Wow. Let's read that title one more time...
The Digital Literacy gap is a lack of adequate resources for particular groups of people that would allow them to thrive in a society where technology is highly prevalent and seen anywhere you look. According to the article (linked below), "students of color, students from families with low incomes, and students rural locations are far likelier than their peers to lack these essential resources" (Sargrad). The COVID-19 Pandemic brought this all to light when schools were forced to close and students were forced to learn remotely from their homes. We were definitely not prepared to move online nor were we ready to dive into the teaching styles we are have been experiencing now. It has been almost a year since the Pandemic began, but we have made progress towards creating an even more digital literate society.
As a tutor who has worked with students on a Native American reservation, I have see the Digital Literacy Gap at it's peak. I served families by helping them access their students learning platforms and by showing them how to navigate through the platform. Most of my students had to drive to the Education Center due to many of their houses not having internet access. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the press for remote learning, this particular reservation is in the process of installing internet and broadbands into the houses. In rural areas, some house may not have an internet provider who reached to their area to allow them to have internet access. Part of this is that many families have never touched a computer, let alone navigated the internet. These families are going into remote learning with minimal experience and little to no training while also trying to assist with their student's learning. However, this is something that is common on reservations and rural areas all across the United States.
Because of these lack of resources, schools have been doing their best to offer teachers multiple trainings to address this Digital Literacy Gap and teach their families and students how to navigate different platforms. Some school districts have gone as far as to have a permanent hybrid model of learning (in-person and remote) as an option for students to continue with their preferred method even after the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Digital Literacy Gap can't be solved overnight but we can now do our best to address it and keep working towards a possible solution(s). If you want to learn more about this topic here, the article is linked below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottsargrad/2020/09/16/why-computer-literacy-matters-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/?sh=26611ec858d7
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