Tackling the digital divide in schools

Cynthia Carter Ching, an expert on technology and education, represented the K-12 perspective at “Computers & Writing 2009: Ubiquitous and Sustainable Computing,” a conference hosted at UC Davis during the summer 2009.

“Ubiquitous computing opens up a whole new chasm in the digital divide,” said Ching during the opening town hall discussion. For instance, she explained, Web 2.0 technology is often unavailable in classrooms because of overly restrictive Internet filters, so students who don’t have access otherwise are hindered and not proficient at researching or presenting their academic knowledge with interactive technology.

“Institutions of learning are wired and equipped,” Ching noted, “but the new divide is in the homes, pockets, and purses. And that’s actually a lot harder to address.”

For the entire panel discussion, check out Town Hall I on the UC Davis iTunes archive.