Ensuring Equality of Eucational Opportunity in the Digital Age/Article Review

Morse's article on ensuring equality in the digital age offers some much needed insight into the inequalities in schools on the topic of computer technology. Morse shares some key terms with the reader such as "digital divide." The term digital divide is used to illustrate the inequalities between social groups with respect to computers and accessing the Internet. Morse cites some statistical examples of the divide with regard to race, class and disability. He points out some tangible and less tangible inequalities in the school system and offers possible solutions to the problem of inequality in computer technology in schools.
In my own experience in schools, recognizing Morse's assessments that not all schools have made computer technology regularly available to students is apparent. I have worked in many classrooms of varying ages and in only two classrooms have computers been available to any students. Morse discusses the difference between integrated and additive technology. In one of the classrooms the students used four computers regularly and were mostly proficient, illustrating the integrated method. The other class was a preschool class who had a computer donated to them. The computer had outdated software and was used only as a reward. The teachers were not proficient in the use of the computer and made no effort to teach the students. In the class only two students used it with any regularity. However, the school I will be placed in during fall term - Armadillo Technical Institute in Phoenix, OR - has a one to one computer student ratio. In my visits to the school I saw computer technology being incorporated into nearly every lesson. Although many of the students at the school are very compute savvy some are not. True to Morse's assessment, I found that students struggling with the computer assignments were learning disabled students with disabilities. Thankfully, in this era of education with NCLB attention is being given to students with disabilities. It is the teachers responsibility to assure that these students receive the help and support they need to achieve equity in the classroom.
I agree that teacher educators should make every effort to teach perspective teachers to work with computers. Although this may be time consuming and expensive it is vital to the changing technological instructional world. Morse states as one of the solutions to closing the digital divide as offering computer summer camps. It would be a great educational benefit if the university or area schools with the right capabilities could offer affordable seminars on basic computer instruction to Rogue Valley teachers and perspective teachers.
Obviously we have a long way to go on closing the digital gap as a society but the article states that teachers should do the best they can with the resources they have, that is what I intend to do.