Bridging the Digital Divide With Deep Thought and Intention (ISTE Standards 2b&c)
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This essay is a discussion of how the efforts to bridge the digital divide in impoverished school districts can take thought, money, and efforts away from meeting more basic student needs. It is my opinion that as technology is integrated into teaching and learning, we must not only assess how it will affect student academic learning, but also how it can affect the social emotional learning of students. In order to do this, we must be incredibly thoughtful when integrating technology and constantly evaluate whether or not the technology is enhancing and transforming teaching and learning.
Literature
Segregation in Public Education: An Increasing Issue in Society (ISTE Standard 2b)
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This essay gives some background as to the difference in the educational experience a poor student has and the experience that their peer from an affluent family has. The content in this essay helps to have a better understanding of how socioeconomic status effects a student's education and gives some background as to why poor students continue to struggle with academics and other life skills. As you may have read in my essay about the digital divide, it is my opinion that the digital divide is yet another layer of the inequity in public education and society as a whole. As an educator I need to be aware of the inequities in order to attempt to make things equitable whenever I can within my own classroom, building, district, and community.
Data Mining: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks? (ISTE Standard 2c)
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This essay addresses the many issues involved with student data mining and the analysis of that data. It begins with the idea that privacy is a thing of the past thanks to data mining, social media, and the shift of medical records from print to digital. Next, it explores the issue of data mining through the lens of parents that feel threatened because their students’ information is being shared without their knowledge. Then, it specifies some potential positive outcomes of data mining and analyzing, as well as, some of the negative outcomes other than privacy issues. Finally, it goes into the progression of how companies have been able to use data mining solely for their financial gain and why this can be done without parent consent. There can be information gathered through data mining that has the potential to have positive effects on teaching and learning. However, it is clear that there needs to be change and updated regulations when it comes to student data mining and the privacy of student information.