1) The availability of technological resources within the community or household. I often find that many households lack the proper technological resources to meet the needs of today. Some house may have computers but they could be out dated or no internet connection or no printer. I have also noticed that many households don’t prioritize their funds towards education. They may have the latest clothing, phones, video game system, cars, and etc… but claim that they cannot afford critical pieces of technology that can advance their child’s intelligence. I am often disgusted when I see scenarios such as the second.
Some solutions could be to direct the family to their closet free library, offer extended hours after school where scholars could use the technological resources that they lack at home, or develop a lending program. The lending program would be available to scholars who exude responsibility and are in need of a piece of technology for the school year or a period of time. A contract would be used to hold the family liable for any damages, lost, or stolen items. I have also heard of programs that offer free or reduced computers, laptops, and internet access based on a family’s income.
2) The technological gap between adults and children. Another issue I have noticed is when scholars do have access to a lot of technology resources available, it is often the parents who do not know how to use the technology or don’t bother to learn how to use it. There are many things that scholars are able to discover on their own but some may need to assistance of an adult or peer to make sure they are doing what is asked in reference to their assignment. Some possible solutions would be to offer classes that teach adults or peers how to use the technology of today, provide a list of free apps that scholars could use to work on math concepts through the use of a smart phone or tablet, and you could guide scholars and parents to youtube videos that explain in detail the uses of a certain piece of technology and how to operate it.
3) Technology can have a crippling effect. I have noticed that some scholars become too dependent on technology to complete their assignments or exercises. Every scholar learns differently and has their own obstacles to overcome but they should not depend on technology to solve all their educational problems. I have run into some scholars who wouldn’t complete their work until they received a calculator. This was fine but they lacked the skills to explain/show their work or complete simple calculations without technology. I believe that we as educators must teach the scholars that the technology is used to check computations, model exercises, and apply theories. Scholars should also possess the skill to solve complex math exercises without the use of technology.