6.1 Candidates will be able to model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources.
One of the ways that I worked to combat the digital divide in my school was to come up with ways to increase our students' opportunities to use the devices that the school had. I engaged in creative problem solving and came up with a method that I would effectively increase our students' access to technology by 5-10 hours per week.
I was able to work with our librarian, Y-Coordinator and other members of staff to create a plan and everyone was on board with the idea. Because we were working with the Y as part of a community school, we were even able to get some funding for the teacher who was going to work to provide the additional hours of access. I was able to do this by knowing my staff and what their habits were.
As a technology leader in my school, I only provide options to my staff that include free or freemium services. I also make sure that everything I do is accessible and supported by mobile devices--since I know that the majority of my students can only access things via their phones. I have worked with my school to advertise the Comcast low-cost internet program and the free mobile device program--both of which I have had students take advantage of.
Although none of these strategies have eradicated the digital divide at my school or for my students, I think that as a collective they have provided significantly more access and helped begin to reap some of the social, intellectual and economic benefits that being a digital citizen can offer.