A Closer Look

A large problem with accessibility is that not everyone has access to technological resources that others do. Throughout regions in the world there are large gaps between people who use the internet and people who do not. For example, between Asia and Australia there is an enormous gap with Asia being at 44.8% and Australia at 1%. Of the regions, North America is at 11.4%, Latin America/Caribbean is at 10.4%, Africa at 7%, and the middle East at 3.7%. Looking at all of these statistics could explain why there is such unequal access among us. Accessibility is having the resources to have access to technology and not all of these regions have the same amount of access as you can tell. This presents a problem when talking about accessibility. Ideally we want everyone to have equal access, but the way our world is that just does not seem very possible. As a future teacher my job will be to find a way for my students to all have equal access as best as I can. In doing this it is my hopes that all my students will achieve at the levels they are capable of achieving.

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Another problem that ties in with accessibility is the way the funding system is set up to provide money for the schools. Using technology in the classroom is a very important aspect that just keeps growing. The want and need for technology is continuously growing in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. Technology in the classroom helps students to be more interactive and involved which will improve students comprehension in the classroom. Not all schools have technology in their classrooms which mainly has to do with funding. Schools that are in poorer districts get less funding than schools who are in wealthier districts which means that there is a divide of what types of technology each school has and how updated it is. There is a large gap between schools who have a lot of money versus schools who do not and the gap just keeps getting bigger. Suburban schools receive more than inner city schools because in the suburbs there is typically a lot of single family homes which means that each house pays that helps fund the schools. In inner city school districts they receive less because there is a lot of apartments and multifamily homes which mean that for that whole building only one rate goes to the school. Because of this the amount of access that each school has to different technological resources is different.
Limited access to technological resources will impact students' futures in several key ways. For example I'm sure that almost everyone can agree that email is used extremely often as well as the skill of typing. Nowadays when you apply to a job basic computer skills are required and if a person does not uphold these skills then they most likely will have a hard time finding a job. Also, when you apply to a job you have to fill out information and often times your email is something they ask for so they can get a hold of you aside from the telephone. If you do not have access to the internet then it would be difficult to uphold an email. There is also the issue of applying for jobs. Many jobs now you are to apply online and if you do not have the internet that would be difficult. The internet is also used for looking to see what jobs are open to apply for when looking for a job, without the resources to do so makes all these processes a struggle.


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Another problem that stems off having a lack of resources is transportation. Schools that are in low income areas can often times find it difficult allowing after school programs or after school activities because they cannot fund for these students to have transportation to and from. These students in low income areas may not have transportation because their parents are either single parents or are both working to trying and make ends meet for their family, therefore they do not have the time to transport their children. This is a big problem because there are other schools that can be within miles from each other that are in a higher income areas who do have these after school activities that students can have access to. Having schools be so close to each other but so different in accessibility to resources can be a very negative thing. Students can begin to resent other students at the other school because they have more and they feel that it is not fair, which it's not. Having such unequal access makes the gap between the schools even bigger. The higher income school that has the access to after school programs and activities would be doing better than the school that does not because they have extra help after school if they need it. During these after school programs that certain schools have access to can benefit their access to technology because if they do not have access to the internet or a computer at home, the after school program could provide them with that.

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Tying along with not having access to resources to help students achieve such as after school programs and transportation is that they also do not have the resources to help them learn. A teacher cannot get around to each student to help them individually as much as students need so after school programs are perfect for the kids who need extra help. Not having access to after school programs does not allow the student the extra help that other students at other schools are getting. When a student at home does not have access to technology and needs it they don't have too many options which could also have to do with transportation as well. With that the problem of transportation again comes up. At the library there is access to the internet but if a student cannot get there then it defeats the purpose. There is also the problem of in order to use a computer at the library they need a library card which can cost money, money that some people do not have. Access is not equal, and those who have access may have more resources than those who do not.

Poverty affects who has access and who does not. Schools and communities in higher income areas usually have smaller poverty rates than schools in low income areas. There is a big difference on levels of access between these two types of schools and communities. For example the technology that is used in the classrooms at each school is going to be very different from each other. The technology in the higher income districts are most likely up-to-date, but in the low income areas they may have the same technology that they have had for years because they don't have the money to replace it. Having the difference between the two schools of technology that is being used gives these students unequal access. The high income school would have computers, whereas the low income school may not even have one computer. Unequal access is then shown with one school of students knowing how to use computers, where the other school does not.

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Resource 3: "Internet Users in the World". Internet World Stats. Miniwatts Marketing Group, June 30, 2012. Article. June 30, 2012. May 25, 2013.
Resource 4: NBC, Austin. "NBC Austin Covers Students Using Technology In The Classroom." YouTube. YouTube, 8 Oct. 2010. Video. May 25, 2013.