Gray, R.

Equitable Access Blog Entry

Reflection
4.1 Digital Equity
Candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and
resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers.
The Equitable Access Blog Entry is an artifact that describes the importance of providing
Equitable Access to technology to at-risk students. In this artifact, I describe the importance of
technology integration and parental involvement in effectively increasing the academic
achievements of at-risk students as well as how the lack of access to technology creates a
digitally divide. Using research to support my claim, I described how the lack of access to
technology has an effect on student learning. In my artifact, I describe the strategies I have
implemented that have helped to close the digital gap. In this artifact, I was able to demonstrate
my ability to model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access by providing my
students opportunities to use technology in the classroom and by providing resources that will
aid my students and their families in acquiring access to technology. By doing so, I was able to
ensure that all of my students were given the same opportunities to increase their academic
achievement.
Standard 4.1 Digital Equity states that candidates will model and promote strategies for
achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for
all students and teachers. This artifact demonstrates my ability to model and promote strategies
for equitable access to technology and resources by describing my ability to implement strategies
that provide my students access to technology inside and outside of the classroom. To ensure
that all of my students will be able to complete assignments, I provided my students access to the
schools iPad and laptops while in class. I also provided opportunities for students to have access
to the schools computer lab. I also encouraged my students to use their smartphones to

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Equitable Access Blog Entry
complete assignments, therefore taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi serves offered. For those
students who do not have smartphones, they are encouraged to use the school-issued iPads and
laptops, or pair with peers who do have smartphones. Using these smartphones, my students can
complete quizzes and classwork.
In this artifact, I describe how I promoted strategies for achieving equitable access to
technology resources by providing information to my students and their parents in both English
and Spanish. I describe how companies such as Comcast, Safelink, and Lifeline, provide
technical assistance to low-income students and their families. For example, if a student is
eligible for free and reduced lunch, their families may qualify for low-cost smartphones with
Internet services from companies such as Safelink and Lifeline ("SafeLink Wireless - General
Questions: Eligibility," n.d., "Solid Ground - ConnectUp - Cell Phones," n.d.). At only $10 a
month, Comcast provides low-income families with internet access, a $150 computer, and free
internet training (Silverman, 2011).
To promote the relevance of digital equality, I thought it was important to cite research on
the importance of technology integration and how the lack of technology places students at a
disadvantage. According to Hollenbeck & Hollenbeck (2009), technology integration has shown
to be an effective method of increasing the academic achievements of at-risk students. In the
classroom, technology fosters engaged learning, accommodates multiple intelligences, and
empowers learners (Gorski, 2004; Hollenbeck & Hollenbeck 2009). Implementing technology
can deepen comprehension, enhance the learning process, and prepare students for the future
(Murphy and Lebans, 2008). Therefore, the lack of technology places at-risk students at a
further disadvantage.

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Equitable Access Blog Entry
As a result of completing this artifact, I have learned the important role technology plays
in increasing the academic achievements of at-risk students and how the lack of technology
places them at a disadvantage. I learned that it was extremely important for educators to advocate
for digital equality and promote digital equality in their classrooms by providing access to
technology and its resources. If at-risk students do not have access to technology, they are
being underserved. These students will continue to be underserved unless educators such as
myself seek to advocate for digital equality. If I could improve the quality of this artifact, I wish
I was able to implement a professional development on the importance of digital equality within
a Title 1 school. Using information from the ISTE's Essential Conditions on Equitable access, I
would train my fellow educators on digital equality, its importance and what it should look like.
I would also aid my colleagues in determining our school districts strengths and weaknesses in
regards to technology integration and digital equality.
Osborne High School is a Title 1 school with a large, diverse school population of
students that are considered at-risk due to due to social, cultural, and economic factors. The
goals of our School Improvement Plan include decreasing the achievement gap of ELLs and
SWDs, increasing the graduation rate, increasing literacy skills among all students, and preparing
students for college and career. Therefore, providing access to our students is a top priority. This
artifact will impact my schools improvement by supplementing the goals set forth in the School
Improvement Plan. According to the School Improvement Plan, teachers, and support staff will
participate in ongoing training in technology integration in an effort to increase rigor, student
engagement, and to support the schoolwide writing focus on constructed response. To decrease
the achievement gap of our ELLs and SWDs, Osborne High School will spend $5,344 on
Collaboration Table Package Software in an effort to support school-wide literacy efforts and

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Equitable Access Blog Entry
will provide technology access to students who do not have at-home access to participate in
collaborative projects. Therefore, in order for us to reach the goals set forth in the School
Improvement Plan, it is imperative that we implement technology. This artifact supports the
School Improvement Plan by supporting the theory that technology enhances learning by
encouraging students to move beyond traditional learning by fostering higher order thinking
skills, and the lack of thereof leads to poor student achievement (Ford and Quinn, 2010; Ikegulu,
2009; Wayman, 2002). To assess the impact of this artifact in supplementing the School
Improvement Plan, follow-up support will be provided to help teachers implement strategies that
provide digital equality and provide individual coaching to those who need it.

References

Gray, R.
Equitable Access Blog Entry
Comcast. (2014, June 2). Retrieved from http://customer.comcast.com/help-andsupport/internet/comcast-broadband-opportunity-program/
Cooper, R. (1998, December). Socio-cultural and within-school factors that affect the quality of
implementation of school-wide programs (Rep. No. 28). Retrieved November 6, 2014,
from National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students website. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED426173)
Ford, T., & Quinn, L. (2010). What are their perceptions about multicultural education?
Multicultural Education, 17(4), 18-24.
Hidden curriculum (2014, August 26). In S. Abbott (Ed.), The glossary of education reform.
Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum
Hohlfeld, T. N., Ritzhaupt, A. D., & Barron, A. E. (2010). Connecting schools, community, and
family with ICT: Four-year trends related to school level and SES of public schools in
Florida. Computers & Education, 55(1), 391-405.
Hollenbeck, J., & Hollenbeck, D. (2009). Using technology to bridge the cultures together in the
multicultural classroom. Technology in the College Science Classroom.
Ikegulu, T. (2009). Economically disadvantaged student failure: The role of non-minority
teachers of elementary school students. Unpublished manuscript, Department of
Curriculum and Instruction, Beaumont Independent School District, Beaumont, Texas.
"ISTE Standards." Standards. ISTE, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
Murphy, J., & Lebans, R. (2008). Unexpected outcomes: Web 2.0 in the secondary school
classroom. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 4(2), 134-147.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education. (n.d.). Osborne High School.
Retrieved November 8, 2014, from

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Equitable Access Blog Entry
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/GA/schools/0129000521/school.aspxnat
Osborne High School: School Improvement Plan 2014-2015. Atlanta, GA: Atlanta City
Schools. Rideout, V. (2011). Zero to eight a common sense media research study fall
2011 childrens media use in America (Rep.). San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media.
SafeLink wireless - General questions: Eligibility. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Safelink/program_info/faq/eligibility#q1
Silverman, D. (2011, August 8). Comcast offering $10 internet for low-income families who
qualify. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from
http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2011/08/comcast-offering-10-internet-for-low-incomefamilies-who-qualify/
Solid ground - ConnectUp - cell phones. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www.solid-ground.org/Programs/ConnectUp/Pages/CellPhones.aspx