4.1 Digital Equity
Candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. (PSC 4.1/ISTE 5a)
Artifact: Equitable Access Blog Posting
Artifact: SWOT Analysis
Reflection:
The Weebly portfolio blog posting, which I created for ITEC 7430, and the SWOT analysis, which I created for ITEC 7410, illustrate my ability to promote equitable access. For each artifact, I researched and recommended strategies that would ensure digital equity. From my research, I learned that the only way to ensure equitable access is have a 1:1 student to device ratio. There are a number of ways to achieve this goal, like instituting a Bring Your Own Device initiatives or organizing community device donation drives. Teachers can also apply for grants to obtain more devices for classroom usage. It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that all students have access; therefore, we must actively search for ways to provide them with such.
These assignments were very beneficial to me. They provided me with the necessary skills and disposition to address this issue in my classroom and school. It is not enough to make sure that students have access to a device. As educators, we must also ensure that all students are given the chance to use technology to foster higher order thinking skills. We must use technology equally among students, no matter their age, gender, socioeconomic status, or ability level. In the SWOT analysis, which I shared with my school's administration and technology team, I recommended using blended learning and the county's learning management system to create technology-infused lessons for all grade and content levels. I would like to see teachers using technology for more than basic drill practice, especially with the lower achieving students. If I could complete this assignment again, I would work with our technology teachers to organize a girl's night of coding to encourage females to seek careers in technology fields.
Completing these assignments had a dramatic effect on my classroom instruction and in my school. Now, when I utilize instructional technology in my classroom, I make sure to borrow digital devices from the media center in order to ensure equitable access in the classroom. Additionally, when I assign online homework, I provide the students with one to two weeks to complete the assignments so that the students without access at home have time to go to the media center to complete the assignment. This change can be assessed through observation. Our school has been affected by these assignments because we created a plan to obtain more devices for student use. I approached my school's administration in hopes of organizing a Device Donation Drive. Together, we have created a plan for collecting used devices from the community during Open House. These devices will be housed by teachers and the media center for student use. I am very excited to see the effects of this program on our school, which can be assessed through student and staff surveys.
The Weebly portfolio blog posting, which I created for ITEC 7430, and the SWOT analysis, which I created for ITEC 7410, illustrate my ability to promote equitable access. For each artifact, I researched and recommended strategies that would ensure digital equity. From my research, I learned that the only way to ensure equitable access is have a 1:1 student to device ratio. There are a number of ways to achieve this goal, like instituting a Bring Your Own Device initiatives or organizing community device donation drives. Teachers can also apply for grants to obtain more devices for classroom usage. It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that all students have access; therefore, we must actively search for ways to provide them with such.
These assignments were very beneficial to me. They provided me with the necessary skills and disposition to address this issue in my classroom and school. It is not enough to make sure that students have access to a device. As educators, we must also ensure that all students are given the chance to use technology to foster higher order thinking skills. We must use technology equally among students, no matter their age, gender, socioeconomic status, or ability level. In the SWOT analysis, which I shared with my school's administration and technology team, I recommended using blended learning and the county's learning management system to create technology-infused lessons for all grade and content levels. I would like to see teachers using technology for more than basic drill practice, especially with the lower achieving students. If I could complete this assignment again, I would work with our technology teachers to organize a girl's night of coding to encourage females to seek careers in technology fields.
Completing these assignments had a dramatic effect on my classroom instruction and in my school. Now, when I utilize instructional technology in my classroom, I make sure to borrow digital devices from the media center in order to ensure equitable access in the classroom. Additionally, when I assign online homework, I provide the students with one to two weeks to complete the assignments so that the students without access at home have time to go to the media center to complete the assignment. This change can be assessed through observation. Our school has been affected by these assignments because we created a plan to obtain more devices for student use. I approached my school's administration in hopes of organizing a Device Donation Drive. Together, we have created a plan for collecting used devices from the community during Open House. These devices will be housed by teachers and the media center for student use. I am very excited to see the effects of this program on our school, which can be assessed through student and staff surveys.