TECHNOLOGY INEQUITIES IMPACT ON LEARNING

Rheanna EgliEmporia State UniversityEL 810Dr. Dobler25 April 2016

INTRODUCTION Students in poverty should be able to learn at the same rate as students

who have access to technology within the home.

Technology can advance children’s readiness for education, but not all homes have Internet or electronic devises at their fingertips. This leaves those children at a disadvantage.

Within the classroom, it is a teacher’s job to shorten the gaps between students who come from these varieties of backgrounds.

Some low-income elementary schools are getting grants for technology, but there is a difference between teaching children whom have previous experiences with technology as to those with no previous experience.

LOW-INCOME STATISTICS Challenges: inadequate access to technology, strict budgets, and

teachers without proper training on how to use technology relevantly

Urban districts are also exposed to greater concentrates of poverty, racial and ethnic diversity, larger immigrant populations, language diversity, and more frequent student mobility (Ahram, Stembridge, Fergus, & Noguera, n.d.).

Alliance for Excellent Education, (2014) states, “Low-income teens and students of color are noticeably less likely to own computers and use the Internet than their peers.”

LOW-INCOME STATISTICS CONT. OECD (2012) gives five recommendations to help

disadvantaged schools and students improve. strengthen and support school leadership stimulate a supportive environment for learning draw, support, and keep high quality teachers teachers should implement effective classroom learning strategies make it a priority to involve parents and the community with

communication with the school

WHY POVERTY? “Students from low socio-economic backgrounds are

twice as likely to be low performers, implying that personal or social circumstances are obstacles to achieving their educational potential. More educated people contribute to more democratic societies and sustainable economies, and are less dependent on public aid and less vulnerable to economic downturns” (OECD, 2012, p.9).

Investing in children’s education during all levels (early, primary, and secondary), particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds, is very economically efficient (OECD, 2012).

WHY TECHNOLOGY? There is growing evidence that supports the positive

impact digital technologies has on measurable learning outcomes. Underwood (2009) gives four points supporting this evidence. There has been an increase in learner effectiveness/performance

gains. Digital technologies have increased learner efficiency. It has created greater learner engagement and satisfaction in

students. Students using digital technologies have more positive attitudes

towards learning. When technology is implemented properly it can increase both

achievement and engagement for students. (This is especially relevant among at-risk students.)

INTERNET ACCESS The amounts of access students and teachers together have

with technology at home and at school plays a heavy part on the educational experience offered.

Not having access to the Internet or technology within the home creates an equity issue for students who are at a disadvantage because of the lack of resources.

“Only three percent of teachers in high-poverty school said their students have the digital tools needed to complete homework assignments at home” (Alliance for Excellent Education (2014).

IMPACT ON LEARNING Putting technology together with classroom teachers who will give support

and encouragement to underprivileged students influences achievement positively.

In a report by Alliance for Excellent Education, (2014) titled Using Technology to Support At-Risk Students’ Learning, five recommendations are listed to enlarge the use and positive influence of technology with underprivileged children.

schools should aim for one-to-one computer access speedy Internet connections should be readily available states, districts, and schools should encourage influential dialog and engagement through

technology curriculum and instruction plans need to promote the use of technology by the students to

both create content and learn material blended learning environments should be created.

CLASSROOM GOALS “Equity in education means that personal or social circumstances

such as gender, ethnic origin, or family background are not obstacles to achieving educational potential (fairness) and that all individuals reach at least a basic minimum level of skills (inclusion)” (OECD, 2012, p.9).

In an education system with fairness and inclusion, or equity, the majority of students hold the possibility to receive high-level skills, despite any personal and socio-economic situations.

Teachers should invest in professional development, find grants to write, and take advantage of BYOD (bring your own device) into the classroom.

CONCLUSION An overwhelming amount of studies show that digital technologies are very

important to student achievement, especially within low-income school districts

Low-income schools districts can lack the funding, accredited teachers, and resources.

Teachers must provide valuable lessons to these students in order to gain the most from them during the school day. They also may need to put in extra time and effort to create a way for these students to use resources outside of the school day.

Although the expectations are high and the resources limited, strong teachers in low-income classrooms are needed to ensure bright futures for these disadvantaged students.

REFERENCES Ahram, R., Stembridge, A., Fergus, E., & Noguera, P. (n.d.). Framing urban school

challenges: The problems to examine when implementing response to intervention. Retrieved from http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/diversity/urban-school-challenges

Alliance for Excellent Education (2014). New report: technology can close achievement gaps and improve learning outcomes for at-risk students: Report identifies key strategies to successful technology implementation. Retrieved from http://all4ed.org/press/new-report-technology-can-close-achievement-gaps-and-improve-learning-outcomes-for-at-risk-students/

OECD (2012). Equity and quality in education: Supporting disadvantaged students and schools, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264130852-en

Underwood, J. (2009, November). The impact of digital technology: A review of the evidence of the impact of digital technologies on formal education. Becta. Retrieved from http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/10491/3/A9RF934_Redacted.pdf

PICTURE REFERENCES http://www.themerge.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/

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http://blog.smeonestop.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/blog-8.jpg

http://www.jakesonline.org/blogimages/successfailure.jpg

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