The Schoolhouse "Digital Divide"

Published: January 13, 2003

by: Jessine Foss


Schools serving kids from low-income communities have almost as many computers as the average California school. The "digital divide" now is that, in poorer areas, the computers are often older, there are fewer per classroom and, say experts, they’re not being used effectively.

"Children [in low-income communities] are being marginalized in terms of creativity," says Herbert Kohl, director of the Institute for Social Justice at the University of San Francisco. "In many of [their] schools, drill is all the kids do. It’s terrible—you bore kids yet again! [Children in more affluent communities] create programs, do multimedia projects, do research online, do creative writing, connect with other children."

"In [many] low-income communities," says Billie Trilling, director of WestEd’s technology and education program, a computer becomes "an automated worksheet: ‘What is 6+3?’ If you get it wrong, it says ‘Try again.’ There’s very much a place for drill and practice [for] things you just have to memorize, like the times tables...but if you don’t do much else, achievement will actually go down over time." More creative use of computers can lead to "incredible gains" in "critical thinking, collaboration, communication," he adds.

Studies of computers in schools found that:

  • Teachers in schools serving low-income communities used computers more often for drill than complex tasks.
  • More advanced children were more likely to have opportunities to learn to use computers effectively.
  • Children using computers for drill and practice can initially improve basic skills—particularly in math and science—but computers are most effective when children use them for problem-solving and critical thinking.

But, says Kohl, "when you get sophisticated teachers with adequate experience, it doesn’t make any difference if children are from poor or culturally different communities—kids fly!"

Computers in Schools: Ingredients of Success

Train teachers. Education technology experts agree that this is the most important factor. "Teachers across the board don’t feel competent to use technology as part of instruction," says Elsa Macias, director of information technology at the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute.

Integrate computer use with the curriculum. "Design curriculum [based on] the standards and make sure [computer use] is supporting the same goals," says Michael Macioce, a first grade teacher at Alianza Charter School in Watsonville, Calif. Some examples:

  • Learning about birds: After a six-week study in English and Spanish of the nearby Elkhorn Slough, second graders at Alianza visited the estuary—and their explorations were recorded on a digital video camera. "We asked them questions about what they were seeing," recalls teacher Jennifer Levinson. "'Look at that bird, what kind do you think it is? What kind of beak does it have? What do you think it uses its beak for? What type of claws does it have? Do you think it uses its claws to catch food or to cling to a branch?’" The video and the children’s responses will be turned into an interactive tool for other classes to learn about the slough.
  • Researching Native Americans: Fourth and fifth graders in Juan Alcántar’s class at Alianza are doing Internet research for reports on Native Americans. A computer training program taught Alcántar how to search the Internet for useful sites and design a Web page with links for children to use in their research.
  • Understanding math and science: Fred Mindlin, project director for technology for Pajaro Valley Unified School District, shows computer simulations of plate tectonics to sixth grade science students. Graciela Vega-Carbajal, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Alianza, teaches students to graph large numbers using Excel.
Include children with learning disabilities."You need a system to ensure equal access," says Macioce. For a child classified with a learning disability, says Kohl, "a computer can be magical. We need to assume they are learners, to give them everything and see what they can do."

Monitor health and safety. "Computers need to be ergonomically thought through, with proper seats," says Kohl. "Kids should not put their heads next to a computer screen, and [administrators] should test the amount of radiation in computer labs."


Hi-Tech School in a Low-Income Community
Students, teachers and parents at Alianza Charter School in Watsonville are learning and communicating with computers, thanks to the Rural Technology Integration Program of the Latino Issues Forum (LIF).

"Six or seven years ago, we saw there was going to be a lack of access to technology in low-income schools," explains Ana Montes, LIF technology director. "So we developed a program that targeted schools with the highest enrollment of minorities and students in poverty. The kids are jazzed...and we are building reading, writing and comprehension levels."

At Alianza, which serves mostly Latino students from low-income communities, the program:

Trains teachers

  • helps teachers develop classroom projects using multimedia programs, word processing and Internet research
  • teaches teachers how to use e-mail, design Web pages and to trouble-shoot
  • gives teachers two to three sessions of in-class coaching

Provides computers

  • has upgraded the school’s computer lab
  • provides parents of students in selected classrooms with computers and bilingual training.

Esmeralda Delgado, whose daughters are in second and third grade at Alianza, had no previous computer experience. "Now I know how to use the mouse, how to write e-mail," she says. "I wanted to do the training to communicate with the school, to see how [my daughters] are doing. I can give them tips and help them with their homework. It’s good for the kids, and good for the parents also!"

Resources:

Education Technology Office, part of the California Department of Education, has information on technology grants, including

  • E-rate: discounts for telecommunication services and equipment to libraries and schools
  • Technology Literacy Challenge Grants: funds primarily to purchase multimedia computers
  • California Technology Assistance Project: technical assistance on staff development, learning resources, hardware, and funding.

Web resources on technology use in schools

Organizations

 

 

Talk Back

If you've got comments or questions about this story, we'd like to hear them. Send your response to Susan Phillips.

This article is adapted from the November-December 2002 issue of the Children's Advocate published by Action Alliance for Children.


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