First and foremost I do not think that the use of technology in the classroom is a personal choice that teachers should make. The use of technology in the classroom is a necessity. As elementary and secondary school teachers we are preparing students for life after high school, and students will need to know how to use technology regardless of whether or not they are proceeding to college or a job. Technology is present everywhere in today’s society, and as educators we must prepare students for that.
I did not have as much access to computers or the Internet as my peers, up until around my senior year of high school. For my full technological history you may see my first blog. I do feel as though this has put me at a disadvantage. While I am on the brink of being a digital native, however I think I am actually a digital immigrant because of the access I lacked. However, I do not think that the lack of resources made a difference in my high school education. Ten years ago when I was getting my high school education the use of technology in school was minimum and we were never required to do any work outside of school on the Internet.
As a teacher I do feel that I have a responsibility to bridge the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” in my classroom. This is for a few reasons. One, I feel that life is unfair enough, that if I can play a part in providing some equality to my students, I will feel as though I am doing something positive. Secondly, I hope to give everyone a chance to be productive members of society. I want to give all my students the opportunity to go to college, be successful, and reach their goals. This can only be achieved by bridging the gap.
From my experience in high school I can imagine that growing up without much technology in the home would be very difficult. It sounds like from your experience, though, that you are motivated to close the gap for your students and provide an equal opportunity education. You're absolutely right that students will need technology skills in their futures, and they need teachers like you, dedicated to preparing ALL of them for that future.
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