Digital Inequality Group Project – Gamma Group
My Reflection
In this assignment, I worked with a team of 5 other classmates to address the issue of digital inequality. I realized as I was completing this assignment that I am blessed with easy access to computers, Internet, and other technology resources. Though as a public school teacher, I am also faced with the reality that many of my students do not have access to these resources, and if they do, they do not know how to use those resources properly. The issue of digital inequality affects my job everyday. These inequalities often stem from socioeconomic differences. As a teacher, I must provide access for my students or change the assignment if I cannot provide them with the resources they need, which I often cannot do due to our district’s budget. I also spend much of my time teaching students how to use basic computer skills like creating folders and accessing information on the Internet. This is primarily because they do not have much experience in doing this before entering my high school class. I believe that by increasing the availability of public computers and providing training to those who use them, especially adults, my students will be more prepared when entering my classroom.
My Task
My task in this assignment was to create the survey form in Google Docs for our team to rate the following seven available options:
1. Install computers in all public libraries in the state and expand the hours when the computers are available.
2. Expand staffing and other resources so that public schools can be open to the public after normal school hours, on weekends, and during the summer months.
3. Provide individuals in disadvantaged communities with computers.
4. Provide high-speed Internet and mobile access for all state residents.
5. Subsidize Internet Service Providers to provide low-cost Internet to all state residents.
6. Provide information literacy courses to enhance computer skills and enable knowledgeable use of digital technologies.
7. Develop free online educational content, giving first priority to content most relevant to lower socio-economic groups before content that is relevant to the rest of the public.
After creating this survey, I calculated the results and ranked the options. After another team member created our basic outline, I added the options and our rationale for the rankings. I also contributed to the pros and cons for each option and other possible alternatives and wrote the final conclusion for the project. You can see the full outline below:
AECT Standards
I assigned the following AECT Standards to this assignment:
1.2 Message Design
Message design involves planning for the manipulation of the physical form of the message.
1.4 Learner Characteristics
Learner characteristics are those facets of the learner’s experiential background that impact the effectiveness of a learning process.
2.2 Audiovisual Technologies
Audiovisual technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials by using mechanical devices or electronic machines to present auditory and visual messages.
2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
Computer-based technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials using microprocessor-based resources.
3.1 Media Utilization
Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning.
3.4 Policies and Regulations
Policies and regulations are the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the diffusion and use of Instructional Technology.
4.1 Project Management
Project management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and development projects.
5.1 Problem Analysis
Problem analysis involves determining the nature and parameters of the problem by using information-gathering and decision-making strategies.
Overall, I think our team worked really well together. We all contributed to the assignment and were able to discuss via Moodle discussion board posts and Google Docs. Although it was difficult to complete a group assignment in such a short period of time, we worked hard and succeeded in putting together a nice presentation.
EDTECH ePortfolio 