Crossing the digital divide : race, writing, and technology in the classroom

As poor, nonwhite communities on "the other side" of the digital divide become immersed in electronic media, how can we evaluate their experiences to transform the teaching of writing and literature and improve student learning? This important book offers a balanced view of instructional technology and critical multiculturalism as experienced in today's public schools. With valuable insights to help English educators at all levels working in all types of schools, this accessible volume features:

Case studies of high-poverty secondary schools as they come online, offering an examination of the literacy practices of some of the country's most underserved students on Indian reservations and in central cities. A unique approach to teaching writing and literature at both high school and middle school levels, including practical suggestions for classroom practice. A compelling analysis and critique of the contrasting rhetoric of American adolescent minority groups, differences in their early language socialization, and the impact of those differences on academic performance. A fresh angle on the public policy debate on access to technology, arguing that high-poverty schools do not have student access and, when they do, computers are used to "reform," rather than "transform" schooling.

Author Notes

Barbara Monroe is currently the coordinator of English Education at Washington State University. She has taught at all levels -- pre-K through college

Reviews 1

Choice Review

The metaphor digital divide entered the public discourse only a half-decade ago, as a descriptor of what Colin Powell, then head of America's Promise, called "Digital Apartheid." Subsequently, commentators have positioned themselves on both sides of the rhetorical cleavage. In Crossing the Digital Divide: Race, Writing, and Technology in the Classroom, Monroe has framed the issues in terms of culture, race, and socioeconomic status. This timely volume defines the dialogue in terms of access to the hardware, software, and support systems requisite for universal participation in "The New Economy." Formal schooling and instruction are largely grounded in language socialization patterns of mainstream children, which do not necessarily hold true for most children of color, language limitation, or low-income status and may work contrary to the values of their respective communities. Three decades of experience and involvement in education enable the author to present various methods of bridging what she describes as a widening economic and social gulf in American classrooms, presenting a compelling analysis and critique of the contrasting rhetoric of adolescent minority groups, and the impact of these differences on academic performance. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. M. Crisham Dowling College

Victor Villanueva

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
1 Reconsidering the Terms of the Debate	p. 5
Constructing the Divide	p. 6
Reconstructing the Divide	p. 14
Hearing the Other Side	p. 27
2 Putting One's Business on Front Street	p. 31
Theoretical Framework	p. 32
Local Contexts	p. 33
The Decorum of Information Sharing	p. 38
The E-Mail Conversations	p. 42
The Assigned Writings	p. 49
Computing on Front Street	p. 60
Implications for Teaching	p. 61
3 Crucible for Critical Literacy	p. 70
Local Contexts	p. 71
Intercultural Contact	p. 72
The Tyranny of the Majority	p. 78
Implications for Teaching	p. 80
4 Storytime on the Reservation	p. 85
Local Contexts	p. 87
Writing a Fictional Narrative	p. 90
Bedtime Story as Epistemology	p. 97
TV Time as Storytime	p. 101
Implications for Teaching	p. 107
5 Revisiting the Access Issue	p. 115
Local Updates, 2003	p. 116
From "Transform" to "Reform"	p. 119
Taking Action Now	p. 122
Notes	p. 127
References	p. 133
Index	p. 143
About the Author	p. 154

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Table of Contents