Blog Post Module 7

Blog Post Module 7

                Module 7 is focused around Digital Equity in the classroom. This module has helped me understand how digital equity has or will impact my teaching in the following ways. First, it is important to define what digital equity is. Digital Equity is whether or not people can access and effectively use technology in a modern society.  It is important as teachers that we are able to understand what digital equity is and then how it can be applied in the classroom.

                As teachers we must be careful while teaching in the classroom. We want to make sure that we do not allow our preconceived notions of people to affect our effects.  We as teachers must show interest in the students, while challenging our own “blind spots”. A “blind spot” is part of our unconscious mind that has already made a decision about someone before we have gotten to know them. This “blind spot” prevents us from experiencing new views and may prevent us from seeing people for who they truly are.

Another issue that teachers have to look out for is “Similarity bias”. “Similarity Bias” is defined as feeling more comfortable around people who remind us of ourselves. This bias could affect the classroom because a teacher might not pay as much attention to one student as another. Teachers also might unintentionally call upon certain students more while ignoring other students. It is important that teachers promote all voices to be heard in their classroom and encourage ideas from all students.

                Teachers need to be sure that they do not allow for any stereotyping to happen in their classroom. This includes “Prototype bias” which is defined as judging someone to be right for a job or position because they fit a particular role based on stereotypes.  In the video, the narrator suggests that companies can use the Implicit Association Test to show people their unconscious bias. In this way, people can learn more about themselves. As teachers we must be careful not to limit our students with “prototype bias”.

                Another idea that was discussed was the idea of a “stereotype threat”. This was defined as “reducing someone to just a stereotype in order to quickly assess a person’s character.” An example of this was that women can’t do math, so a female math teacher must be bad at math. The video also described how equal treatment did not equal results. Instead, the video suggested that students should be given equitable treatment which was defined as “giving equal attention to all students.”

                One of the articles discussed how there were nine tips for equity that every teacher needed to know. These nine tips were: Decorating the classroom with a purpose, making eye contact, calling on everyone, taking your time, cutting back on homework, showing your students the information, allowing access to learn more, leaving a feedback box, and being available to all your students.  These nine tips were shown to be essential for any modern classroom. The article also suggested that teachers should make sure that their classroom is able to handle students with disabilities and learning disorders properly.

                Overall, I found this section to be very informative. In my future classroom, I will make sure that all students are able to have their voices heard. The nine tips from the article were very informative and offered a lot of useful suggestions for the future. I have found in my own classroom that calling upon all students also helps the teacher to memorize the names of the students. It also allows you to better connect with those students who wouldn’t speak up as much. I am excited to try these out for my own class.