Hello, welcome to blog #5 where I will be discussing the digital divide within education and essential software for educators to implement within their classrooms.
My early experiences using Twitter began around the year 2016. I downloaded the app to catch up with current events, news, and entertainment purposes. Back then, I was not able to understand how the app functioned. I had difficulty finding people to follow so my feed was always empty or didn’t show things that I was interested in. This ultimately led me to delete the app. Recently I downloaded the app and began connecting with individuals who were interested in similar topics as me and my peers which made the app more enjoyable and useful. I have forums for the app to be beneficial in many ways. Twitter allows individuals to voice their concerns and ideas efficiently. Additionally, trending topics on twitter allow you to catch up on current events and engage in conversations relevant to today’s time. As an educator twitter will be very useful in many ways. I can tweet useful ideas and resources and connect with other teachers. By connecting with other educators in a virtual sphere I can learn about ways to incorporate tools and new software into my classroom. Ultimately the connections that Twitter provides educators to create a space for continued learning and vital conversations.
In today’s day and age, we may wake up and connect with the world around us through the use of our smartphones or computers. Technology and internet access has allowed us to utilize educational resource with more ease. Unfortunately, not everyone has this privilege. The digital divide which is defined as the gap and disparities among students who do not have access to technology is very prevalent whithen education.
As an educator, the digital divide within my classroom especially in title I schools may be very prevalent. As a teacher, I may experience many students who don’t have access abilities to the internet or computer access at home. Lack of technology access within the school and outside of school will affect my teaching strategies as it will be more difficult to teach using software and apps due to students not being knowledgeable on how to function them properly. I can mitigate the divide between students who do not have access to technology by allowing students to stay after school. Another way to mitigate the divide is to allow for times where students can practice using computers more often during classroom instruction. The students who are affected by the digital divide then have opportunities within the classroom to gain these important skills.
Academic software is an essential part of the classroom in today’s society. With the schools moving to remote instruction due to COVID-19 understanding which software works best for different levels of education will aid in our current transition. As an aspiring educator who plans to work with children in grades K-6, I have many software tools that are free and accessible. For example, Khan Academy Kids is a tool that can be downloaded on any device. The app is sectioned into various core subjects such as early literacy, language, reading, writing, and math. I would use this tool as additional resources for my classroom because it can allow me to track student progress throughout various standards and allow me to assign digital practice. The app will be catered to student's levels so all students can benefit from the software design to improve their skills.
As an educator, I believe that parent communication is vital in a classroom community. Having constant communication fosters an environment where students feel supported and parents are in the loop about what is occurring. To foster positive communication, I would use the software called Seesaw. The Seesaw app allows teachers to assign home learning assignments, students can post their work in organized portfolios, and parents can view and comment on the work their child is doing. Similar to other software like Canvas or Google Classroom Seesaw, organize classroom activities and subjects into sections. Having software that allows for home learning assignments and additional resources aids in teaching standards more effectively while allowing students to gain digital skills.
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