I was very interested to find out just how much responsibility is placed on educators to solve the problem of digital literacy. Not only must we get through pages and pages of TEKS directed content, we are also expected to make up for home life disparities. As a teacher, I cannot assume that all of my students have access to computers and therefore should be mindful of the type of work I assign. Hopefully we can reach a point in the educational system where take-home laptops are available for all students in the US rather than just a few programs in Maine.
The text explains the dilemma with technology deficit so that low SES schools have to spend more time teaching content for success on standardized tests and therefore have less time to teach computer competency. It’s therefore hard to get out of that rut of having less and receiving less. I really enjoyed the approach to solving the problem with low SES school deficits like the FRESA project. These types of students bring with them a background and family life that emphasizes hard work, maybe even to the extent that the children themselves are working. Instead of seeing this as a problem, educators should capitalize on this kind of attitude and make it relatable to their everyday lives. I see this at the college level with CAMP students and it’s a shame these kinds of programs aren’t seen earlier in the educational system. I hope to see more “pioneers” of this method and that their efforts are encouraged instead of limited.
The take-home laptop idea is a wonderful solution to the decrease in computer availability in low SES schools. To receive funding for the program, perhaps the district should use the model of the FRESA project and e-mail local political representatives to push legislation that will get funding to the program. The students can then research the take-home laptop program in the Maine district and talk to the students about how it has affected their learning. Finally, they can engage with the community and encourage them to vote for the law that provides them with the project funding.
I think it’s interesting how not only you and I, but most of the class found it intriguing to learn about how important it is as teachers to understand that not everyone has access to computers. Growing up, we didn’t have a computer in the house for a long time so I would constantly have to use the library computer. It brings up the point that sometimes teachers don’t think about it as much as they should. Although you hope we reach a point that we can have take-home laptops for the kids, with our economy today, I don’t know if that will ever happen. You do say that you hope schools can maybe receive funding, but with teachers teaching only to the tests now (it seems like) I wonder if the kids will ever need basic technology schools. Yes, it would be helpful for the future and basic skills, but lower SES schools have enough troubles getting books for their students, let alone money to pay the teachers.
I agree with what you said in the beginning of your reflection about students not having access to computers. I think that teachers should be mindful when deciding to assign homework that involves using the internet, but if they must do so then they need to provide access to one for the students who do not have one.
I also believe that low SES schools should be offering more time for their students to be able to work on computers. I understand that it is important to teach students enough to succeed on a standardized test, but I think that students are more likely to use computers in their future than the things they learn from those tests.