Addressing the Digital Divide

The digital divide is live and well. I don't need to travel to another country to experience it. It is a major issue right in my school district. In a large district, you would think most schools would be treated equally, but that is far from true. There are schools in the district where every student is assigned their own laptop, and there are other schools in the same district that don't even have a functioning computer lab.
Even in my school building, there are students who have access to technology at home and students who do not. While I know that many of my students do not have Internet access at home, most of them do have smartphones with Internet capabilities. Just the other day, I gave students an assignment where a computer isn't necessary, but the students wanted to look up images in the Internet. I only had two laptops available for 33 students to share, so I told them to use their phones. However, cellphones are supposed to be banned during the school day, so I was breaking the rules.
As a leader, I think it is important to allow students to use what technology is available to try to close the digital divide. Everyone may not be able to have a laptop, but many will have a phone. Why not allow students to use what they have if it is monitored and used responsibly?

Laureate Education, (nd) "Diversity and Globalism" [Vodcast]. Baltimore, MD.
David Thornberg.