I think this standard wants me to recognize the importance behind understanding current

social, ethical, and human issues. Additionally, it is important to understand how to effectively

incorporate computers and technology into the curriculum. When technology is inappropriately

used within a lesson, it simply hinders the students’ education. I also think it wants me to

recognize multiple conditions about technology. For one, it is always changing. Therefore, I

must remain up-to-date with different technological resources. Furthermore, computer

knowledge is not only important to children’s education, but also to the workplace and society,

making it even more important for all students to have the same exposure to computers and other

technological resources.

The artifact I chose for this standard is an essay addressing specific issues revolving

around technology and its use in education. For this essay, I explored numerous perspectives and

studies analyzing data regarding the digital divide and its affect on student academic

achievement. I discovered that not only is there a significant difference between the use of

technology in poor and rich schools, but also within children’s homes depending on family

income level. When families cannot afford to have computers and Internet access within their

home, children must then find the time and transportation to access these resources either at

school or the local library. This research has helped me “understand the social, ethical, and

human issues related to computing and technology.” Through my research, I found multiple

perspectives describing the importance of computer skills not only to children’s education, but

also to success in the modern workplace. Older people, who have either lost their jobs in the

current economy or are simply re-entering the workforce, have found it difficult to find jobs

without access to technology. In the past, this was not necessary, demonstrating “the historical

development and important trends affecting the evolution of technology and its probable future
roles in society.” The government has tried to combat the digital divide by providing specific

cities and schools with free Internet access and granting laptops to numerous schools, presenting

“strategies for facilitating consideration of ethical, legal, and human issues involving school

purchasing and policy decisions.”

Through my research on the digital divide, I was exposed to a wide variety of

perspectives and statistics describe its affect on student academic achievement. I now have a

better understanding of one specific issue behind our nation’s current achievement gap. As a

teacher, it will be important for me to understand the background of my students, such as if they

have access to a computer at home or not. Not only will this knowledge help me understand my

students better, but it will also help me try to use technology more effectively in the classroom. If

individual students do not have access to computers and the Internet at home, then I will make an

effort to provide the sources and time for specific technology-based assignments. Additionally, I

realize that it would be crucial for me to remain up-to-date with technology in order to use

computer and technology resources to the best of my ability.

By researching the digital divide, I feel more prepared to teach and learn in a diverse

society. ‘Diverse’ can be defined in multiple ways. For one, it can be interpreted as an ethnically

and racially diverse environment. However, it can also be interpreted as a socioeconomically

diverse environment, including those with low socioeconomic status as well as those with high.

It is important for me to understand how to successfully incorporate technological resources into

the curriculum while also including all varieties of students, even the individuals who do not

have computer and Internet access at home. This will prepare me as a prospective teacher in the

best way to educate a diverse group of students. I look forward to using this knowledge in my
future and am confident that my future experiences will furthermore build upon these

understandings as well.