Week 3 - Providing Equal Access to the Digital World to all learners

What does it mean to you when you hear that it is up to the classroom teacher to: Provide Equal Access to the Digital World to All Learner?  How, or what, would you do in your classroom to meet that statement?
This is a short (2-3 paragraph) blog entry.

When hearing the statement, "it is up classroom teacher's responsibility to provide equal access to the Digital World  to All Learners", I strongly agree with this statement. As our world becomes more digital and technology becomes more advanced, it becomes more of a responsibility of the teacher, or teachers, to make sure that students are prepared for the digital world they live in. As a teacher, your job is not only to educate students and teach curriculum, but also to help them grow as people and to be prepared for life beyond your classroom.

By not providing students with digital access or digital learning experiences, teachers would be providing students with out of date learning techniques and strategies. The world is becoming more digital, and by not providing our students with digital competency than this is unfair to our students. Our students will be at a disadvantage compared to others later on in life or in their academic careers. Even schools that do not have the funds to provide every student with a computer, or iPads to demonstrate the different uses of apps or does not have the resources or funds to implement smart boards, these schools still have the ability to work with the technology they have.

Many school districts are not able to afford the latest and greatest software, with so many changes to education -often times technology is not a school districts first priority. That is why many educators are willing to share their tips and techniques for finding solutions to these problems. Many teachers are willing to share free educational software or resources, or classroom activities that help integrate technology. Even if a district does not have the resources available that a teacher would prefer, it is the teachers responsibility to integrate technology to the best of their ability.

Integrating technology could mean planning activities using the teachers computer and/or an overhead projector, or the classroom computers if the teacher is fortunate enough to have these available for use. As an educator in the 21st century, it is the teachers responsibility to provide students with a variety of digital resources. All students, from special education to ELL students, should have this exposure. By providing students with digital resources teachers are helping prepare students for future and the technology that they may be using in the future. Exposing students to technology at an early age is often more successful because students will feel more comfortable using different resources.