CIC2601 Assignment 5 (Correctly Answered)

CIC2601 Assignment 5 (Correctly Answered). Even being the best teacher is not always enough. The importance of good teaching cannot be understated. As every educator knows, however, the effectiveness of teaching rests with the student and their work both inside and outside of the classroom. Technology access plays a significant role in this learning. From working on school assignments and watching online tutorials to communicating with teachers and confidently using modern computer technology, technology access matters a lot for student learning and their ultimate educational success. Those who need a helping hand the most often are the ones with less technology access outside of the school. As reported by Forbes in June 2020, over nine million students do not have internet access. According to the 2020 State of Digital Learning, lack of student access to technology at home remains a top concern for teachers. Although most students now have smartphones with some internet access, the digital divide is still very real. And it is hurting students, especially those who are poor and stand to gain the most from a good education. Be the Change You Want to See in the World Teachers do not have to stand by and watch as their students struggle from a lack of adequate computer access outside of school, however. Good teachers not only care about their students and deliver quality instruction, but they also understand that they can be the change they want to see in the world. Teachers cannot fix the digital divide nationally all by themselves, but they can help level the playing field for the students directly under their care. Understand Student Access The first step is understanding the problem. Ideally, you can determine what sort of technology access each student has outside of the classroom as early as possible in the school year, but that is not always the case. Circumstances can change throughout the year (COVID-19 taught us that anything can happen) and new students may join your class. If some of your students only have internet access via their smartphone, online worksheets and research assignments will be significantly more challenging for them. Likewise, those who rely on a shared family computer might only have spotty access, which increases the chances that their homework will be disrupted or inaccessible at any given time. Furthermore, consider the students who travel to their local public library for internet access or those who depend on the district’s school buses to drive by offering temporary Wi-Fi access. Teachers can compensate for some of these issues but only if they understand their students’ problems. Brian Sersion and Douglas Stevens at the Cincinnati Public Schools have developed a “Student Technology Access & Use Survey”