What is Digital Access?Digital Access is perhaps the most fundamental component of Digital Citizenship. Without access to technology and digital resources, growth and development in the eight other Digital Citizenship elements will stall. As noted in the video below, there is a deep digital divide in the United States that must be considered and addressed.
A digital divide is defined as "the economic, educational, and social inequalities between those who have computers and online access and those who do not." (Digital Divide, 2021). From 2017 until the beginning of 2020, only 74% of 0-8 year old children in lower income families had internet access at home (Rideout, 2020). On this page, we'll explore how the Covid-19 Pandemic increased equitable Digital Access for students in a low income neighborhood, and address the concern "but what happens when the pandemic is over?" |
FreeThink, 2020
The Survey
This survey was completed by sixteen K-2 teachers who work at a Title I Charter School in Chester, PA. The city of Chester is considered a low-income city, with a median household income of $32,403. As of 2019, 82.1% of households had a computer and 73.2% of households had a broadband internet subscription. (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Chester City, Pennsylvania, 2019)
The Results
To view the full survey responses, click here.
Let's start with the great news! Due to virtual schooling, the school gave every student a Chromebook for the 2020-2021 school year. 100% of the teachers reported that their students still have access to these devices, both in the classroom and at home! Two teachers also reported access to tablets and cell phones in the classroom, so there is plenty of Digital Access in the classroom.
At home, 75% of teachers reported that their students have access to cell phones and 69% reported that their students have access to tablets. Although these devices don't offer as many features as a computer or laptop, they are valuable resources in the challenge to close the Digital Divide. |
When asked about stable internet access, all of the teachers reported that at least some of their students had stable internet access. Although the school offers WIFI hotspots to families, it's clear that this is not sufficient for all students. A single hotspot does not have the bandwidth to support multiple students in one family or some sites that use more high-speed internet data. Only 50% of teachers are familiar with them, but fortunately there are community resources available to support these needs. |
A majority of teachers reported that their students have access to the technology they need to be successful. However, three teachers did not feel that way. When asked to be more specific, two stated concerns about broken devices and the third stated that "scholars need more hands on experience and practice with technology. They need more child friend websites and child friendly technology." Although this is certainly a concern, it falls more under the realm of Digital Literacy, not Digital Access.
The final question asked "what concerns do you have regarding Digital Access once school returns to "normal?" (referring to after the pandemic). In regards to Digital Access, overwhelmingly the biggest concern was 'what will happen next?' Will the students have to return their Chromebooks to the school? Will the school continue to offer hotspots?
Essentially, will all of these efforts to close the Digital Divide disappear?
Unfortunately I can't respond to next steps the school will take. However, I can provide some recommendations for supporting Digital Access at home and in the classroom.
Essentially, will all of these efforts to close the Digital Divide disappear?
Unfortunately I can't respond to next steps the school will take. However, I can provide some recommendations for supporting Digital Access at home and in the classroom.
Recommendations
Digital Citizenship with Ms. G by Leela Golgolab is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.