The Digital Divide

The Digital Divide

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic was a traumatic and devastating time for the world. It has almost been three years since the entire world shut down due to the pandemic, and the educational system is still dealing with the repercussions. The pandemic shed light on the digital divide that exist in America. When schools were forced to shut down and proceed with emergency remote education, many students were left behind because they did not have access to the internet or mobile devices. Now that school is primarily back in-person, teachers must stay mindful of the disparities that affect at-risk student populations and look for innovative ways to close to digital divide.

The digital divide is the unequal access to digital technology due to low socio-economic levels, demographics, cultural, and individual differences. Digital inequalities increase the vulnerability of at-risk groups of people (Sosa Diaz, 2021). After the COVID-19 pandemic, America saw an increase in technology grants being awarded to public schools. However, digital disparities and challenges continue to exist, such as student and teacher technological efficacy and integration of technology in classrooms. High-poverty schools are less likely than their counterparts to train teachers on technology integration (Herold, 2017).

The intended audience for this campaign is teachers, administrators, and any stakeholders within the educational system. To close the digital divide, schools must look for ways to make technology accessible to all students and integrate technology into their learning. Teachers need proper education and training to become facilitators in the digital environment. Students must learn how use technology to maximize their learning and how to utilize their 21st-century and digital citizenship skills. Innovative schools will look for ways to close the digital divide by preparing students for the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inequalities that affect at-risk student populations. Teachers that build relationships with their students and families will adopt a pedagogy of care as they respond to the digital divide (Correia, 2020). Teachers can create lessons and assignments that are accessible in a variety of formats and flexible to meet the needs of all students. In schools with less technology options, teachers should provide low-bandwidth strategies and approaches (Correia, 2020). Most importantly, educators must stay mindful of the digital divide and continue to educate themselves on how to navigate the digital age and integrate technology into classrooms.

References

Correia, A.-P. (2020). Healing the Digital Divide During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 21(1), 13–21.

Herold, B. (2017). Poor Students Face Digital Divide in How Teachers Learn to Use Tech. Education Digest, 83(3), 16–23.

Sosa Díaz, M. J. (2021). Emergency Remote Education, Family Support and the Digital Divide in the Context of the COVID-19 Lockdown. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157956