More Than A Digital Divide

Shelter in Place has moved us from traditional school learning to distance learning. Since I have our youngest in the house, the difference between the two, isn't much for our home. Outside of the social aspect for our son, I have essentially converted our front room into a mini classroom, fully connected with a laptop and Zoom account. We've been able to participate regularly in Distance Learning, without any issues.

I fully understand that a lot of families don't have the ease of setting things up this way. Many are struggling with the stress and pressures this pandemic has caused, particularly because they cannot work, which means they cannot buy essentials. No income means, no extras or barely the basics.

Our school has been awesome in supporting our students. This, to me, is one of the tangible differences in being in a Charter School. The ability to govern and allocated resources for our students and families. Our school fills in the gap or more accurately, creates a bridge over learning divides. Our school provides Chromebooks equipped with technology to participate in Zoom meetings, they are open for one day a week to pickup and drop off work packets if parent are unable to print from home. They even provide check out of PE equipment as well as arts and craft materials. Our school is learner-centered, commonly known as "Montessori-based" for grades TK-8th. So, with learners in mind, we can make choices to help them ask questions and... learn!

The greater divide I see is not in the ability to access information, but in the inability to take what has been learned and apply it. According to Kasasa: the way in which we learn varies based on generation "Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z Explained". What is inputted, gets outputted. That means, if you are non-traditional in learning (Millennial) you will put out more non-traditional ideas. If your learning is more traditional, more traditional ideas will come out (Boomers, Gen X.)

This became very clear to me recently. The idea of a thing, doesn't translate to the accepting that thing, because generations are different. Not just in "concept" but in research. For a real life example, as a Gen X'er, I'm not going to get excited about the newest shiny object or idea. In contrast, I see Millennial's jumping from one thing to another, not staying on one path but exploring many more than one. I call it ADD/ADHD of ideas.

When chasing idea after idea, how can anything really be proven, tried and tested? It becomes more about the "quality" of your idea and how quickly it can get out. But is that the best approach to absorbing information? While others are still trying to grasp on to one thing, it becomes too late to conform, and the constant move from one thing to the next actually establishes outliers, primarily in the older generations:

"When the age differences are not found across all three age groups, the trend is for the oldest group to be the outliers. They are more frustrated when using technology, less likely to view cell phones and websites as user-friendly, and more likely to feel that the pace of technological innovation moves too fast. Older adults are also less anxious if they are out and realize that they do not have their cell phone and less likely to feel that technology has altered communication with others. Overall, the data reported here are consistent with the hypothesis that the oldest adults are less comfortable using various forms of technology than the younger age groups. The hypothesis that the younger adults would be more likely to experience anxiety when out without their cell phones, and less likely to experience frustration with technology, was also supported. These data have important implications in an era when older adults are a large and increasing proportion of the American populace. Firms that want to retain or attract older workers may need to provide them with training in using new technology. These data also have implications for the social worlds of older adults, as younger adults engage in more technology-based communication. Many groups, from condominium associations to religious congregations and other non-profit organizations, have transitioned to primarily using electronic communication, thus it is important to understand that the oldest adults in the group may be less likely to be included in this type of exchange" (Revisitng the Digital Divide: Generational Differences in Technology Use in Everyday Life , Michele Van Volkom, Janice C. Stapley, & Vanessa Amaturo, Monmouth University, 2014)

So, respect and honor of older generations, are the key's to bridging this "gap; this divide beyond computers and the internet.

"Respect is a value of all generations. How respect is understood is different though for each generation.   For Boomers, respect is given to anyone who is an “elder,” but for a Millennial, they are more likely to approach respect as something that goes both ways and is earned through behaviors, character, etc.

Generations share many of the same core values, but their expression of the value is often different. We must all do the hard work to appreciate these differences and see their potential to make us better, together." (What is Respect to a Millennial, a Boomer, and a Gen X’er?, Spears, L., 2016)