Journal 8

Curtis , Diane (2002, November 1). A '"Fantastic Super" Use of Technology: Closing the Digital Divide. Edutopia, Retrieved October 11, 2008, from: http://www.edutopia.org/fantastic-super-use-technology

This journal highlights the Chapel Hill school district that his incorporated technology into all of the classrooms, especially the new Mary Scroggs Elementary School. The school is created to help teachers use technology, with a 2 person office in between classrooms, computers in the class, and home access to the internet for all students. The main teacher focused on in the article is Kathleen Eveleigh. Each day, she types up the events of the day and quotes from the students. She will list homework and discuss different assignments. This way, parents are able to see exactly what goes on in their child's classroom. The school places a lot of value on e-mail, encouraging teachers to stay in touch with parents via e-mail to fit into their busy lives. Many parents seem receptive to this, acknowledging the easy access they are granted via this technology to their student's academic career.

1. If you were to teach in a school not built for technology, how would you incorporate these same strategies?

I would definitley utilize the use of e-mail for communicating to parents, students, administration, etc. If a student does not have internet access, I would give them information on places they can go to get free access, and I would of course be available for phone conversations with parents/students, or in-person conferences. I would also use a computer (if one was not available, I would use my own laptop), to make a webpage for our class, so students can see what happened in class if they were sick, and have accessibility to assignments so they can still turn them in on time. This would be helpful for parents if they keep getting the "I don't have any homework!" line from their student--they can simply go online, and verify that. Also, for students who are not able to make it to school due to illness, family issues, etc. they can still keep up with their work instead of falling behind. I think this would be crucial to success in my classroom.

2. Does all this technology create an equal playing field for all students? Why or why not?

I would say for the most part, yes. The technology utilized within the classroom is to benefit all students, creating a more enjoyable atmosphere for lectures and assignments. The area where I can see that it would not benefit some students is in relation to technology available at home. If a student does not have a computer or the internet at home, it could make it hard to keep up with the rest of the class. However, I would not make any of the assignments mandatory to do online, unless I made access to a computer available for those students who would need it.