Equal Access to the Digital World!

Providing equal access to the digital world is all about making sure that everyone has the tools, opportunities, and strategies to learn or make themselves productive when using new age technology. The digital world consists of everyone  who uses the internet to learn and research the world around them. Universal design exists to help students with disabilities and all learners in general, in the classroom setting, to learn regardless of their disabilities or various learning styles. By providing equal access to all learners, teachers are setting up accommodations that all students can use to learn. Teachers can accommodate students in the digital world in various ways like finding technological tools in the classroom that will target various learning styles, making sure that computer monitors are adjustable to accommodate their height, having students work in groups to find the solution to a question that requires research, or having students who have visual impairments sit closer to the board so that they can see better. 

Equal access to the digital world also means providing students with equal opportunities to use the technology so that they can become better and more effective at using it. Some students may not have access to a computer at home. This could create a flaw in universal design because students who have a computer in the home may know how to use the technology without much help. While students who do not have access to the digital world in their homes may feel the effects of this disadvantage. By making the technology available for students to manipulate and learn from, teachers are building confidence and providing an equal playing field for all students. Equal access attempts to close the gap between learners, bringing them together to provide success for everyone. Believe it or not, students can feel when they are at a learning disadvantage compared to their peers. Equal access to the digital world fills in that gap by providing students with tools that will accommodate their shortcomings and allow them to learn at their best 

Educational Value of Social Media

Social media is constantly  thought of as a means to gather students for social purposes. Via the internet, students are able to connect through social media forums like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace. Through these social media forums; students are given a way to stay connected, meet new people, discuss social issues, and learn about different ways of life. But, what if social media could also add helping students learn more effectively to the list? Incorporating social media in classrooms today are valuable because many of our students already know how to navigate it. Students engage in picture sharing, posting videos, commenting on friends timelines, and blog. These are all aspects of social media that teachers can use to reach students most effectively. 

I am including a social media page in my WebQuest that will allow students to post comments and interact with their classmates based on questions that I will be posting each day via Twitter. According to Taylor, King, and Nelson "Social media is internet based technologies that allow more free flowing communication among its users (Taylor, King, and Nelson, 2012, p.30)." This is one important reason for my decision to utilize Twitter for my social media page. Twitter allows multiple posts to be allowed from multiple people. Since my students are younger, we will use these posts as more of discussion pieces. But, parents can comment on anything that they feel should be added or how an aspect of our WebQuest could be better. 

I have decided to center our WebQuest around student exploration and discovery. Social media pages allow parents and children to discuss what we are learning in a more authentic way. The Twitter page that I am using can create a sense of community. As a result of the use of social media, students are more involved and more likely to become engaged in what they are learning. According to Taylor, King, and Nelson "a strong relationship between these 3 essential goals for classroom learning (i.e. students becoming more involved, pedagogy that improves learning,  and wanting to enhance meaningful learning) (Taylor, King, and Nelson, 2012, p.33)." These are the goals that I have designed for our WebQuest and hope that our students will gain an understanding of this to enhance their learning. Please feel free to visit my social media page on Twitter here. 

References

Taylor, R., King, F., & Nelson, G. (2012). Student learning through social media. Journal of Sociological Research, 3(2), 29-35. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1032658405?accountid=3783