the lab to create a class project designed around technology requirements, I found I HAD to create a very structured environment because, as I realized, computers DO motivate student learning. School #1 effectively addressed the resource needs by having enough computers for a typical class (33-36 students), providing training both in the summer and during staff development days for teachers, and providing a certified instructor to constantly monitor the lab and allow for others to access it. By focusing attention on the need for current resources, the leadership of the school succeeded in providing a technologically-accessible environment.
School #2 is a high school located in a suburban part of Orange County. The diverse student population has many students who have had some exposure, some proficiency with various software programs. However, once in a while I encounter the one student who does not know the return key. There are several computer labs—two specifically designed to intertwine the social studies curriculum and technology. One lab used for more sophisticated classes in animation and programming, and one lab for everyone else located in the English building.
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While I will concentrate on the specifics of the technology lab in the English building, it is of some interest to note that the two labs used in the social studies classes are used solely by Honors students. However, they were originally intended for the exact opposite purpose, to level the technological playing field. Once again, we see how the political agendas of a high school arena can affect meaningful intentions. This school was recently awarded a Digital High School grant, the bulk of which was spent in wiring the buildings and providing teachers with computers in classrooms where previously there had been none. The school established an advisory board to make decisions, and the board decided to provide English teachers with computers. Every English teacher received an older, refurbished computer (most had them by mid-January, although they were promised it by October), but no printer. The wiring in the buildings has blown out twice, due to the unforeseen problems with old buildings that cannot handle the amount of voltage needed to operate thirty brand-new PCs. There is one LCD projector for the whole school (except for the social studies labs, where there are two), and although many teachers utilize the lab, the LCD projector, and involve teacher mentors who provide guidance in planning units, there are not enough resources to meet the needs of a school with a population of over 2000 students.
The English building computer lab in school #2 is quite different from that of school #1. There is no on-duty teacher. There is a lab technician who may or may not be around when needed, as there are other maintenance issues around campus to attend to, and who depends on the teachers to instruct the students in ways to operate the computer. The computers are monitored for content, and questionable content is not accessible.
The difference between the two schools is where my focus lies. Because school #2 has a large number of students who already have computers at home, students who already run their own computer businesses, there is a less dire need to direct the focus of technology to the students on the campus who DO desperately need it. Accessibility is limited to a teacher’s motivation, the resources available, and the planning time a high school teacher can afford to expend towards a meaningful technology project. The lack of a full-time lab instructor to monitor the computers during off-hours (lunch, after school, etc.) is truly detrimental to providing on-going accessibility to the majority of students.
Because school #1 works with a population that mainly depends on the school’s efforts to provide computer classes and additionally, training for parents on weekends, the community is thrilled when four brand new G3 Macs arrive. Because the accessibility of computers at school #1 is not just directed towards a few select circles of students, but towards a whole community, the effect of the technology is immediate, obvious, and publicized.
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The "Digital Divide," ultimately, is not simply about who does and does not have resources.
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Additionally, there is the environment created by a technologically focused campus. I currently teach at school #2, and while I have been somewhat successful in utilizing the technological resources at my school, I have not felt nearly as pressed to do so as I did at school #1, where I taught four years ago.
The "Digital Divide," ultimately, is not simply about who does and does not have resources. While that is an issue, there is funding available to provide the resources, especially in a school with lower socio-economic levels. My concerns regarding the "Digital Divide" address the perception that only ‘certain’ students can benefit from the wonders of modern technology. It is about the fact that everyone can and SHOULD have access, not just those students who are going on to be computer science majors (although, rightfully so, more advanced classes need to be provided to them as well). To meet this goal of providing equitable access, schools need to address both the technological and instructional aspects in order to successfully plan for meaningful usage.
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