The Power To Close the Student Digital Divide
By Fatima Henson
Fatima Henson is an educator in Atlanta and author of the forthcoming book, Love In The Age of Dragons.
This technology gap is a national crisis for U.S. students who face a myriad of difficulties accessing education during the COVID-19 pandemic. My school district has spearheaded an effort to close the
technology divide by implementing the “Digital Dreamers” program and providing students with personal computers to create a one-to-one technology learning environment.
As a classroom teacher, I use the “Digital Dreamers” program to prepare my students to be college or career ready by helping them to develop 21st Century digital skills. I have restructured my teaching style and my classroom management to integrate technology into the classroom. Consequently, I am able to teach students vital computer skills such as uploading/downloading documents, conducting internet research, typing, using Microsoft Office Suite, archiving, and drafting professional e-mail and messenger
communications.
Additionally, by incorporating technology into my lessons, students can stay abreast of coursework by having 24-hour access to class notes, videos, assignments, and online tutorial. This increased access allows students flexibility when addressing absences from school due to the pandemic, emergencies, or illness.
Because I have learned to integrate technology into my lesson planning, I have also been able to better communicate with parents through e-mail, text messages, Google Forms, Microsoft Teams, and the school district’s online platform. This has allowed parents greater access to me as a teacher and to their student’s academic progress.
By shifting my behavior and increasing my use of digital teaching and learning methods in the classroom, I have helped my students be better equipped for the future.
““By shifting my behavior and increasing my use of digital teaching and learning methods in the classroom, I have helped my students be better equipped for the future.” —Fatima Henson, teacher, author @f_henson#P owerToChangeStories” ”
Fatima Henson is a teacher in Atlanta and author of Love in the Age of Dragons, out in Fall 2022. She is a 2021 She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP) scholarship recipients. @f_henson ; https://www.facebook.com/Fatima.R.Henson1 @fatima.r.henson; https://loveintheageofdragons.com/ ; https://gosparkpoint.com/announcing-the-recipients-of-the-2021-step-contest/