H-Net Discussion Networks - Re: Equity of Access

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From: John Thompson <jthompson62@verizon.net>
List Editor: EDTECH Editor-Jones <edadmin6@MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU>
Editor's Subject: Re: Equity of Access
Author's Subject: Re: Equity of Access
Date Written: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:52 -0500
Date Posted: Sun, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:52 -0500

A related question.Should each teacher be given the same computer
configuration.even if one or more teachers does not want to use computers
and another teacher is dying to have as much technology as possible in the
classroom? It may be equal to give everyone the same amount of technology
but is it equitable, given how much the technology would be (not) used?


John T. Thompson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Educational Technology Program
Computer Information Systems Dept.
Chase 208, Buffalo State College
1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
(716) 878-3531     <mailto:thompsjt@buffalostate.edu>
thompsjt@buffalostate.edu


"Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed
until it is faced."
                               - James Baldwin


P Please consider the environment: Do you really need to print this e-mail?

> From: M G Durrant <mgd@ucet.org>
>
> Christine,
>
> I think your question needs a bit of clarification. Do you mean equity
among
> students, classes, or schools? These are different challenges. I'm not
sure
> that ensuring student-to-student equity is something a school can achieve,
> particularly when you consider that students spend 30 hours or so a week
in
> school, versus 138 hours a week out of school. We have no control over the
> quantity or quality of student access to computers and the internet
outside
> of school. As for class-to-class or school-to-school equity, that is
> dependent on the school or district commitment to providing equitable
> access. Keep in mind that equitable is not the same as equal. Thus, I
might
> have one school with two computers in every classroom, and another school
> with no classroom computers, but several labs, yet each is providing about
> the same amount of available time per student. There are an awful lot of
> factors which go into providing equitable access, including classroom
size,
> available connection speed, filtering policies etc. Some of these are
> enabling factors, and some are inhibiting factors. If one school has two
> labs with 20 computers each, and another school has one lab with 40
> computers, are they the same? What if each school has an average class
size
> of 25, does that make a difference in your thinking? What if one school
has
> a lab of 40 computers and the other has two mobile carts, each with 20
> laptops?
>
> Another question is vertical equity. Should there be similar access from
> grade to grade within a school or district? Do 1st grade students need
> technology access equal to that needed by middle school or high school
> students? Many districts move computers downward--new computers are placed
> in secondary schools, and moved to elementary schools after three years or
> so. Do elementary schools need the same number of computers per student as
> secondary schools?
>
> None of the above addresses differences in teacher ability and motivation.
> One teacher may have a dozen computers in her classroom, and yet do
nothing
> fruitful with them. Another may have only a single computer, but make
great
> use of it.
>
> Equity and access should be a driving consideration in school and district
> technology planning.
>
> M G Durrant
> Daggett School District
> Manila, UT
>
>> From: Christine Pon <christine.pon@gmail.com>
>>
>> Good evening,
>>
>> I just subscribed to EDTECH and am currently a student working on my
>> California teaching credential in English. I am taking a computers for
>> educators class and we have been discussing equity of access. I was
>> wondering, how are any of your schools ensuring that students have
equal
>> access to computers and the Internet? It seems like it could be
>> challenging, so I would love to see some examples. Thanks!
>>
>> Christy Pon
>> christine.pon@gmail.com



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