The digital divide addresses the difference between the number of people who have access to the digital world and those who do not. More than that though, the term digital divide addresses the distance that grows between the haves and the have-nots. The intellectual and academic growth between students who have computers and the internet and those who do not. The quality of medical care in a community where the doctors have access to a large body of knowledge online compared to those without. The quality of life difference in a city where the 9-1-1 system adapts in real-time, compared to a rural community with two dispatchers on phones for an entire county.

The good news is the digital divide is decreasing rapidly. According to "Measuring the Information Society Report" (2014), 78% of the homes in the developed world have access to the Internet, and that same report explains that through smart phones the ability for rural areas and developing countries to utilize the Internet is increasing significantly.

The decrease of the digital divide has not led to an unruffled world without technological problems. Instead, the problem of the division between those who have access to computers and those who do not has developed into more complex problems.

Rural communities tend to have less/slower access to the Internet than urban centers. In some classrooms all students have computers, in others none do. Some communities have public libraries with free wi-fi, while other communities have closed their libraries because of budget cuts.

And these are only the divisions within the United States. What about the differences between the suburbs of Chicago and the countryside of Tanzania?

Only bright-eyed idealists believe it will ever be possible to equalize digital access across the world. However, anyone who believes the world can be a better place also understands steps toward digital equality will improve the world and benefit all of the Earth's citizens.

My school is in a wonderful college town with a walkable downtown and a high number of college educated residents. Even within our comfortable community, digital inequality exists.

1. Local school districts in the area have 1:1 programs, putting devices in the hands of every student. Our school does not.

2. Even within our school, some classrooms have a dedicated mobile computer lab while others do not.

3. Within our school, some teachers are comfortable using technology in the classroom, while others teach firmly in the world of the traditional classroom.

This is only my second year in Granville's district. Before that I taught in a poor, rural district for 15 years. In the last two years at that district we instituted a 1:1 program for the students. It changed the balance of knowledge in my classroom. Ignorance was no longer accepted. I was no longer the center of knowledge for the classroom. Responsibility for knowing went to everyone in the room. I loved it, and did not realize how much I had come to depend on our devices.

At Granville, we have seven computer lab carts for about 60 teachers, with a handful of teachers having dedicated carts in their rooms for specific programs like industrial technology or yearbook. I reserve carts for the days I need them, but I do not have the luxury of having computers in my room every day.

Technology is in our lives fluidly. We text. We order pizzas online. I am going to school online. When technology does not fit into our classrooms in the fluid way it does outside of our classrooms, we are doing a disservice to our students.

I sign up for computers at least twice a week, and we get creative about phone use and students finding answers to questions. However, it does not replace having a device for every student, every class period, every day.

Our district is pursuing a 1:1 program, and I am strongly recommending tablets or Chromebooks. Our laptops take several minutes to load, and the students are accustomed to technology being immediate. As soon as a tablet is turned on, it is ready to use, allowing learning to happen now, not several minutes from now.

Within our school, there is a digital inequality between programs and classes. I have already stated there are seven computer labs for use in the classrooms. However, there are classes that have permanent computer labs in their classrooms. A math/science hybrid class has a lab. The yearbook editor does. The foreign language department has a lab. They need those computer labs, and they use them regularly.

There are entirely legitimate reasons why some teachers have permanent labs in their rooms. At this point budget limitations have prevented a wider use of devices in the school. However logical the inequality is, it still exists.

Until I have a device for every students every class period, I have my students use their phones as much as possible. They have a device in their pockets or on the corner of their desks, so we might as well use them.

Classroom digital inequality exists as a result of the differing perspectives of teachers when facing technology. A small group of old school teachers believe in teaching the way we have always taught. The greater majority of teachers know what this world of technology requires of us and most are excited by the possibilities. Even within that majority, though, inequality exists. Some of us are taking classes about technology and are being pushed and challenged to utilize technology it new ways. Some of us are on committees that focus on changing technology for our district. Some of us are just sitting in our classroom with our school's computer programs and websites, hoping we do not make too many mistakes.

Students learn from teachers at many different levels of digital literacy, which inevitably affects the learning in the classroom.

Within our school, I really appreciate our weekly professional development time. I regularly meet with other teachers to discuss our learning management system (LMS), what we have learned how to do, and what we are struggling with. Our technology guru eats lunch with us and pops into our room whenever we have questions. We are actively learning from one another and it not only increases our skills, it also creates unity in our vision for technology in our building.

As a teacher and an American, I believe inequality of any kind needs addressed, digital inequality included. The AECD Standards clearly address both my responsibility to effectively using technology in the classroom, but also my responsibility as a teacher to learn and adapt as technology continues to change.

I must argue for more technology in my classroom.

I must argue for new technology in my classroom.

I must work to get technology in the hands of every one of my students.

I must utilize what technology we have, whenever I can.

I must learn and develop constantly, adjusting as best practices in my classroom change as times change.