Source: Maize USD 266 School Wires (https://shorturl.at/cVOvD) Blog Post Week 2 by Dana Setchell Bridging the Digital Divide at Maize Middle School: A Deeper Dive In my first blog, I discussed how the digital divide affects students at Maize Middle School. This week, I hope to better characterize the elements that contribute to this division and investigate how technology use—or lack thereof—affects our school community. Dr. Shannon posed an important question in response to my first blog: “I see that internet access is an issue—will your focus be more on teacher supports to address expectations, or on providing access?” While I see value in both approaches, I’ve decided to focus first on providing access. I believe that access to reliable internet for all students is often overlooked by staff, who may assume that everyone has what they need at home. Based on feedback from my students, I know this isn’t always the case. However, I may be completely off in my observation. It’s po...

My Introduction Hey there! My name is Dana Setchell, and I’m a middle school special education teacher. This is my 13th year in education, and I currently teach at Maize Middle School in Maize, Kansas. Previously, I worked in the Wichita Public Schools, so I’ve had the opportunity to work with students from a variety of backgrounds. Even though Maize is often seen as a middle-class, white, and affluent community, things are changing. The community is growing, more houses and duplexes are being built and we’re seeing more diversity in our students. Maize has long been home to families residing in Section 8 housing, apartments, and trailer parks, with Wichita’s urban expansion gradually blending into the suburban landscape of Maize. It’s a much wider range of backgrounds than people might expect. Last year, I had an experience that really opened my eyes to the digital divide. One of my students, who I worked with almost daily in math class and during homeroom and after school, didn’t tel...