Accessibility to Technology in Low-Income Schools

Low-income schools across the United States have had to deal with little to no funding for quite some time. One of the biggest areas where these schools are struggling is technology. Due to the lack of funding, there are many schools who are unable to provide adequate desktops, laptops, interactive smart boards, etc. for their students and teachers. The focus of this post is to discuss how the lack of technology is affecting classes in low-income schools. This post will also address the historical background, cultural identifiers and related controversies, arguments for and against the issue, effect on future teaching practices, and summarize the policies and methods that schools have used to try and solve the effects of not having technology in low-income schools.

Schools that located in low-income areas have a very hard time receiving funding from the state. They are often forgotten about and put on the back burner. Majority of these schools have a population of 75% black or brown students and 25% white students. The role that social justice plays when it comes to the lack of adequate technology in schools like this is that there are some school districts that feel like these schools are undeserving to have all of the tools needed for not only the school to survive, but also the students who attend them. For example, during the 2014-2015 school year, there was less than 1% of Louisiana public schools that were equipped with the resources and technology needed to meet the Common Core requirements (Smith, 2012).

Historical Background

In the article “The Evolution of Technology in K-12 Classrooms: 1659 to Today”, it talks about how technology started to be incorporated within the classroom. In 1659, inventor Christian Huygens created the magic lantern. It was used to project glass slides with light from lamps and candles. During the 1680s this invention made its way to the education field to show illustrations. 1795, the pencil was created. The pencil didn’t make its way inside of the classroom until its mass production started in the 1990s. Fast forward, in 1990, the World Wide Web was created. It was invented by scientist Berners-Lee. He created the web so that he could share information between other scientists and educators. In 1981, the first every laptop was invented. It was called the “The Osborne 1Laptop”. This device was invented by Adam Osborne and Lee Felsenstein. They were able to provide the foundation that created one-to-one devices; think of a Chromebook. Technology isn’t just an electronic device; it can also be something that can be tangible as well. For example, like the ball point pen, or a pencil. 

Context of K-12 Education

According to an article written by Alyvia Bruce, over the last five years, there have been extreme effects of educational technology. In 2015, students with computers and access to internet at their home were older and their parents were educated, with higher incomes than the students who didn’t have access to internet at home (Bruce, 2020). What that is saying is that because majority of the families that live in low-income areas, cannot afford to provide their children with internet and other forms of technology. The students attend schools in this area, are also not being able to use adequate technology because there is no funding for it. If they do somehow have the funding for it, they can only afford so many computers, projects, smart boards,etc.  There are also times where schools in these low areas have to take funds from other auxiliaries to cover the need for technology because they aren’t able to get it from the state or school board.

Supporting and Opposing Statements

            “When given access to appropriate technology used in thoughtful ways, all students-regardless of their respective backgrounds can make substantial gains in learning and technological readiness”. That quote was said by Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond. Identify current scholarly statements for the controversial topic. Include at least one supporting argument. Include at least one opposing argument. She also stated that the applications of technology in schools that serve disadvantaged students are compromised a lot by the same lack of dollars, teachers, and services for instruction (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2014). In an article written by Nellie Bowels, she discusses how the parents in Overland, Kansas didn’t want their children on screens. There was a group started called “START”, which stood for Stand Together and Rethink Technology. This group was created so that the parents of these students could come up with different ways to get their children off of the screen. The main reason why the parents wanted their children off of technology was because they felt like it was distancing them from their children. The children didn’t say much at the dinner table anymore, etc.

How it Could Affect Future Teaching Practices and Future Students

            The lack of technology within the low-income school space can have a negative effect on future teaching practices and ultimately future students as well. The lack of technology within these schools is doing the students a major disservice. They are unable to complete assignments because they don’t have access to internet at home. Within the classroom, the teacher will have a hard time advancing his or her students because there will be plenty of activities, whether live or interactive, that cannot be done due to the lack of adequate technology. The lack of technology in low-income areas can also affect future teaching because that would mean that there would be more hand grading instead of electronic grading, there would less visually teaching and more verbal teaching. The lack of technology would also affect the creative side of teaching and also the creative side of the students as well. Everything is technology driven, so ultimately the lack of it within the school system can cause students to be behind.

Related Policies or Methods Used to Solve the Issue

            According to the Louisiana K-12 Educational Technology Standards, student must use appropriate technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions. They must also use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. These are just a few of the policies in regard to technology within the Louisiana School System. Technology within the school system is important and must be provided for all students. Each school must provide students with the opportunity to be exposed to some form of technology. The students must also evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

            In conclusion, technology in low-income schools is just as important as having it in other schools. These schools deserve to have the opportunity to provide their students with the opportunity to experience different types of technology, especially if they aren’t able to see it outside of school.

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References

Bowles, Nellie. (2018). The Digital Gap Between Rich and Poor Kids are Not What We Expected. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/style/digital-divide-screens-schools.html 

Bruce, Alyvia. (2020). Bridging the Technological Divide In Education, https://harvardpolitics.com/education-tech-gaps/ 

 Huls, Alexander. (2022). The Evolution of Technology in K-12 Classrooms: 1659 to Today. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/01/evolution-technology-k-12-classrooms-1659-today-perfcon 

Smith, Lindsay. (2012). Louisiana public schools lack adequate technology to follow new curriculum. https://www.k12dive.com/news/louisiana-public-schools-lack-adequate-technology-to-follow-new-curriculum/40608/ 

Louisiana Educational Technology Standards. https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/4cc7e169/files/uploaded/k-12_ed_stds_pdf.pdf                 

Technology can close achievement gaps. https://ed.stanford.edu/news/technology-can-close-achievement-gaps-and-improve-learning-outcomes