Digital Divide Hits College-Admissions Process

Hi all,

I read an interesting article in today's issue of Education Week's Digital Directions that discusses how college admissions are becoming increasingly all online and it presents the pros and challenges this creates for students.  I found a lot of the article to resonate with what abe students face, and they discuss the specific issues that create barriers for disadvantaged high school students, a lot of which also sounded familiar to me.  

The article also shares a number of resources - ranging from obtaining information on test scores, to helping prospective students get organized for the admission process, to games that students can play online that allow them to practice the activities and skills they will need to fill out online applications.  One looked very cool:  it's called Mission Admission.

Your thoughts and experiences with any of this?  Is anyone familiar with any of the resources mentioned in the article?  Would you try out something like Mission Admission with your students?  Do you already use activities/resources that help students with the admission process?  What do you do?

here's the article:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/12/05/13digital.h32.html?tkn=YQOFujBlYRbg1Jv1b6nxIwwO58X1846lG7aU&cmp=ENL-DD-NEWS1

 

 

Comments

Thanks for posting this. It is increadible how much technology can make our lives easier - or harder - depending on how much we know about using it well. Using technology is so much more than knowing how to keyboard on a computer -but rather -how to use the resources, complete searches, find information, and discover potential opportunities. 

 

 

Hi Kathy - glad you liked the article, I also got a lot out of it. 

I really would like to know if anyone uses any particular games with students to help them prepare for the types of things you describe in your reply:  "how to use the resources, complete searches, find information, and discover potential opportunities. "

Let us know what you do/use if you have successes to share.

Thanks!

The YouCanToo! website was developed to help adult learners reach their educational and career goals. Although some of the resoruces are specific to New York I am sure teachers and other adult learners could benefit from the resources and activties. The following activities (particularly the scavenger hunt, if adapted) might help address some of the needs of finding and selecting information mentioned by Marie and Kathy. 

http://www.nyc.gov/html/youcantoo/downloads/pdf/youcantooaccompanying_activities.pdf

Steve Quann

World Education