Journal #6

Social Justice: Choice or Necessity?
By Colleen Swain and David Edyburn

This article was featured in ISTE’s March 2007 issue. The main concept of this article focused on the effect of technology on educational social justice. The article started out by describing the various ways that the use of computers/internet affected students. It also “explored the social justice implications of instructional technology and provided educators with a framework for understanding the effects of their decisions in using instructional technology in the classroom.

Research has found that in a few years, approximately 80% of workplaces will require that their employees are fluent in technology. This may not be possible with many students being brought up in classrooms and schools that either do not have technology available, or do not have educators that are able to teach about advances in the technological world. This is limiting our students to jobs that pay less and are not as professional.

A couple of questions to ponder…

1. What is at least one solution to giving students the ability to learn about technology?
For schools that may not possess the resources for every student to have their own computer, I think that time should be allotted in the curriculum to teach students about computers, word process, internet, and technology. In the lesson, not only should they be taught how to use these resources, but they should also be taught the importance of understanding the use of them in their futures.

2. How can work places use employees who might not be as fluent in technology as other applicants?
I think that employers who are looking for workers who are fluent in technology should provide a class or tutorial on their systems. Many employees may have the intellectual aptitude to succeed in their company – so, if they possess the ability to learn, they should be given the opportunity to learn about the technology.