Technology and inequality: One Teacher's Perspective

I got a lovely note this week from a teacher in Silicon Valley. In it, she remarks on how in her current high-performing, wealthy districts, students are taking the lead in using OER tools to push forwards their education.
I'm reposting the note with her permission, though I've obscured her name and the districts that she worked in after her request. If other teachers out there have thoughts on these issues, please send them along.
 
Dear Justin,
I am emailing you in regards to your insightful article about the impact on OER’s. I am a public high school teacher in the Silicon Valley and I am in agreement with the concerns you raise in your article because I have witnessed firsthand how OER’s benefit students
from more affluent backgrounds. I currently teach at a high school which is ranked as one of the best public high school in the
state and recognized both nationally and internationally, but I also started my teaching career, working at a low performing
school.
What I have observed is that students are driving the use of OER’s for the most part not teachers. Yes, there are early adopters and educational technology enthusiasts (like myself), but most teachers do not readily use OER’s as part of their tool kit. I know, because I am constantly trying to convince my colleagues in my new district and old district in Easto adopt OER’s I have found to be successful. I have led several technology workshops during staff development sessions and I have also initiated collaborative technology projects. Many of my colleagues in both districts find the technologies I am using exciting, but very few of them actually implement the tools for a variety of reasons.
A significant number of students from low performing schools do not have Internet access at home and are not exposed to the wealth of OER’s. I recently embarked on a cross-school project with students my old district (urban, low income) and I could not believe how many of these students have never used Google Docs. We need teachers to actively show students how to use these tools.
I would like to briefly provide a few examples of how students are the ones driving the use of educational technology tools. The following examples are from my teaching experience in my current, high performing district.
1. I have noticed that whenever I assign a group project, the first step my students take with any instruction from me, is to create a Google Doc so group members can collaboratively brainstorm their ideas.
2. After giving a lecture on the Prisoner’s Dilemma and MAD during the Cold War, one of my students came up to me and asked if Prisoner’s
Dilemma is part of Game Theory. I told him yes and asked him how he knew about Game Theory. My student told me how he started listening to a podcast from a course at UCB through iTunes U because of his interest in a role-playing computer game. In fact when I assigned a podcast project for one my classes, several students indicated they have listened to podcasts through iTunes U.
3. A couple of months ago, I asked my students if any of them have ever watched a video from the Khan Academy. About a quarter of my students had watched a Khan video and all of these students sought out the videos on their own. In fact, I do not know of any teachers who are actively using Khan Academy videos to flip their classrooms.
Thank you for your time and I hope you continue to explore this issue.
Your new teacher friend, who would prefer to remain anonymous 😉