My experience with Twitter (https://twitter.com/) and micro-blogging started over a year ago, when I was searching for a way to enhance my educational knowledge. The more I used Twitter, the more I began to understand the great collaborative power of this Web 2.0 tool. Twitter allows me to share my educational experiences and learn more about what is going on in the education community. Twitter helps to sift through all of the mounds of web data into small manageable 140 character nuggets of knowledge, known as Tweets.
STEM initiatives along with robotics and coding have always interested me, both as an educator and an enthusiast. The cost however has always made it prohibitive for schools and individuals. As the owner of two Sphero's and several Raspberry Pis, programming can get expensive pretty quickly. The National Robotics Engineering Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has gone about solving the issue of expense with the Robotic Virtual World (RVW). RVW (http://www.robotvirtualworlds.com/) is a virtual environment that allows students to create and program robots in the classroom. By allowing students to create and program robots in a virtual environment the expense of robotics is drastically reduced.
Robotics and RVW also brings together the different disciplines into one interactive package. According to Jason McKenna from the Robotics Academy Blog, "robotics is the perfect platform to show the application of math and science to everyday scenarios" (as cited Solomon & Schrum, 2014, p.182). The interdisciplinary nature of robotics along with cost, are some the great benefits that helps to drive STEM programs like RVW.
Digital Divide
After reading the article, Education equity and the digital divide by Paul Gorski, I can’t help but wonder how much has the changed in a decade, since it was written? Have we narrowed the gap that exists between the digital have and have nots? Gorski (2005) looks at not only equity but also access of technology. He states that access needs to go, “beyond that of physical access to, or usage rates of, computers and the Internet to include access to equitable support and encouragement to pursue and value technology related fields, educationally and professionally” (Gorski, 2005, p. 6). Are we really addressing access to technology to include all students? As an educator I always endorsed computer both in and outside of the classroom. I think that a lot has changed and with the new emphasis the community has placed on STEM, we are bridging that divide.
I have been in many different schools and I have seen varying levels of technology usage and access. The amount of students accessing technology and internet usage has increased every year, however is it being used properly? Although the students have access to technology are they utilizing that access to enhance their education? As an educator I have seen many schools not utilizing, bring your own device initiatives (BYOD). Many teachers still believe that technology does not need to be accessed for education. By not taking advantage of technology and technology resources we are further enhancing the divide by not engaging our students in digital age learning.
I have always endorsed the use of BYOD tools to increase access to technology in the classroom. Working with administration and technology services, I have brought in laptop and Ipad carts into the classroom to help make certain that every student has equitable access to technology. Along with access to technology in classroom, I have also actively promoted the use of internet and digital tools at home. An import consideration to remember when using digital lessons is that many students do not have access to computers at home. Using Web 2.0 tools such as Edmodo help address the lack of computer access, by using platforms that are compatible on cellphones and tablets. For many students internet access outside of school is not viable realty. In order to address the needs of students without internet access at home, I have actively promoted programs from both AT&T and Comcast that offer discounted internet access for low socio-economic students (SES) and households. As educators it is important to always consider the current realities of the students you are teaching. Many educators "flip the classroom" without considering the current level of internet and digital access outside of the classroom.
Although, I don’t see the division between the sexes for access to technology, I will not deny it exists. As far as student access to computer technology in schools is concerned, I have seen very little difference between socio economic groups. I believe that where the division begins is between groups outside of school. I have had so many students tell me that do not have access to a computer at home. Although many students do have cellphones, many of past students have indicated to me that they do not have a computer and internet access.
Although many students do have access to cellphones that access to be capitalized for instruction. Although optimally we would want all students to have a personal computers at home, it may not be realistic. This then leaves in the question, “should we be tailoring education to handheld devices as a way of bridging the digital divide?” Many teachers have embraced the use of cellphones both in the classroom and outside. By allowing students to use the devices they currently have access to we can come a little closer to bridging the gap across the “digital divide”.
Works Cited:
Gorski, P. (2005). Education equity and the digital divide. AACE Journal, 13(1), 3-45.
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2014). Web 2.0: How-to for educators (2nd ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Yoder, L. (2016, January 25). Tour Builder with Google [web log comment]. Retrieved September 14, 2016, retrieved from Engaged: http://www.edgaged.net/2016/01/tour-builder-with-google.html