The Technological Divide and Inequitable Access

The authors argued the impact of technology on our society in the book Toward a Theory of New Literacies. They declared, “We believe that the appearance of the Internet in the workplace as well as in home and school contexts is one of the most powerful social revolutions taking place today. At the heart of this revolution are the new literacy skills and strategies demanded by the Internet and other ITCs" (pg. 1579). Research has proven that technology has given all types of families’ access to information that was once not accessible. Technology has “redefine[d] literacy practices,” that many Americans take part in on a daily basis, replacing once traditional practices such as printed materials and the use of paper and pencil. Technology has also required us to adopt new ways to communicate.


Although technology has brought new opportunities for many families, it has also contributed to issues of inequity and access for minorities and lower economic groups. Even though the number of families with computers and Internet access are doubling each year, economic disparities between racial groups limit the educational opportunities acquired through the use of the Internet and other ITCs. More specifically, the extent of these economic disadvantages continues to affect the educational experiences and outcomes of African Americans and Latino children at school and in the workplace. Because African American and Latino students are less likely than other racial groups (such as Caucasian and Asian Americans) to own a computer or have access to the Internet, they are also less likely to have the same educational opportunities that technology has provided.


Technology’s revolutionary affect has the power to improve professional development of teachers, increase parent and teacher communication, increase student achievement, and prepare students for the future by equipping them with a resource prevalent in today’s job market. Like the achievement gap in American, some students and teachers will not have the same opportunities as those with access.

“Is No Child Left Behind where we want to be?”

There are so many things that I can say about NCLB but I will keep my opinions short and simple. First, I ask, “Is No Child Left Behind where we want to be?” NCLB is a national issue that is being silenced across the nation in the name of patriotism. Behind closed doors, teachers, administrators, parents, and other educators engage in vehement discourse against the act that is supposed to fix the education crisis in our country. NCLB fails to address the true causes of plummeting graduation rates, the achievement gap, and other educational inequities inherent our public school system.

I realized that in spite of the good intentions of this act, it has fundamental flaws when it comes funding and implementation. NCLB is focused on high stakes testing that has dramatic consequences and rewards for both students and teachers alike. Test scores do not translate into higher academic achievement. NCLB and its focus on high stakes testing undermine the overall expectations of education and the quality of education that our children receive.

“Is No Child Left Behind where we want to be?”

There are so many things that I can say about NCLB but I will keep my opinions short and simple. First, I ask, “Is No Child Left Behind where we want to be?” NCLB is a national issue that is being silenced across the nation in the name of patriotism. Behind closed doors, teachers, administrators, parents, and other educators engage in vehement discourse against the act that is supposed to fix the education crisis in our country. NCLB fails to address the true causes of plummeting graduation rates, the achievement gap, and other educational inequities inherent our public school system.

I realized that in spite of the good intentions of this act, it has fundamental flaws when it comes funding and implementation. NCLB is focused on high stakes testing that has dramatic consequences and rewards for both students and teachers alike. Test scores do not translate into higher academic achievement. NCLB and its focus on high stakes testing undermine the overall expectations of education and the quality of education that our children receive.

Conversations about assessments and evalutions.....

Last semester, I took a course on assessments and evaluations. My biggest takeaways were the importance of:

• authentic assessments
• using assessments to drive instruction
• howing progress through portfolios and measuring knowledge using rubrics
  

Chapter 15 of the Routman book is an educator’s guide to starting discourse around aspects of the teacher’s position that can be frustrating, challenging, yet rewarding. The information in this chapter helped me to look at my previous takeaways more critically. For example, I asked myself, “How can I be a catalyst for change in my school, district, and the state?” Ultimately, I know this journey is going to be a difficult one, but I am confident that change can begin in my classroom.

This chapter has given me a foundation on how to assess myself as a teacher and how evaluate and assess how my students learn best. In addition, I learned how to accept, understand, and drive instruction and assessments in a way that will promote district, state, and federal standards. Honestly, conversations about assessment and standards were more like closed conversations…..it has always been something that teachers must do. This chapter helped me to understand why conversations about assessments, evaluations, and standards are the way they are….closed and not up for debate. I have learned that in order to change any issue in our society, we must first be willing to have a conversation about such issues.

