According to a "Speak Now" report 61% of principals say that one of the more challenging aspects of blended learning is supporting parents and families. Teaching in a rural district I have grown accustomed to assuming that a decent handful of my students each year will have no home computer and/ or internet access. Blended learning becomes challenging in light of technological exposure and opportunities in the home. Some may recommend the use of public resources but spatially in a rural community this can also be a challenge for many students.
According to the Pew Research 3/4's of American adults have home internet access, the implication being that if they have internet access they also have some kind of device to use internet with. I feel that if I had to estimate I would say about 1/4 of my students each year have no internet or devices at home by which to access internet. This poses a unique challenge when moving blended learning tasks beyond the walls of the school.
I remember getting internet in my home when I was in the third grade. I remember using it several times for projects and that was 15-20 years ago. I can only imagine the demands that are placed, especially on older students, to be able to use and access digital resources in the home. There are still places in and around the area that I live that internet isn't even available. All that to say, it seems like there will have to be some amount of troubleshooting that goes into creating solutions for individuals and especially students who need to be able to access the internet regularly.
Thanks for reminding us that there are many perspectives to the use of technology in education. More times than not we make the assumption that everyone has some sort of access, all the time. If anything your post makes me believe it is even more critical for teachers in your type of learning space to use technology meaningfully in education. Some of your students will leave the area eventually and will need to be on equal ground with those that have had connectivity for a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteBeing in a 1:1 home I often forget that some students cannot access their device while at home. While the school tries to work with families and Internet providers, there are some cases where it is not possible for the student to have access. It is important for teachers to have the information about students, so they can accomodate the student's needs and set expectations. Internet access and device access definitely needs to be part of the converstaion when implementing a blended learning environment. Thanks for sharing your experience as it reminds me of how lucky my school is to be a 1:1 school.
ReplyDeleteGreat point, Amy. Just as we receive information about allergies and custodial issues schools (or teachers) should make a point to find out what access students have available and what type of after school commitments students have.
DeleteMy cooperative services low socio-economic districts and we too run into the same complications where our families' do not have internet access at home. At my grade level, that is not as much of an issue as it is for the higher grades. In the past, our program social worker has given our parents information about a program where they can purchase inexpensive refurbished computers, as well as, programs to access the internet for families within specific income guidelines.
ReplyDelete