Policymakers all the way up to the president of the United States are fond of saying that America's children need a 21st century education if they—and by extension we—are to have any chance to thrive in the globally competitive workforce of the future.
President Obama’s State of the Union address affirmed his support for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. His proposed 2012 budget designates $80 million for recruiting 10,000 STEM-subject teachers in the next two years.
Maybe Obama, or someone, can explain how those 10,000 teachers will help when many schools lack access to basic levels of technology. Computer labs are understocked, with outdated, broken computers, and teachers have no way to integrate technology into the curriculum.
Most tech-deprived schools serve students from low-income, minority communities. Historically, these kids have been at a disadvantage to their affluent peers. Exclusion from the digital world only widens this gap.
Sarah Silverman teaches fifth- and sixth-grade writing in Columbus, Ohio. She recently told TakePart about her struggle to bridge the digital divide for her students.
DESPERATELY SEEKING LAPTOPS
At KIPP Journey Academy, the school day begins at 8:30 a.m. and goes strong until 5:00 p.m. Silverman believes that her students are “among the hardest working in Ohio.” In an email to TakePart, she writes:
“My students rise to high expectations every single day, working at an incredibly rigorous college-prep school located in a severely impoverished area of Ohio. Students have two hours of homework every single night, including weekends and vacation. They are amazingly hard workers and strive to overcome challenges every day. They are climbing that mountain to college and introduce themselves by saying, ‘My name is _______, and I'm going to college in 2018.’”
Despite Silverman’s dedication and commitment, she faces one particularly daunting challenge: How to prepare her students to compete in a digital world without the help of computers?
“Currently, our schools' computer lab consists of broken computers with missing keys,” Silverman writes. “None of them have word processing software. Students are handwriting all of their assignments. Our writing class could be completely transformed by a set of laptops for our kids. Not only would these encourage ideas, excite them about writing, and help fix spelling errors, these laptops would also give these students the experience with technology they need to succeed in our world, as most of our students do not have access to a computer at home.”
In an effort to save her students from digital exclusion, Silverman submitted a project request to DonorsChoose.org. Her goal is to raise money to buy 24 laptops with word processing programs for her students.
So far, only four donors have heeded the call. Project completion is $13,241 away.
BRIDGING THE GAP
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) sees digital technology as an essential educational component for all students across the socio-economic spectrum.
Its website describes ed tech as “the great equalizer in our efforts to close the achievement gap.”
ISTE’s 2011 statement of priorities identifies three recommendations for policymakers:
1. Long-term commitment to federal funding for existing ed tech programs, such as Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT).
2. Integrating technology into every part of the teaching and learning process.
3. Making broadband access for all a national priority.
The U.S. may have a long way to go before reaching those goals.
According to documents presented at the Alliance for Digital Equality's (ADE) Digital Empowerment Summit in October 2010, only 46 percent of African Americans and 40 percent of Hispanic Americans have broadband access at home.
A report released on February 17, 2011, by the Department of Commerce shows that only 60 percent of households in rural America use broadband Internet. Some neighborhoods have no access at all.
While the federal EETT program received a $650 million boost in stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget proposal eliminates EETT grants entirely.
Obama’s spending plan diffuses technology funding into several new initiatives under the "Effective Teaching and Learning for a Complete Education" umbrella. That move worries the ISTE and other ed tech advocacy groups.
At least for the moment, the digital divide between America’s haves and have-nots persists.
New educational technologies place limitless, enriched learning opportunities at the fingertips of some students; others—such as Sarah Silverman’s fifth and sixth graders—are still $13,000 away from having any computers at all.
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