Technological Social Justice

Technology availability has become a means of social segregation in the 21st century. Students without technology related knowledge and skills are at a life-time disadvantage. As educators, it should be one of our primary responsibilities to make sure that all students have access to technology and are taught how to appropriately and effectively use it.

I feel that in communities where technology access is a problem, the use of technology IN school is of the utmost importance. Computer skills are important and are essential to gaining higher wage jobs in today’s economy and in the future. Employers want employees that require the lowest level of training possible, and so for a student to graduate without proper computer skills is effectively barring that student from obtaining high wage employment. We need to give our students the tools to succeed and technology related skills are part of that toolbox. When a student lacks such resources at home, the student is ill prepared for life after graduation so it is the teacher’s job to help students find where to use the resources at school and how to operate them. We would be doing our students a major disservice if we didn’t help them gain skills for 21st century employment.

I think the biggest disservice we can do to our students is enable any disadvantages. The “real world” and employers don’t care if a student had access to important learning resources, they only care about results. Trying to help disadvantaged students gain accesses to technological resources may require some creativity at time, but it is well worth it for the students to have the skills. Whether it’s writing a grant to get technology for the classroom, taking them to the computer lab, or even helping them to arrange with their families to get them to the library to use computers, students need to know and use basic elements like word processing and internet researching techniques.

There is a wealth of resources available to increase access to technology for disadvantaged students. Grants are available for obtaining classrooms laptops to loan out or to keep labs open after school. Schools often are outfitted with computer labs and class time can be scheduled to work on assignments. Public libraries, community centers, and the Boys and Girls Club often have computer labs that students can use. Obtaining computer programs/applications/instructions that will also facilitate technology use for English Language Learners and disabled students.