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Lessons Learned: Technology Inequity in Missouri

As an educator, I have always found it critical to reflect upon any sort of inequity taking place in school communities. This past week, I interviewed a teammate to learn about technological inequities in our school district. What I found really surprised me. I grew up in a more rural school district that already had Chromebooks one-to-one and spent my first year teaching in a more urban area, again, in a school district that already had Chromebooks one-to-one. I assumed since I am now teaching in a district that is both geographically and fiscally right in the middle, our district also had Chromebooks one-to-one across the board. I found out that only a small handful of the elementary schools in the district have these devices for every student. This made me wonder if we are sending a message to students that they are less deserving of the enriching, relevant learning experiences their peers have?

The schools that do have one-to-one access worked hard to get to that point, and that is something to admire and celebrate in itself. However, the schools that need the most support in getting devices in the hands of the students are the same ones with less community and district support. As educators, how can we realistically take a step towards closing these gaps?

We can make sure community members are aware of the needs in our district. This can look like sharing concerns at Board of Education meetings, inviting district leaders into the classroom to see the impact of technology usage, or working with parent teacher organizations to get needs met. As educators, it is important also to keep the needs of our students at the forefront. If students are going to be successful after school, they will need to be adequately prepared to communicate and learn using technology. We must continue to advocate for their futures.

Next Steps:

  • If you are an educator in Missouri looking to further your understanding of digital equity, you can check out the Missouri Digital Equity learning modules. 
  • Wondering why closing technology gaps in the classroom is necessary for achieving equity? Read more here.
  • Want to take action? Find out how the National Digital Inclusion Alliance supports digital accessibility across the nation.

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