One of the more influential practices in bridging the gap between those that have access to the Internet and those that do not, is simply through education. By helping people become aware of the inequalities that exist in resources as well as the toll it takes on a student, attention has been brought to issue and aid has been provided. With increased awareness on the issue, efforts have been made at the local, state and national level to increase funding in a few areas that need support, but have decreased in other districts (Dickard). Howard Elementary School in Eugene, Oregon is one type of school that is able to give every student a laptop in a high-poverty area with help from grants and local funding and are able to do great things with students at a young age. Teaching students how to use programs such as Word or Powerpoint and exploring math and science on a computer has been a great experience for the students. Howard Elementary is a school that has realized the importance of incorporating technology in the classroom and is able to creative unique lesson plans and in-class activities that gives school an entirely new look. More schools with a focus on technology are beginning to “pop-up” because of the affordability basic machines that can spark innovation.
Some people will argue that the key to narrowing the gap is not through education but more a business approach. “Closing the digital divide involves using new technologies to formalize the “informal economy,” thereby bringing the poor into established markets” (Smith). In this case it would be in a country or states’ best interest to fund the necessary materials and equipment in order to have access to the Internet so they can compete with other growing nations. However, with that said, when this approach was used by a country, schools in that nation increase their chances in having access to the Internet. By bringing the Internet into more homes families can better their situations as well as help their children succeed in school.
