Multicultural Education and the Digital Divide: Focus on Race, Language, Socioeconomic Class, Sex, and Disability

Barriers to Call Practices in an EFL Context : A Case Study of Preparatory Year English Courses

“…Some teachers feel uncomfortable using educational technology in their classrooms because they are not well prepared for technological problems; therefore, teachers tend to view CALL classes less favorably (Chambers & Bax, 2006). It is also found that sometimes new users of technology lack the ability to use language learning technologies timely and appropriately (Clark & Gorski, 2001), that results in undesirable activities. Teachers' technological competency has been an issue in CALL barriers in many parts of the world.…”

“…Most often, trainings lack follow up activities and retraining that is required when new technologies and materials become available (Northrup & Little 1996). Clark & Gorski (2001) consider the digital divide the most widely recognized factor influencing access to technology is EFL communities that are generally built on a multicultural mode.…”

Ensuring Equality of Educational Opportunity in the Digital Age

“…Furthermore, Brown, Higgins, and Hartley (2001) and Clark and Gorski (2001) noted that these inequities extend into our nation's schools. Brown and colleagues stated that schools attended by students from diverse ethnic backgrounds as well as students from families living in poverty are likely to offer less access to most types of technology.…”

“…As such, Clark and Gorski (2001) challenged educators to think about how they will use technology with their students before doing so and specifically noted that educators should juxtapose the issues of what can be done with technology and what should be done with it.…”

“…When the use of computer technology is integrated throughout the curriculum students learn how to control and manipulate it as they work to solve problems and simultaneously exercise higher-order thinking skills, such as when they navigate through databases and Internet sites. Conversely, when this technology is only added to existing classroom activities students may learn nothing more than simplistic uses, such as how to play a computer game in which the student extends the day's math lesson by solving basic addition facts or use a Web browser following a science lesson to access a weather-related site that will allow the student to answer only factual questions about current weather conditions (Brown, 2002;Clark & Gorski, 2001).…”