I enjoyed the AICT conference and thought that the keynote speaker had a lot of neat ideas and links to show off. Yet, as I sat there, I was struck by how technology, which was supposed to be the great leveller in education, making the ‘whole virtual world’ available to all students, has in fact only driven a greater wedge between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.
Access to technology and its various tools comes down to the will of the principal to spend money on it; the parent community who will vocally as well as financially support its use in the school, and the teacher who is willing to try it out. Absent of one of these three conditions, and students don’t have as much of a chance. Why is it that in some of our schools student laptop use in a wireless setting is the norm, while other students, particularly those in portables, are stuck with a stand alone computer with no network connection that hasn’t been updated in who knows how long? Is this fair?
As we finish the monthly focus on the virtue of Justice, maybe we ought to look at our own school system and ask where matters of justice are not being met.
Lou.
I couldn't agree with you more, Lou. From where I'm now sitting, I see the injustice and the inequities that exist. Our students have neither justice nor equity and it's a shame! Your points are soooo true! Maybe time will fix this, but I'm not so sure.
-Johan
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