My unexpected life

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Blaine, MN, United States
City girl at heart who returned to the Twin Cities after a four year stint in the Stinky Onion known to the rest of the world as Chicago. Consistent nomad, frequently moving, changing, evolving. Striving to settle down and plant some roots. Recently became a single mother to Caleb Justus and am figuring out the adventure that is motherhood. Getting used to living in the burbs again close to family and friends.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Toddlers and iPads-future achievement gap in the works

In the realm of public education discussions we often hear the phrase "achievement gap" tossed around.    The achievement gap is the gap between white students' academic performance and that of minorities.  There are hundreds of experts with hundreds of explanations of why this gap exists and lots of other experts with sure fire ways to reduce the gap.  I'm not going to get into all that right now...its too big of an issue.  I have a toddler son who is biracial-his dad is black and I am white.  I am also a single mother.  So, in many ways my son is part of the minority culture that is affected by the achievement gap.  However, being that he is half white and I am economically stable, and I have a Master's degree and then some regarding education, he is really not on the downside of the achievement gap.  Why?  Because, I believe, economics trumps race.  And economics trumps family situations.  As does education.  Because of my education and my status as an educator, my son has the benefit of having a 'reading specialist' as a mom.  I am at his service with my passion for reading, words and all things education overflowing every aspect of his life.  Since before he was born, he has been exposed to books, music, all kinds of food, and various people places and things.  Why?  Because of my status and my ability to expose him to such things because of my lifestyle and blessings.  I live alone with my son and in our home we have a Macbook Pro laptop, an iPad2, an iPhone, a blue ray dvd player with netflix, two stereos, an iPod, a digital camera, a Kuerig single cup brewer (which he knows how to work), and literally hundreds of books.  Those things put my kiddo on the high end of the achievement gap.  Some more so than others.  Take for example the iPad.  Right now, while I am typing away on my MacBook Pro, Caleb (who is 2.5 years old) is busy practicing pushing letters into an abyss with a bulldozer on an iPad game.  He learned to count to ten about as soon as he could talk because of a counting iPad game.  He knows how to turn the thing on by himself and how to choose which games he wants to play.  He knows everything there is to know about cement mixers and he knows that tow trucks take broken cars to the mechanic all because of games he has played on the iPad.  He can do puzzles like nobody's business again because of the iPad. Again, he's not even three years old.  And already, because of my lifestyle and what I am able to provide, he is ahead of so many other kids.  How is this technology going to impact the academic achievement gap we educators are working so hard to close?  Honestly, just thinking about it scares me.  Some kids, because of various circumstances beyond their control and choice, will not see a book or computer or even a written letter or have a book read to them before they start kindergarten or preschool.  How are those kids supposed to reach the same academic standards that Caleb is expected to reach?  How are teachers supposed to meet their educational needs as well as challenge kids like Caleb who will more than likely know how to read before they even enter the school door?