A New Understanding of the Digital Divide

I ran across this article at Edutopia and thought it a timely piece as many independent schools ponder 1to1 computer to student ratios and how that looks in their schools.

Essential in all of these conversations should be a discussion about access. I visited three independent schools yesterday in the Triangle area, and all were grappling with the ways our students access and utilize technology (as all good schools should). Paramount was the baseline expectation that nothing should be offered if it won't be able to supported equitably at home as it is at school.

The author discusses the new nature of the Digital Divide (formerly who has access to the Internet and who does not). Through her research, the author, Mary Beth Hertz, redefines the term Digital Divide and thus points those of us looking to bridge the divide in a new direction.

A New Understanding of the Digital Divide

See also Forrest Cloud's post about Digital Divide v. Digital Inequality for a balanced description of the difference between the two.