| Increases in access to the Internet in recent | | | | child's home is not the only factor we need to |
| years are significant and a wonderful thing. | | | | consider. We need to look at it from two other |
| However, a 2004 study published by A Nation | | | | perspectives: 1)Other technology to which the |
| Online showed that Latino households were least | | | | student may have access and 2)Integrating ALL |
| likely to be online with black households being only | | | | forms of educational technology in the classroom. |
| slightly more likely to be so. Asian American and | | | | Due to lower cost, many more households own |
| Caucasian households were most likely to be | | | | DVD players than computers, presumably for |
| online. Many professionals refer to this as the | | | | entertainment purposes. Almost all computers |
| "digital divide." | | | | now include DVD players, as well. Integrating |
| Furthermore, most research seems to indicate | | | | educational DVDs in the classroom, and |
| that:o Only a small percentage of teachers use | | | | encouraging their use at home, will allow access |
| computers for development of higher-order | | | | by more students, and although it won't bridge |
| thinking skillso The majority of school computers | | | | the gap entirely, it seems to be a no-brainer in an |
| are used for the development of lower-order skills | | | | effort to do so. |
| through drill and practice activitieso Instructional | | | | Incorporating Educational DVDs |
| technology reform tends to focus on the | | | | The digital format of educational DVDs provides |
| computer technology itself and not its effective | | | | the user a degree of access and control over |
| integration into instruction | | | | video presentation content that was not possible |
| This brings the question of how we bridge the | | | | with traditional VHS. DVD technology allows |
| gap so that the positive impact of technology on | | | | instant accessibility to video segments by use of |
| learning is not limited to only those with the | | | | frames and adds other options that enhance |
| greatest access. We believe that educational | | | | lessons and help students become active learners. |
| DVDs go a long way toward improving access to | | | | We all know students are more likely to be active |
| educational technology for the average household. | | | | learners if we can get them engaged in their |
| Closing the Gap: Integrating OTHER Technology | | | | work. Here are some benefits to using DVDs in |
| Access to computers and the Internet in the | | | | the classroom. |