RunningHead:AccessandEquityforAllLearners

AccessandEquityforAllLearnersinBlendedandOnlineEducation
BethWardlaw
KennesawStateUniversity
ITEC7482

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Abstract

TheEnglishLanguageLearner(ELL)populationhascontinuedtoincreaseinthepastten
yearsandshowsnosignofslowing.Likewise,therehasbeenariseofstudentsidentifiedwith
learningdisabilitiesandautism.Whatdoesthismeanforpubliceducation?Teacherswillneed
tobepreparedandunderstandhowtoproperlyteachthesestudents.Inaddition,theyneedto
makesuretheymaketeachingandlearningrelevantandresponsivetothelanguages,literacies,
andculturalpracticesofstudentsacrosscategoriesofdifferenceand(in)equality(Paris,2012).
Itisveryimportantthatteachersareabletorelateinstructiontocultureexperiencesandmakeit
relevantforthesestudents.Positively,onlineandblendedlearningarebeingusedmoreand
moretohelpprovideequalaccessandequityineducation.Likewise,wehavetomakesurethat
theneedsofallstudents,includingonlinelearners,arebeingmet.

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LawsandEquityinEducation
Blendedlearningenableshighlypersonalized,competencybasedlearning
environments,allowingeducatorstofocusonhelpingstudentslearninthewaysthatworkbest
forthem.Thisisbeneficialforallstudents,andinparticular,itprovidesnewpossibilitiesfor
personalizingandaccommodatinglearningenvironmentsforstudentswithdisabilities(Rose,
2014,p.5).Itisimportanttomakesurethatstudentsneedsarebeingmet,whetherintheonline
classroomorthetraditionalsetting.Onequestionthathasbeenraisedishowtomakesureall
thelaws(civilanddisabilityacts)arebeingmonitoredandfollowed.ThearticlebyRosedida
greatjoboflayingoutseverallaws,acts,andcourtcasesthathadbeenpresented.Thisisagreat
eyeopenertolettheonlinefacilitatorknowwhatneedsshouldbemetversuswhatneeds
must
bemet.
Fromacoursedesignperspective,everycourseshouldbedesignedsoastudentwithadisability
isabletoaccessthecourseandtakefulladvantageofthelearningopportunityprovidedinthe
samewayasastudentwithoutadisability(Rose,2014,p.10).
CulturalIssuesinEducation

Therearemanyobstaclesthatoftenstandinthewayforimmigrantparentsto

communicatewiththeschool.First,becauseoftheirlimitedfamiliaritywithEnglish,parents
finditdifficulttounderstandandexpresstheirviewsandconcernsregardingtheschoolingof
theirchildren.Languageisalsoaninstrumentofidentityandpower,andthusimmigrantparents
losesomeoftheauthoritytheyhadintheirhomecountriesbecausetheylackknowledgeofthe
nuancesoflanguagecalledforinparticularsituations,suchastalkingtoateacherorrequestinga
schedulechange(Trueba,2004).Therefore,manyparentshavetorelyontheirchildrento

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translateandcommunicateforthemwhichcanbefrustrating,andoftenembarrassing,forthe
parents.Thisinturnleadstolackofcommunication,frustration,confusion,andthereforelackof
information.Thelessparentinvolvementwiththeschool,themorelikelythechildistofall
throughthecrackswhenstruggling.
Thisiswhereitissoimportantforschoolstoreachouttothesefamiliesinthe
community.Itisequallyimportantforschoolstoreachoutindifferentlanguagestoreachall
students.Acommonlanguageisverybeneficialwhenbuildingrelationshipsbetweenfamilies
andtheschool,communicatingevents,andlearningmoreabouteachothersculture.
Studentsthatcomefromalowersocioeconomicbackgroundareoftenworriedabout
meetingthebasicneedsoflifesuchastheirnextmeal,keepingthepoweronattheirhome,
and/orwheretheymaylivethenextmonth.Whentheyhavethesestrugglesgoingon,theytend
tofocuslessonschoolanddonotvaluetheimportanceasmuch.Onewaytohelpwiththese
studentsistousethecaringtheory.Caringtheoryhasgivenconsiderableattentiontothe
importanceofthetypeandamountofcaringperceivedorpresentwithintheteacherstudent
relationship(Jeynes,2002).
Ifstudentsarelackingthepropercareandattentionathome,theyarelesslikelyto
succeedinschool.Therefore,ifteachersshowtheycare,understandthechild,andtakethetime
tobuildarelationshipwiththestudent,theyaregoingtobemoresuccessful.Studentsneed
support,tofeelimportant,andknowtheyaresafewheninschool.Ifeducatorsfailtomakethis
happen,andtheyarelesslikelytohavethatathome,thestudentswillnotreachfullpotential.
Schoolswithadministrationsthatviewtheschoolpositivelyhavebeenprovedtoyieldhigher

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testscores.Inaddition,schoolsthathaveapositiveclimateresultinbetterperformancefrom
students(Eamon,2005).
Inconclusion,lowsocioeconomicstatusleadstoadditionalstressandconflictsathome,
aswellaspreventsaccesstoresourcesthatareneededforstudentsuccess.Thesefactorsaffect
allaspectsofastudentslifeincludingacademicachievement.Socioeconomicstatusandaccess
toresourcesareextremelyimportantfactorsthatinfluencestudentachievement(Eamon,2005).
Ourfocusineducationneedtobereachingallstudentsregardlessofsocioeconomicor
demographicfactors.Wecandothisbyreachingouttomulticulturalfamiliesinourcommunity
andhelpingthemfindtheimportanceofeducation,assoonaspossible.
Solutions
Thisiswhereonlineandblendedlearningcanstepupandaddresstheneedsofall
students.OnlineclassescanbegivenforparentsofELLstudentstoassisttheminbridgingthe
gap.Whenfacilitatinganonlineclass,itsimportanttothinkofnotonlythestudentsinvolved,
butalsointheparentsofthatchild.Itsurgentthateveryoneunderstandsequityandaccess.
Blendedlearningcanhelpstudentsthatstrugglewithnotfittinginandfeelingleftoutin
thetraditionalclassroom.Theycancatchuponassignmentsthatmaybemissedduetofrequent
absences.Inaddition,theycanmoveatapace/levelthatbestfitstheireducationalneeds.
Thequestionregardingequityandaccessforeveryoneisadauntingonformostonline
facilitators.Bylookingattheseresources,onecanfeelalittlebetteraboutwhatisexpectedand
howtomoveforward.

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References

Eamon,Mary.Keegan.2005.Socialdemographic,school,neighborhood,andparenting
influencesonacademicachievementofLatinoyoungadolescents.JournalofYouthand
Adolescence,34(2),163175.
Jeynes,WilliamH.2002.Examiningtheeffectsofparentalabsenceontheacademic
achievementofadolescents:thechallengeofcontrollingforfamilyincome.
Journalof
FamilyandEconomicIssues23
(2).
Matthews,H.,&Ewen,D."ReachingAllChildren?UnderstandingEarlyCareandEducation
ParticipationAmongImmigrantFamilies."CenterforLawandSocialPolicy.March
2006.Retrieved7/24/08from
http://www.clasp.org/publications/child_care_immigrant.pdf
Paris,D.(2012).Culturallysustainingpedagogy:aneededchangeinstance,terminology,and
practice.
EducationalResearcher
.doi:10.3102/0013189X12441244
Rose,R.(2014,October).Accessandequityforalllearnersinblendedandonlineeducation
iNACOL.Retrievedfrom
http://www.inacol.org/resource/accessandequityforalllearnersinblendedandonline
education/