As I began my history of educational technology assignment, I considered researching the pencil.  It took some thought readjustment to see the pencil as a technology.  The Disappearance of Technology explains this phenomenon quite effectively.  We have a hard time seeing objects we use everyday as technological.  While the definition of technology involves using science to serve man, it has an embedded meaning to most of us that involves newness or cutting edge.  Access to new technologies is often, if not always, limited to some groups over others.  Another issue included in this paper is the idea that computers and use of the internet enlarges the gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged. I believe this is an existing problem, but I don't believe it to be permanent.  Pencils at one point were used only by a few before they became commonplace.  Every day the use of computers comes closer to benefiting the masses rather than the elite.  I was thrilled to find the Assistive Writing Technology page that includes links to alternate keyboards (MacQWERTY is a software utility that enables the standard Macintosh keyboard to be configured to a Dvorak layout or a custom layout. Key overlays are included in the package. MacQWERTY allows for the customization of the keyboard, useful for one handed typists and people wishing to modify the keyboard to fit their personal style. Available only for Macintosh- I had to include this keyboard info to supplement my qwerty page) , voice recognition software, touch monitors, talking word processors,  and alternative pointing devices for people with physical limitations.  Another page that deals with "Bridging the Gap" between "haves and have nots" discusses the LEP (limited English proficient) students and the assumed correlation of the minority drop out rate.  It accuses schools of not satisfying the needs of these individuals.  It goes on to say that hypermedia is a tool for language acquistion because of its nonlinear format and its use as part of a "whole language" environment (see the section entitled:Hypermedia as a Tool for Language Development)

From my experience as a teacher and a mother I see multiple advantages for literacy using computers.  My sixteen year old daughter learned to read using flash cards.  My eight year old son learned to read using the program Reader Rabbit that uses flashing words and pictures to stimulate his interest.  He was able to click on words that were spoken for him or choose to listen to the entire story.  He loved recording his own reading and playing it back.  I attribute part of his success as a reader to that program.  During this assignment I discovered wonderful sites that included free online stories for multiple age groups:

Magic Keys.com
Meddybemps.com
candlelightstories.com
clickmedia
 

I believe that the link between literacy and our current technology is positive and in time will benefit all students as equally as any technology possibly can.  Of course it involves change Will the Information Age Transform Literacy?- but I disagree that it will "create a rigid class system".  As computers continue to advance and schools continue to build improved labs, I believe the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged peoples will diminish.

Liz Sanford  email
page updated 11-02-99
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