In the eighth chapter of the textbook, one reads about problems such as special needs students, English language learners and equal learning opportunities. Equal learning opportunities need to be addressed by understanding that not all students have an equal amount of access to technology that enables to them learn in the same format. This particularly applies to schools with a high minority population. Possible solutions suggested include the One Laptop per Child essentially is a program that provides students with laptops for academic purposes. These laptops will operate via satellite power, thus not requiring a broadband connection (Solomon & Schrum, 2007). While many of these laptops are destined for third world countries, areas in the U.S. are also going to be eligible for this program (Solomon & Schrum, 2007).
One paragraph that I found to be of interest and one that I should also take into consideration is the ESL paragraph. According to the text there are 5.4 million students classified as LEP (limited English proficient) and by 2025 they will account for 25% of students here in the United States (U.S. Department of Education, 2006, n.p.). From working on campus and in a non-profit setting I've seen the increasing amount of students from oversees and the difficulty that some of them have with the English language and I've observed how some of them grasps skills w/ a combination of interactive technology and traditional language lessons. David and Husin (2004) found that the use of a computer program helped ELS students grasp the basic skills to communicate while learning the english language. While I am not a foreigner, I can somewhat related to this from the perspective of somebody studying a non-english language. I’ve taken Spanish classes where I had to go to a language lab for an hour a week, we were able to enrich our skills via interactive games and audio tapes.
Earlier I was discussing how schools in which the demographics show a high minority population do not have the same access or amount of technology as a more upscale or prestige school. The same also applies to schools with more cultural and language diversity and rural schools. According to the text Female students and students who are physically challenged may also face unequal access. There is an existing tension between those who have comfort and experience using technologies sand those who do not, and from my experience this does not always have to do with a language barrier. From my experience it's more of an age thing. I've found that older students, and those who are reentering school after a long period of time are the ones who have the toughest time. This also ties into the expectation that assignments be completed using technology (p. 116), if the student [in this situation we will call them adult learners] does not understand the manipulation of these tools, how will they complete the assignment.
There has been an attempt to reduce this divine w/ web 2.0 tools, but then comes the problem that not everyone had access to the internet in their homes. According to Solomon & Schrum, nearly 70% of While (Non-Hispanic) and Asian-American children have both computers and Internet access at home; On the other hand, less than 40% of African-American, Native American, and Hispanic children have access to both computers and the Internet in their homes. Instructors need to look at these stats when they decide to incorporate blogging into the course. I've found that a public library or computer lab can be a great alternative to those who do not have a sufficient internet connection in their own homes, if one has a near by local library or lab they can access, one can blog from that location as well as use their web 2.0 tools. This may be an inconvenience for some, so I feel that the laptop programs that individuals are coming up are a great idea, and I would like to see more of that down here in my hometown because I know many (in my family alone) who do not have a computer in their own, let alone any internet and do not have the transportation to go to a library, so laptops connect from a satellite location at a fairly inexpensive rate would allow for them to blog and network thus keeping contact with school staff and peers, which is the purpose of the web 2.0 error after all, collaboration.
(NATION EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS (NETS*T)
IV. Assessment and Evaluation
Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluations strategies. Teachers:
A. apply technology in assessing student learning of subject matter using a variety of assessment techniques.
B. use technology resources to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice and maximize student learning.
C. apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine students' appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication, and productivity
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