While some tech-savvy kids have been using the computer since preschool or even toddlerhood, there are still a significant number of children out there who have limited access to technology. These are the kids who stay after school to use the computers or who have no choice but to access the Internet by going to the public libary.

A recent Washington Post story explored this digital divide. For some low-income and immigrant families, online homework assignments aren't easy to complete. Many don't have computers at home. Those who do sometimes can't afford to pay for Internet access. Besides not being able to do research online or complete webquests, PowerPoints and other school assignments, these children's parents don't have e-mail, which can sometimes make it difficult for teachers to communicate with them.

As more classrooms begin to use Blackboard and other tools that require students to participate in online discussion groups, these students without access to technology are left even further behind. Although some schools provide computer access during class time, the lunch period and even before or after school, low-income students may not be able to take advantage of the technology because the school bus is their only transportation or they have to care for younger siblings, the Post pointed out.

Without a computer, "there's a kind of a wall, a barrier to the world," said Ying Wu, 18, a high school senior told the Washington Post.

Do most of your children's peers have access to technology? What can schools and communities do in order to bridge this digital divide?