Discusses the growing gap between people and communities who have access to information technology and those who do not, known as the digital divide. Considers issues concerning access, in schools and in homes; content; literacy; pedagogy, including constructivist practices and teachers' professional development; and community. (LRW)

The year 2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the advent of the digital divide--a major societal challenge that, sadly, has been pushed aside and forgotten in recent years. According to "A Nation Online," the last major federal study on the subject published in 2004, Caucasian and Asian-American households were more likely to be online than…

Assuming that our society is determined to bridge the digital divide, we must develop policies that tackle the issue as comprehensively as possible. To continue to proceed, we must better leverage literacy programs to interface with Internet-access programs and we must encourage the expansion of public interest Web content. (Author)