The internet may be second nature to some, but not
to all. This may be because of how fast the digital divide is constantly
growing. What that means it that even though you may or may not have access to
a computer those indivuals still don’t know how to use it. Computers are a
luxury that we take for granted in the states because they are so obtainable.
In other countries others do not have this opportunity due to lack of
resources, environment (social and economical) and language barriers as well.
Having this equipment and being able to teach people to use it properly are the
steps we have to take to close this digital divide. If not others who cannot
translate this language feel left out and is susceptible to doing terrible
things such as terrorism. They lash out in this way because they feel like
outcasts.
In the Daily Beast, it is said that 90 percent of
schools have computers, but older versions that are unreliable and slow. The
minority schools have less internet access and computers than the schools that
have Caucasians as their majority population.
This is unfair and is a main reason why the digital
divide keeps growing. Students born into poverty potentially tend to have more parents
that do not understand the importance of computers and education today. This
can be due to their parents’ lack of education status and resources.
Since the internet is heavily influencing education
more as the years go on there is another digital divide that is emerging. Would
you rather have all of your school work, teaching, and learning done online?
This is an issue that is sparking some attention. Educators and parents are
debating whether to add a sort of newness to the way they teach their students
in the 21st century. The reason this is happening is because more students
are being born into this technological era than ever before. Some teachers are
against this even if the laptop the students do get will have built in internet
access.
Not everyone is born into the best situations and America
is trying to work around that with programs like Teach to One. To close this
digital divide you have to not just provide the computers but teach the skills
to educators as well as the students. This will help with expanding their
learning of how to use the technology resources properly and what they were
created for.