Great Quotes from Chapter 15 titled, “Evaluation as Part of Teaching.”

• “Assessment comes from the Latin word assidere which means to sit beside someone” (557).
• “Assessments without evaluation is pointless” (558)
• “For assessment evaluation, we teachers (often with our students) need to analyze our observations and data and set new teaching directions” (560).
• “Assessments must promote learning, not just measure it” (559).
• “…Authentic [assessments]; that is, it connects to the learner’ experiences, interests, and strengths in a real context” (559).
• “I used to ask, ‘Why did you get a C?’ and my son would answer ‘I don’t know.’ Now he can talk about his own learning” (575).
• “Standards define and describe the knowledge we expect all students to learn and the skills at which they need to be proficient” (584).
• “The true measure of whether or not standards are any good is whether or not kids are leaning more” (585).
• “They [standards] don’t make sense to teachers, parents, or students”
• “One major problem [with regards to standards] is that instead of focusing on the knowledge and understanding that is most important in each discipline, there is an over focus on skills and facts in isolation” (586).
• “Doing well on a test cannot be equated with learning” (588)
• “We [teachers] don’t teach skills in isolation, but we use an assessment that asks kids to be proficient on skills exercises” (588).
• “Standardized test, if they are well constructed to assess what is truly worth knowing and understanding, can improve instruction and learning” (589)

What do we actually know about reading?

Reading is a complex and "interrelated" facet of our lives.

There are many theories that have contributed to our overall understanding of reading. Chapters 5,6, and 7 of the Lenses on Reading book describes and synthesizes some of the major theories that surfaced from the early to mid 1900's that have contributed to our current understanding of reading, cognitive development, and cognitive processing. Although many of the theorists disagree as to what age or stage children are developmentally ready to read or are able to read.......All of the theories such as Piaget, Maturation, Holdaway's, Stage Model, Emergent Literacy, and Family Literacy raise similar questions and attempt to answer the following:

• What are characteristics or behaviors of early readers?
• What are the processes, stages, experiences, or interactions in which children learn how to read?
• When do most children learn how read?
• Where does this understanding of reading take place?
• How do children develop an understanding of reading?

These chapters addressed some really important elements of reading that has pushed me to challenge my own understanding or reading. First, I questioned what theory I related to the most as a child and as an educator. Second, I questioned which theory I thought was most prevalent to the way I approach reading today at home and in the classroom. Lastly, I began thinking about how I can blend elements of all some of the theories to somehow create my own theory or understanding of reading. I decided that it still needed to do some more reading and research.

What I actually know about literacy is as follows:

• Reading, listening, speaking, and writing are four component of reading and they are all interrelated.
• Experiences and social interactions that we have early in life affect our ability to read
• All children go through phases (stages) of reading.
• Families affect reading development.

What I would actually love to learn more about reading development:

• Is reading an innate ability?
• Are there parts of reading that occurs naturally?
• (I remember this issue being raised in the chapters)

Essential Questions

In regards to the first article "The Greatest Art for the Littlest Readers," I took for granted the role illustrations play in helping students with literacy. There are many facets of reading and literacy that must all come together to help a student develop a love for reading. One of the primary ways in which young children learn how to read is by imagination, drawings, and paintings. The next stage is learning written words and their meanings. I think that art and illustrations are undermined in the so called balanced literacy approach.

On another note, the way that students are learning to read is not encouraging or fun. In the second article, "Rethinking Schools," the author paints a picture of how students are learning to read...that is a reality for many teachers employed in Abbott/inner city school districts. Although I knew this was happening....it looked worst on paper. Throughout my first year of teaching in a school similar to Downer, I raised the same issues the Jaeger raised regarding the scripted reading approach. I was very frustrated and decided that I was going to do what was best for my students behind closed doors...that is to individualize their instruction, to work in cooperative groups, and to differentiate instruction. In the beginning, I found that I was spending more time testing my students rather than teaching my student the fundamentals of readings (the skills and knowledge). My decision all paid off in the end because I used my students' strengths to help all of students in my class to become better readers. When tested, my students all achieved higher percentages than the year prior.

All of the articles left me thinking about....what is my approach to reading going to be? How can I differentiate and individualize this reading approach to meet the needs of all my students year after year?