Michelle Loomis

EDU 315 – Module #3

Due 10/28/08

1. What is Digital Divide?

a. Digital divide is the gap in technology between those with access and those without. It also includes those who have physical disabilities which hinder their use of technology. Common groups of people that do not have access to internet are people who are of low socio-economic status, and those who live in rural areas where it may be hard to access the internet.

2. How does the digital divide affect elementary schools?

a. Technology is becoming more and more prominent in elementary schools. Many schools are receiving grants to improve their use of computers, and it is providing opportunities for many students who do not have the opportunity to use a computer at home. When teaching, in a rural area or in a low socio-economic area, a teacher must be aware that not all students will have a computer, or internet access at home. Therefore, a teacher must be careful when giving homework assignments where the internet is needed. A few options to this are to provide time in school, if the computers are available, for students to complete their work. If no time is found during the school day, have an opportunity for students to stay after and use the computers.

3. How does this issue affect my future as a teacher?

a. I know how expensive having a computer as a family is. First you have to buy the computer, and then pay for the internet access each month, and then pay for spyware to protect your computer. Therefore, I know not every one of my students are going to have access to the internet at home. I also know that some students who live in a rural area may have internet but they do not have broadband, therefore making it a long process to do a simple assignment. As a teacher I will try and provide as much time using computers in the classroom for students as possible. With the use of technology in most jobs, in America, today students need to be prepared. Therefore, I know it is important to provide an equal opportunity to all students, on both sides of the digital divide. Since not all schools have access to efficient computers writing a grant might be the best way for me to keep my plan.

Organization:

Johnsville Elementary School

Michelle Loomis 5^th grade teacher

Louisville, OH 49832

Introduction:

Johnsville Elementary is a small rural school in central Ohio. The closest town, other than the town our school is in, is an hour away. Many of our students commute more than a half an hour each day. Fifty percent of our students do not have access to broadband internet and ten percent of those students do not have access to any internet. Therefore, most of our students have a limited experience with computers.

Our school, itself, has one set of twenty computers. No individual classroom has a computer for the students to use. Johnsville Elementary consists of kindergarten through sixth grade, with two classes in each grade. Each class gets to use the computers one day a week for one hour. Since many students in the school have had limited access to computers they are not fluent in how to use them. Therefore, during therein the computer lab the classes have to spend their time learning how to use their computers. This leaves little time for the students to use educational programs.

Project Summary:

In our ideal school, each student would have their own individual computer. However, we have come up with a plan that would provide a significant amount of time on computers for all students, without every student having their own computer.

The plan would consist of one-hundred new or used laptops. For grades four through six each grade would receive a set of computers to share between the two classes. For the younger grades, kindergarten through third, each class would receive 3 classroom computers. Those younger students would also have more access to the large computer room because the time will not have to be split with the older grades.

This plan would also consist of hiring another computer teacher for the elementary school. This teacher will be responsible with working with the other computer teacher and visiting each classroom at least two times a week. This new teacher would also be responsible for providing two night sessions a week for parents to come into the school and learn how to use the computers.

Problems That Will Be Addressed:

By providing more computers to the students it will help to reduce the digital divide in our school. The computers will allow students, who do not have the ability to use the internet at home, with the time and practice to become fluent with the use of computers. This will give an equal opportunity to every student, without a bias on their socio economic status or their ability for broadband internet.

Project Timetable:

We hope to have the upper grade computers by the start of the 2009-2010 school year. We believe those are the most important ones to have first. By January of 2010 we hope to have the rest of the computers implemented into the schools.

Budget

100 laptops at $1000.00 each

(10000.00)

1 New Computer Teacher at ($35,000.00/year)

(35,000.00)

Evaluation

After one year of having the computers each student and teacher will fill out an evaluation on how they felt the computers worked in their classroom. We will then decide if the amount of computers is sufficient for the school, or if more or less are needed. If less are needed, the computers will be given to the high school, which is also having a difficulty with the digital divide.

Example of the evaluation:

Student Evaluation

Grade Level ________________

1. How many times a week did you work with a computer in school, on average?

2. Do you have internet access at home?

3. How do you think your computer skills were before the school year?

a. Never used one

b. Very poor

c. Poor

d. Moderate

e. Excellent

4. How do you think your computer skills are now?

a. Never used one

b. Very poor

c. Poor

d. Moderate

e. Excellent

5. What is your favorite program on a computer?

6. Name some projects you did with the computer.

Teacher Evaluation

Grade Level________________

1. How would you rate your computer skills?

a. Never used one

b. Very poor

c. Poor

d. Moderate

e. Excellent

2. How many times a week did you use computers with your class?

3. What programs did you use?

4. What projects did your students do with the computers?

5. How do you think your students felt about using the computers?

6. How did you feel about using computers in your classroom?