The digital divide many years ago used to be talk about who had access to the Internet and who did not have access.  Was it the schools that did not have enough technology in their classroom or was it a students’ home-life that prevented a child from having access to the Internet?  Over the last 10 years or so having access to the Internet has become easier and easier with the usage of smartphones and tablets.  Jan van Dijk said on Science Direct, “A shift of attention from physical access to skills and usage is observed. In terms of physical access the divide seems to be closing in the most developed countries; concerning digital skills and the use of applications the divide persists or widens.”  I could not agree more with that statement.  After teaching in a variety of schools over the last 7 years the issue is not having access to technology the issue is having the skills to use the technology in a productive way. 

Individuals and families now have more access to the Internet then they have ever had before.  Lee Rainie the Director of Internet, Science and Technology research at the Pew Research Center published this chart to show that racial demographics are not the thing holding individuals back from having access to the Internet. 

What I think this shows is that a lot of people are using their phones and tablets on a regular basis to access the Internet.  Another chart that Lee Rainie made shows how many individuals have access to broadband at home and I think these results are a little bit more telling. 

I think what this chart shows is that people now have unprecedented access to the Internet, however they don’t have access on things like computers.  I think this is important because when kids are in school they use computers not phones.  When parents are applying for a job they are not asked how many text messages they can type in a minute.  The PBS video said it perfectly, “There is an increasing concern in how broadband is being used among different groups.  Whether spending more time on social networks, streaming television programs or movies, and playing games is at the expense of educational advancement, managing finances, or pursing job opportunities.”

If there were not a digital divide, my job would not look the same as it does right now.  My job is to teach “technology advanced” students Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  All of these students have access to the Internet and all of these students have access to computers.  However, I teach them very similar skills that I taught at my other schools in very different environments.  Whether it was formatting a word document, setting up an excel sheet or making a presentation these were all things that had to be taught to all of the students that I have taught.  The issue is that I do not need to explain to my current students how to print, open a document or find different buttons on the computer.  With lower income students, I had to explain everything like this was the first time they were on the computer. 

What are the things you have been surprised when either teaching or observing your classroom?

*I would have Kindergarten students wet themselves because they had never been on a computer before and they did not want to get up.