Standard 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)
Artifact: Equitable Access Blog Entry
Reflection:
This artifact is the Equitable Access Blog entry that I wrote in ITEC 7430. I teach at a Title I school, and as a result, equitable access is a topic of discussion a lot. Quite a few of our students do not have access to Internet at home, and that prevents them from doing any online homework that their teacher may assign. Many teachers in the past have made these students stay in from recess to complete the homework, but that comes across as more of a punishment than anything else. There needs to be a better way to work with the students who do not have Internet access at home rather than keeping them in from recess. This blog post shows mastery of Standard 4.1 - Digital Equity - which states that "candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers" because it describes how I began putting ideas in place for ensuring equitable access at my school.
This blog post describes how I began modeling and promoting strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources. When I wrote this blog post, I was still teaching fourth grade, and most of my homework was online. However, I had about five students who did not have access to Internet at home. I gave those students the option of doing the homework on paper and turning it in to me the next day. In addition, I would let those students get on the computer at the beginning of the day during morning work or the end of the day during dismissal so they could also get the experience of completing the homework online instead of having to do it on paper. I also gave my students a lot of online projects to complete. Students could finish these projects at home for homework, but I also made a lot of time during reading centers for students to complete these projects so that the students with no Internet access were able to turn these assignments in in a timely manner.
Another strategy that I have promoted for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources is to open a computer lab in the school several mornings or afternoons a week. This lab would be specifically for students with no Internet access to go ahead and complete any online homework they may have. That way they would still get the same online experience that their classmates have, and they would not have to stay in from recess to complete it. That actually punishes the students for not having Internet; when in reality, it is not even their fault to begin with.
I also have modeled and promoted strategies for achieving equitable access to technology-related best practices for all students and teachers in a variety of ways. Most importantly, I have led several parent workshops that teach the parents about all of the technology that their children have available to them. We share with parents how we use technology at Alcova, and what our students are doing with technology. This is key for many parents. I have seen families with no Internet purchase Internet for their homes after they saw how heavily it was being used at the school. We have also advertised Internet companies who offer low-income families a price break. That is something we try to publicize during parent/teacher conference week. In addition, I sent out a survey to all Alcova parents asking what technology/internet access they have at home. That way, teachers are able to use that data as they plan their technology-related lessons and homework assignments.
The research I did prior to writing this blog was very eye-opening for me. There truly is a digital divide, and it is up to us to close that gap. We truly do live in a digital age, and it is up to us to teach these students appropriate digital citizenship and even basic computer/technology skills. I have even noticed that some kindergarteners have never even seen a computer before. Some of them touch the screen thinking that it is touch-screen operated. I believe that Alcova does a very good job of promoting digital equity. Every student has a technology class, and the majority of teachers integrate lots of technology into their classroom instruction.
This artifact improved school improvement and student learning. Equitable access is a school wide thing and the whole school benefits when equitable access is encouraged and worked toward. In addition, student learning increases when technology best practices are covered in classrooms. Since we live in a digital age, it is very important for our students to develop solid technology and digital citizenship skills that they can take with them into the real world.
This artifact is the Equitable Access Blog entry that I wrote in ITEC 7430. I teach at a Title I school, and as a result, equitable access is a topic of discussion a lot. Quite a few of our students do not have access to Internet at home, and that prevents them from doing any online homework that their teacher may assign. Many teachers in the past have made these students stay in from recess to complete the homework, but that comes across as more of a punishment than anything else. There needs to be a better way to work with the students who do not have Internet access at home rather than keeping them in from recess. This blog post shows mastery of Standard 4.1 - Digital Equity - which states that "candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers" because it describes how I began putting ideas in place for ensuring equitable access at my school.
This blog post describes how I began modeling and promoting strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources. When I wrote this blog post, I was still teaching fourth grade, and most of my homework was online. However, I had about five students who did not have access to Internet at home. I gave those students the option of doing the homework on paper and turning it in to me the next day. In addition, I would let those students get on the computer at the beginning of the day during morning work or the end of the day during dismissal so they could also get the experience of completing the homework online instead of having to do it on paper. I also gave my students a lot of online projects to complete. Students could finish these projects at home for homework, but I also made a lot of time during reading centers for students to complete these projects so that the students with no Internet access were able to turn these assignments in in a timely manner.
Another strategy that I have promoted for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources is to open a computer lab in the school several mornings or afternoons a week. This lab would be specifically for students with no Internet access to go ahead and complete any online homework they may have. That way they would still get the same online experience that their classmates have, and they would not have to stay in from recess to complete it. That actually punishes the students for not having Internet; when in reality, it is not even their fault to begin with.
I also have modeled and promoted strategies for achieving equitable access to technology-related best practices for all students and teachers in a variety of ways. Most importantly, I have led several parent workshops that teach the parents about all of the technology that their children have available to them. We share with parents how we use technology at Alcova, and what our students are doing with technology. This is key for many parents. I have seen families with no Internet purchase Internet for their homes after they saw how heavily it was being used at the school. We have also advertised Internet companies who offer low-income families a price break. That is something we try to publicize during parent/teacher conference week. In addition, I sent out a survey to all Alcova parents asking what technology/internet access they have at home. That way, teachers are able to use that data as they plan their technology-related lessons and homework assignments.
The research I did prior to writing this blog was very eye-opening for me. There truly is a digital divide, and it is up to us to close that gap. We truly do live in a digital age, and it is up to us to teach these students appropriate digital citizenship and even basic computer/technology skills. I have even noticed that some kindergarteners have never even seen a computer before. Some of them touch the screen thinking that it is touch-screen operated. I believe that Alcova does a very good job of promoting digital equity. Every student has a technology class, and the majority of teachers integrate lots of technology into their classroom instruction.
This artifact improved school improvement and student learning. Equitable access is a school wide thing and the whole school benefits when equitable access is encouraged and worked toward. In addition, student learning increases when technology best practices are covered in classrooms. Since we live in a digital age, it is very important for our students to develop solid technology and digital citizenship skills that they can take with them into the real world.