Equal Digital Experiences?

How can teachers provide equal digital experiences for all of their students? This question encompasses many different points and additional questions. Does equal mean the same? What tools should a teacher use? Does this include students without permission to use digital tools?

My interpretation of this question finds it to mean that teachers must be able to use their digital tools as resourcefully as possible. Where every school, classroom, and student are different so must the digital experience. The goal should be allowing students as much exposure to these tools as possible to create familiarity and understanding. “[Our goal is to] shift the focus of the conversation about the digital divide from questions of technological access to those of opportunities to participate and to develop the cultural competencies and social skills needed for full involvement.” From Henry Jenkin's paper, “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century:”

There are a variety of ways that teachers can work to create an equal experience for students. Connecting with parents helps to promote understanding of technological tools. Family nights at schools and blogs give teachers a chance to exemplify the lessons and demystify the tools students will be using. Parental consent and support opens many avenues. What resources are available can be rotated. Such as the use of laptops, by a few children each day, in their classroom centers. Resources can also be shared during group projects. Assignments should reflect the limitations of student resources at home. Understanding that some students will need to use public resources like after school groups and libraries. I do not think that digital experiences should be limited because of the lack of resources at home. Although they should be considered there are many other factors that are out of a teacher's control that impact a student's education.

The importance of providing critical information is discussed by Dave Chamberlain in his post 'What is Equal Access to the Digital World?' (2009) on the website Seedlings. "As has been mentioned in posts, it is not providing the physical equipment, even in school; it is providing the information needed in order to be a member of a digital society. In slightly more concrete terms, in elementary/primary grades we teach many things that the students won't be doing for years to come. Yet, we are providing them the information they will need when the time comes. Providing information on how to be a member of a global society, collaborate with others, evaluate information, are all skills that are needed to succeed in the 21st century whether digitally or f2f."