Everyone needs it, but not everyone has access to it.
Digital Equity: It may be a term you never hear until push comes to shove. In a world where we need access to technology, Covid-19 proved that not everyone has the access or capabilities of having access for school and/or work related needs.
In a Perfect World...
Digital Equity is where all people have the digital access required for full investment in our general public, school, and work. It is fundamental for urban and social interest, business, deep rooted learning, and access to services.
I've worked in a Title 1 school ever since my teaching career began 9 years ago. I saw the needs of food and supplies, but never really saw a need for technology because we had a computer lab at school. It wasn't until Covid-19 that we had to move to virtual learning, that I saw the need and how few of my students had access to technology. Some students, we could provide a Chromebook, but they had no internet access. Other students had the capabilities. My district finally said "We have to do something about this." The very next day, we had a technology pickup day where parents could come drive through and pick up devices if they had internet, and a hotspot if they did not. After providing every student access, the only trouble we had was students not logging into class from home. I was fortunate in my school district, however, not everyone is.
What's the Problem?
While internet access is nearly universal in the United States (95 percent of all 3- to 18-year-olds had access in 2019), not all families access the internet the same way. Specifically, 88 percent had access through a computer,3 and 6 percent relied on a smartphone for their home internet access (NCES Blog, 2021). Many students couldn't use their smartphones because many of the applications used such as Google Classroom wasn't compatible with student friendly learning. I even tried it a few times on my phone and I had trouble with opening the classroom and accessing my assignments. Other problems included:
Lack of funds to provide better internet access
Lack of meaningful instruction
Lack of training for students and teachers to be able to successfully utilize the technology and tools provided
What about the Teachers?
It was tough on all of us. We didn't know if we could do it.
We got the call during Spring Break that we wouldn't be back. So we did what any teacher would do. we stayed up all night watching YouTube videos on Google Classroom because none of us really knew how to use it. During that time, I personally worked 16+ hours and tried to balance life, phone calls, meetings, meals, and kids just like any other regular school day. It was like drinking from a fire hose with all the information and trying to stay within the laws. It was tough on all of us. We didn't know if we do it, but like any great teacher, we answered the call! Even with all the materials and supplies, I don't feel like we were prepared like we needed to be and our kids needed for us to be. It was a lot of learning on our part especially if it was an older teacher that was not well seasoned with using technology.
What Can Be Done?
Funding for schools to provide access for technology.
Provide students access to internet through the use of hotspots.
Seek better quality devices- not hand-me-down laptops.
Provide training on all things technology to better teachers and don't stop until they understand.
Final Thoughts
Virtual learning showed how needed digital equity is. It showed me how inept my students were with the computers that were provided and many didn't even know how to login. Once we came back to in-person school, it pushed me to implement more digital learning in the event that we had to go back to virtual. It also pushed our district to allow for funding to be moved to provide better technology for our teachers, classrooms, and students. It was difficult to keep up with the standards by not having curriculum being adapted to online learning. And sometimes, in the midst of a google meets session, you have to have a little brain break to keep your students engaged and feel like they are in the classroom once again.
Works Cited