Reading Response Eleven

Share an idea of two about how you could use the ideas from Richardson with ESL students.

What is the "digital divide?' And why do Warschauer et al argue that this term may longer be applicable. What are the issues they found regarding differences in technology use with ELLs and other low socioeconomic students. What are some ways you could address this in your own schools or programs?

Richardson states in chapter six, "the collaborative construction of knowledge by those willing to contribute is redefining the ways we think about teaching and learning at every level."(Richardson p.85) By using social bookmarking in our classrooms, he says, we can "rethink the way we and our students treat the information we find." (Richardson p.91) By using sites such as Diigo we can organize the information we find on the Read/Write Web and share it collaboratively with our students. Creating a "community of researchers". (Richardson p.91) I like the idea of using Diigo in my classroom and sharing "post its" and comments on the sites we are sharing. Also, it is a great way to copy the information on a site even after the site has been taken down.

Warschauer's study showed that there are differences in the ways that computer technology is being used in low SES schools as compared to high SES schools. The high SES schools seem to be teaching their students more critical thinking skills when using computers and internet for their school work than low SES schools. For example, in one low SES classroom the students were using the web to search for sites for a project, but they weren't interpreting and synthesyzing the information they found. These skills were being taught in the high SES schools. It seems to me, that the teachers in the low SES schools had the technology they just were not teaching the higher level skills to the kids. It was not so much that there was technological divide as a skilled teacher divide. Maybe the teachers in the low SES schools were not as competent or experienced as other teachers. This problem could be solved by teacher training and just more experienced teachers in the use of technology. I think a way this could be addressed in a teaching program is to educate teachers on the uses of technology with outside training. Also, teaching more CALL classes in university programs for teachers; so teachers know all the uses and benefits of technology.