1. INTRODUCTION The digital divide is defined as the gap that exists between people who have sufficient access to technology, and those who do not have access. In education today, the digital divide is a major issue that affects many students negatively. Throughout the country many school districts do not have the resources available for the latest technology in the classroom, so their students fall behind compared to their peers in other districts. The greatest differences are usually seen between ethnic groups, with Hispanic and African Americans having the lowest amounts of Internet and computer use. There is still a long way to go in overcoming this gap in technology, there are some private, and government groups that are trying to raise money to get computers to students and institutions that really need them. Today, it is up to teachers to try to get technology into their schools, and be knowledgeable on how to use it effectively. METHOD Our group developed a ten question survey to attain knowledge on our research questions which were as follows; 1. What is the Digital Divide? 2. Why is it important to understand the Digital Divide before going into an education profession? The survey that we used for this research was designed with Survey Monkey, an online questionnaire maker that enables its users to use their own questions. Our survey had varied types of questions, seeking different answers and knowledge. After creating this tool, it was sent to 20 students who attend Winona State University. Our survey went as followed: 1.Have you heard of the Digital Divide before this survey? (Choose one) YES NO 2.The Digital Divide refers to the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not. (Choose one) TRUE FALSE FINDINGS This chart shows the answers to our question number 4, which asked our responders which group they thought had the most growth of computer knowledge. 66.7% of people surveyed said that 18 and younger had the most growth, but really the age group of 74 and older has had the most growth. Chart number 2 shows how many people had heard of the digital divide before taking this survey. The answers were split, with 53.3% of people saying No and 46.7% said Yes. This chart shows how many people in our class have heard of the digital divide before this class. 53.3% of people had not hard of the divide, and 46.7% of our class had heard of it. The majority of the class agrees that students who do not have access to technology do not do as well in school 3. How can we decrease this gap? 4. Which age group has the fastest growth of knowledge when using computers? (Choose one) A.18 and younger B.19-36 C.37-54 D.55-73 E.74 and older 5. Which minority group uses the internet at home the least? (choose one) A.Black B.White C.Hispanic 6. Which country is the largest developing with a growth in internet population? A.United States B.China C.Japan D.Europe E.Canada 7. Why might it be important for an educator in the schools to be educated on the Digital Divide? 8. What ways can administrative staff help students gain access to computers? 9. Students who have regular access to technology do better in school than peers who don’t have access. (choose one) TRUE FALSE 10. What percent of American adults (18 and older) use the internet? (Choose one) A.50% B.74% C.96% D.87% CONCLUSION After reviewing our results of this survey we feel much more educated on this issue. This is important because now we have multiple ideas of how we can bridge this gap in our own classrooms. Everyone who took this survey agreed that it is vital for educators to be knowledgeable about the Digital Divide so that they can take this into account when teaching in their classrooms. The main idea our surveyors came up with to bridge the gap the was to find access to technology for those who have not had access. A few ways that we can accomplish this is through programs like one laptop per child, or fundraisers to purchase computers for schools without any. More research Is needed to gain access to technology for every single person, but all we can do for now is take small steps to solve this problem. REFERENCES Andrew, T. (9, Jan 2011). How the digital divide affects classroom instruction. Retrieved on Jan 20, 2011 from http://www.suite101.com/content/how-the-digital- divide-affects-classroom-instruction-a330191. http://www.suite101.com/content/how-the-digital- divide-affects-classroom-instruction-a330191 Dickard, N. & Schnieder, D. (1, July 2002). 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Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Internet- broadband-and-cell-phone-statistics.aspx http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Internet- broadband-and-cell-phone-statistics.aspx THE DIGITAL DIVIDE By: Brittany Dahlback, Brittany Erickson, Brittany Freund, Sara Cordell, and Mandy Felten