Journal Article Blog The Seventh

“Social Justice: Choice or Necessity?” by Colleen Swain and David Edyburn

This article talks about how teachers use technology in the classroom and how they can possibly disadvantage some students by either not using technology or not letting every student use it equally. They comment on how the children of today will need technological skills for their future jobs. A 1992 report from the Department of Labor’s SCANS said that at least 80% of jobs in the next two decades will require that an employee be technologically able. If a teacher decides not to use technology in the classroom, or limits who gets to use it and when, they aren’t preparing their students for a successful future. They say that teachers should make sure that technology is available, that they use it frequently, that they use it for real-life applications, that it’s used in a way that is going to make the learning process more effective, and that they should use it to monitor a student’s progress. They also bring up the point that technology can be very helpful for students with special needs. Technology can help them overcome challenges to allow them whatever opportunities that they may have had to miss out on without it. There is something called a Digital Equity and Portal Toolkit that can give you strategies and resources to help you provide access to technology for all of your students.

I am afraid that when I become a teacher there won’t be enough or adequate resources to use technology as a big part of the class. It’s obviously important to use so that the students can become technologically fluent, and I think it can help create very effective assignments, so I’m a little concerned that I won’t be able to use it, especially if I teach at a school that can’t really afford a lot of technological things for the students. I’m planning on teaching kindergarten, so I’m not sure how big technology has to be, though it would be great to have the opportunity to use it. Some kids at schools with less money may not get the same technological education experience that others do, which will help contribute to a divide in our society, so I like the article’s point on getting technology education to all students to avoid a disadvantage for some kids. Every kid needs to know how to use technology for the future, and technology can help make your lessons more impactful on the students.