Equal Access to the Digital World

Providing Access....

Providing access for all learners in not only essential it is a challenge. 21st century learners are digital natives. They are accustomed to being surrounded by cell phones, touch screen computers, hand held devices and instant access to information. In order for 21st century students to become college and career ready technology needs to be embedded into their learning.
Students need to attend schools where internet access and computer hardware are a reality and it cannot stop there. Technology access needs to be centered on the quality of use. No longer can a once a week visit to the computer lab for typing classes or for playing games be acceptable. Teacher training is essential and it needs to be planned and executed through a comprehensive scope and sequence. Each administrator needs to model, support and lead his or her school or district into the 21st century (Schrum & Levin, 2009).

Providing access to a digital world means that all students will be provided with teachers with high levels of training in 21st century tools. All teachers must have access to hardware, software and Web 2.0 tools to not only demonstrate and model learning and lessons through the use of technology but create student centered classrooms where technology assists in fostering access to the vast world around us.
But how is this monumental task accomplished for all, regardless of socioeconomic and cultural barriers, in rural and urban settings? There needs to be a shift in how we fund technology in our schools if we are going to provide equal access for all learners. Policy makers need to support the integration of technology by reaching out to school leaders to help them create a vision and scope and sequence for integration and those with the greatest cultural capital can no longer be the ones with the greatest access.

As educators, it is our job to provide access for all. To meet the needs of an enormous range of learners and by providing equal access to technology for all we will be better preparing students for the world ahead.

Resources
Goldstein, Daniel, and Gregory Care. "Disability Rights and Access to the
Digital World An Advocate’s Analysis of an Emerging Field." Disability
Rights Education & Defense Fund. DREDF, 2012. Web. 17 Aug. 2014.
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