iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

In decades past, students needed little more than paper, pencils, and time to get their schoolwork done. For the vast majority of students, that's no longer the case. Most schoolwork these days necessitates a computer and an internet connection, and that includes work to be done at home. One federal survey found that 70 percent of American teachers  assign homework that needs to be done online; 90 percent of high schoolers say they have to do internet-based homework at least a few times a month. Nearly half of all students say they get such assignments daily or almost daily.

"First some good news: the divide in access to digital devices is decreasing. School districts across the country are upgrading networks and integrating more classroom technology, and smartphones have become increasingly ubiquitous across socioeconomic lines. With that said, there are still significant gaps for some students at home. Educators are beginning to take note of a new problem: a digital participation divide.

Previously, the digital participation divide seemed to revolve around access time. Wealthier students traditionally had more access at home, while students of poverty had less access due to a variety of economic factors. Now the quality of digital participation is coming into question. Recent studies have shown that lower income children often spend more time with technology as it has become a type of “digital babysitter” for parents who have to be out of the house for extended periods of time."

irst some good news: the divide in access to digital devices is decreasing. School districts across the country are upgrading networks and integrating more classroom technology, and smartphones have become increasingly ubiquitous across socioeconomic lines. With that said, there are still significant gaps for some students at home. Educators are beginning to take note of a new problem: a digital participation divide.

Previously, the digital participation divide seemed to revolve around access time. Wealthier students traditionally had more access at home, while students of poverty had less access due to a variety of economic factors. Now the quality of digital participation is coming into question. Recent studies have shown that lower income children often spend more time with technology as it has become a type of “digital babysitter” for parents who have to be out of the house for extended periods of time.

According to one article, a recent survey from Common Sense Media discovered that “low-income parents sat their young children, from birth to age eight, in front of a television or a computer screen for 3 hours and 29 minutes a day, on average”—almost double the amount of screen time that high-income children get. More specifically, the participation divide refers to the fact that some students are more plugged into an internet culture around creating, connecting with others and giving and receiving feedback around their work.