Inner City schools lacking technology

Being a Student teacher at a city school I have found it that there is very few forms of technology for the students to use. It angers me to see that we are not allowing the future of our country chances to become familiar with the technologies. What does everybody else think of this? I know that educational cuts are very common at this day and age but it really does kill me as an educator to see this.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kev on December 3, 2009 at 7:36am

I think it isn't just inner-city schools and I think it isn't about money. Many schools do not have a tech vision for their site. It is up to the teachers to make it a priority for administration. The money is there for technology but the will to learn it and use it often is not.

If you get even one teacher willing to put their effort into having a tech-heavy classroom you'll see that others will come along as well. Eventually you hope to hit that tipping point where everyone feels they need to use it.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Grace Gorman on December 3, 2009 at 8:06am

The lack of technology in the inner city schools is a problem because it does not allow students an even chance to succeed in later education. Children from such a school going from elementary to high school do not start off with the same skills for learning or production as children in technologically richer environments. If they continue in a deprived secondary school, they are not well prepared for college. Government and the private sector need to get together to make access to technology a universal right for children if the economy of the country is to survive in the future. Poor countries have the "One laptop per child" program. Surely if children in the altiplano of Peru can have a laptop with internet access, a child in the United States can also. Several years ago, people talked about the "digital divide" which is getter wider by the day for poor schools in the United States.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lindsey @SmartEd Services on December 3, 2009 at 8:58am

Have you tried these resources for grant money? http://www.teachsmart.org/Teacher%20Resources/Grants.aspx

Technology is only becoming more and more important. We are training students for jobs we don't even know of, because they do not yet exist. A professor recently told me, “don't buy the book, read the blog," when learning about Web 2.0 topics. Technology is changing so quickly, publishers cannot keep up. Technology in the classroom is a must.

Good Luck,
Lindsey

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laura Gonzalez on December 3, 2009 at 9:09am

The problem is larger than just buying computers for the school. Older schools are simply not set up for all the technology. They require rewiring and rebuilding to meet electrical codes and technology requirements. In many cases, temporary and portable buildings can't be wired up to meet standards.

My building was built 25 years ago on the "pod" plan (4 rooms sharing walls/wiring/etc.). Only one classroom per pod can use the wireless laptops at a time. If two classrooms in the same pod try to use wireless laptops at the same time, the computers get hung up and no one can do anything.

Older buildings neet to be brought up to modern computer standards. That is an expense that newer buildings and districts don't face.

Personally, the digital/tech divide scares me. Students are being segregated digitally and technologically. Students all deserve the same opportunities but aren't receiving them. Students aren't being prepared for college or for the technological world they will be facing on their own in adulthood.