Digital Access

Video Transcription

Hi and welcome to today's lesson. My name is Gino Sangiuliano and the topic we'll be covering today is digital access. But first, let's talk about digital citizenship because digital access is one of the nine key elements under that term. Digital citizenship is the acceptable, appropriate, and responsible use of technology.

The nine elements include digital access, digital commerce, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights, responsibilities, digital health, and finally, digital security. I was talking with the school psychiatrist the other day, and she shared something that happened to her recently.

She was administering a standardized test so student and one of the questions was, why did you go to the library. Without hesitation, the fourth grader responded, I go to the library to use the Wi-Fi there. The psychologist gave her the correct score even though that wasn't one of the answers in the testing manual, which was published back in 2003. Times sure have changed.

So what is digital access, anyway? Well, simply put, is the full electronic participation in society. Sounds like a mouthful, maybe even a little bit intimidating, but when you think about it it's really what we do every day. At work, at home, even in our cars. So why does digital access matter? Well that's because schools and the way students learn has changed quite a bit in the last few years.

The teachers are no longer the sage on the stage delivering information to their students. In fact, things are much different today. Today's classrooms are filled with active participants, ready to take ownership of their learning. Classrooms are buzzing with collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and multiple avenues of communication. Digital access is an important component that helps make this possible.

Digital access has also impacted the way we, as teachers, do our job. For example, lesson plans and cirriculum maps are now at our fingertips. Communication is no longer limited to phone calls or handwritten notes. There are many organization tools that replace the traditional three ring binders. For instance, Pinterest.

Teachers have never had more options when it comes to presenting information. Whether it's PowerPoint, Prezis, Vokis, there are many, many ways teachers can get their information to students. And finally, support. Offering differentiated support through use of flipped classrooms and blended learning has opened up a world of possibilities for students at school and even at home.

Many districts have made it a priority to have a single device for every individual student, or a 1 to 1 ratio. This is obviously a very expensive proposition. Other districts are moving towards BYOD, or bring your own device. This is a situation where schools provide an open network that allow students to connect their own devices and do their school work from there.

Unfortunately, this doesn't address the issue of students that don't have access at home and even impacts how teachers may have to present the material. Educators must continue to advocate for those students and make their families aware of programs that provide high speed internet at extremely low rates for those who need it.

In any case, part of our responsibility is to do whatever we can to help students become productive digital citizens. Let's review. We introduced the nine elements of digital citizenship and focused on digital access. We talked about why it matters. We discussed what digital access, or lack of, looks like. We talked about ways to provide digital access for students.

I would like to leave you with this final thought. Reflect on ordinary day and count the number of ways and reasons that you access technology.

To dive a little deeper and learn how to apply this information, be sure to check out the additional resources section associated with this video. This is where you'll find links targeted towards helping you discover more ways to apply this course material. Thanks again for watching. Have a great day.