Urban Education Technological Disparities

Abstract

Technological advancements of the twenty-first century have yielded a greater need for systematic aptitude and preparedness for the current U.S. and global workforce. To meet the needs of the twenty-first century workforce requires teachers to alter the manner in which they teach because student needs call for a new type of learning. The twenty-first century teacher has to assist students develop their technological identities for a new culture of learning shaped by technological advances and globalization. This new culture of learning is less teacher focused and more student centered. As more employers demand graduates who have the requisite twenty-first century skills, higher education must also continue to develop students who are problem solvers, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and effective collaborators. This chapter focuses upon the existing digital divide in historically marginalized communities.