Participate 3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community

It's so easy to assume that because we have solid Digital Access, every student we encounter will also have solid Digital Access. After researching through the National Broadband Map, I am aware of just how ludicrous that assumption really is.

Here are the results of my Ookla Speed Test on my school laptop used on my home network:

 

While my download and upload speeds are quite good, I was amazed to see that the rest of my community of Monroe, Georgia really do not have solid access. That's especially surprising to me because the School System here is a one-to-one system, and all Middle and High School students have been issued a school iPad to use for the entire year.

Barriers for Digital Access:
Without a doubt, cost is a tremendous barrier for digital access. In lower economic areas, families are struggling to meet every day needs, and internet access is a far off luxury. In other areas, the geography of the land makes establishing web access an impossible feat. Such is often the case in the rural area where I teach. Many families are forced to use dial-up internet because their homes are simply too far out for cable internet.

Eliminating Barriers:
With appropriate community support, the economic and geographic barriers associated with web access can be lessened and, in some cases, even eliminated. Community leaders are coming together to create initiatives that will offer free web access to entire communities. Business leaders are also working to make web access available in their privately owned restaurants. When a student cannot access the internet from his/her home, he/she should be able to rely on a few different places in his/her community where access is free. Whether it means visiting the public library, a local church, or sitting at the neighborhood McDonald's, web access can and should be available at low cost.