So what can be done to close the middle school digital divide?
Although most schools now own the necessary computer equipment, teachers don’t always have the time or initiative to utilize the technology. There has been action to bring computers into the schools in the United States for over twenty years, but teacher training needs to catch up. Schools can train teachers and counselors to be sensitive to gender issues. Many teachers grew up when there were definite gender lines and discrimination in schools. The counseling materials in schools are outdated. School departments need to make sure that all children are benefiting from the computers they have in their schools by finding more ways to use technology and enhance student learning. With such a full schedule, it is hard for middle school teachers to incorporate the time to use computers into their curriculum. This is why the School Librarian becomes vital to the school environment. The Librarian can organize research projects, video production and editing, and internet use into the curriculum. Children now have access to whole encyclopedias at their fingertips, making research projects fun and exciting.
The government and private industries can work together to initiate practical solutions for the digital divide. Microsoft has pledged to donate $100 million in software and cash to Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide. The program is called ClubTech and the money will be used to create and enrich technology centers and to develop training centers. The key point in this new program will be the training aspect. Money cannot be thrown at a problem without a clear-cut plan on how it will be distributed. Teachers and assistants must be trained to work with the children and the new technology and software that are now so readily available to almost everyone.
There are some people who believe single sex classes are the way to go because boys often dominate the discussions in math and technology classrooms. Teachers could help by making sure the males in their classrooms do not control discussions. Often teachers find themselves calling more on certain students to keep them on task. The above solution is short sighted and could actually prove to be disastrous for girls when they enter college or the work force and have to deal with males on a daily basis. It puts a band-aid on the problem, but does not address a long term goal.
While doing research for this paper, I found that there are an abundance of web sites that have been created just for females. This is extremely important because so many of the computer software is geared toward males. Much of the problem solving software available features male kings, pirates, fighters, and violence. Maybe girls would benefit from software that focused on real world situations with lifelike characters, instead of vicious characters trying to destroy each other.