Online Education Exposes the Digital Divide
COVID-19 has revealed the apparent digital divide in the U.S. Many citizens struggle with access to WiFi and technology as thousands of students attend school with an online format. While many families who can provide their children with proper access to the technology and resources to learn online, lower-income students have been disproportionately affected by the closure of an in-person education, which worsened the digital divide.
Research found that ¼ of lower-income adolescents do not have access to a home computer or resources to complete homework at home. Recently, a photo of two young girls using Taco Bell’s free WiFi to do their homework went viral. N'dea Yancey-Bragg of USA Today wrote that the image, “which has been shared by several local officials, highlights the stark reality that many of the millions of children who are now going back to school virtually do not have internet access.”
T-Mobile gave free data and hotspots to 15,000 children in five different school districts. Their goal is to provide 10 million children with what you could almost classify as a new luxury. ABC News reported that of the “50 million children learning remotely, between 15 and 16 million lack adequate internet connectivity, according to the Center for Democracy and Technology.”
Many teachers who were used to teaching with little technological equipment have to provide easy-flowing, accessible assignments, not face-to-face activities. Receiving an education has obstacles, to begin with; now there is a worsened communication gap between administrators and teachers.
Ariel Sykes, a Marist parent, is teaching virtually to her kindergarten students in San Diego, California.
“I don’t love teaching online, but right now, I do feel like we have a good system and routine. I do feel like the kids are learning. But I hope we can get back to in-person learning soon so that we can do everything we should be doing in Kindergarten,” Sykes said, adding that she eagerly awaits the day when her students will get to experience art and science experiments and free time once again while also working on their social skills.
COVID-19 has revealed the apparent digital divide in the U.S. Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels