Ep 8: Decoding how a Chromebook and a hotspot alone cannot close the digital divide

On this episode of AI: Decodes the System, Dr. Shameka Gerald, a former principal and the current Director of Equity, Assessment & Strategic Operations for Newport News Public Schools in Virginia, and AI decode how Shameka started as a young person who was not good at math and ended up graduating with a degree in applied mathematics. They talk about the term digital divide and why she believes laptops and hotspots are not enough to close this gap. During the conversation, Shameka coins the term data privilege, which reveals that although most of the population may have access to a smartphone, their data plans may be limited and cannot support the school work. Further, broadband access may be nonexistent. They both believe that the laptop is the new textbook.
They also discussed COVID-19's impact on education and how it has brought even more attention to the digital divide, and how students need a different solution to the current virtual learning model no matter their prior school performance. Shameka talks about how she made sure her students had access to laptops and hotspots before the pandemic and how it helped her school transition amid an international crisis. Shameka believes that although we need access, we also need to make sure our students know how to use digital tools to develop capital so that students and parents can engage in a global society. People are using technology to create new lines of work and they both are excited to see what Generation Z does in the future with tech. She also talks about meeting students where they are and how a twerk video helped her teach a student a valuable lesson about using digital tools.
More about Dr. Shameka Gerald
Dr. Shameka Gerald is an educator, equity advocate, and self-proclaimed tech-junkie who wants to ensure that everyone knows that a Chromebook and a hotspot do not bridge the digital divide. In her 15 years in education, she has received numerous awards and helped close the opportunity gap in mathematics. She also successfully supported the turnaround of three schools and most recently closed out a six-year principalship with her school (a Governor's STEM Academy), earning three consecutive years of full accreditation.  Follow Shameka at the links below.

Resources Shameka mentioned on the podcast

Social Media

Dr. Shameka Gerald: Instagram, Twitter, and Linked In

AI: Decodes the System: Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok

Find us on Clubhouse at @AiDecodes.

Help me become the #1 (number one)

Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.

If you like the content, feel free to support the show by donating to my Patreon account at the link below: https://www.patreon.com/Aidecodes