Chapter 7: Questioning Technology Integration in Teacher Preparation

Sophia is a 16-year-old living in a suburban area with a single parent and one sibling. While her mom makes more than minimum wage, Sophia must work to have extra money needed for school requirements: clothes, accessories, and social activities. At 2:30 p.m., after attending a full day in school, Sophia leaves school to be at her job, bagging groceries in a local grocery store, by 3:00 p.m. After four hours at work, Sophia heads home where she has a quick dinner and begins her homework. By 9:30 p.m., she has completed her homework, a combination of math problems and Internet research. She then begins her pre-bedtime activities and has a few minutes to sit with her mom and discuss the day or watch a show. By 11:00 p.m. she is in bed. At 6:00 a.m. Sophia’s day begins anew. She eats breakfast and makes her way to school by 7:50 a.m. When the bell rings for her first class, the teacher informs the students that they will be using an educational social networking tool available for handheld devices. While Sophia has a smartphone, she is required to limit her use of it because the cost for the phone’s data plan is prohibitive. The teacher explains that some of the work will be done outside of class using this social network but has not given options for those who will not have access outside of the classroom.