Does the Digital Divide Still Exist?

Does the Digital Divide Still Exist?

The article that I choose to read was entitled "Redefining the Digital Divide: Beyond Access to Computers and the Internet" by James R. Valadez and Richard Duran.  The article was extremely outdated, referencing studies done back in 2002 and 1999.  I think that our society has come a long way as far as computers and internet access.  The digital divide probably does still exist on a very small level.   I liked how the article referred to the digital divide as being multidimensional with three levels including motivation, possession, and skills (p33). 

Possession

Twelve years ago having a laptop and internet connection was a luxury, now it is commonplace.  Computers and laptops were a lot more expensive a decade ago, now you can get a quality laptop or desktop computer for $300.  People in more rural areas were limited to dial up internet connections, now most everyone has access to high speed, broadband, DSL or Wi-Fi.  It seems as though most teenagers and even preteens not only have a laptop with access to wireless internet connection, but also a smartphone with 3G internet access, regardless of race, sex or geographical location.  I am sure there are still quite a few disadvantaged children in our society without a computer, but I do not think that the difference between races is as dramatic as it was a decade ago.  Not because people are no longer poor, but because the price of computers and internet connection has decreased tremendously.

Skills

I do believe that schools with a higher socioeconomic status have access to better technology than schools with a lower socioeconomic status.  Schools with a lower socioeconomic status have fewer resources available to them.  School districts in more affluent neighborhoods have higher tax brackets than less affluent neighborhoods, which results in enhanced technology and an overall higher quality educational experience.  Schools with a higher SES have computers, projectors, whiteboards, and many other high tech gadgets; whereas, schools with a lower SES may only have computer access in the library or computer labs.  So even though all students may have access to the internet at school or at a library, the overall access for some students is still very limited. These students have less technical skills and are not as proficient in conducting classroom research on the internet. Some students may even lack discernment when trying to distinguish credible internet sources versus non credible sources.   

Students in higher SES schools have access to advanced software that fosters learning and creativity.  These students have classes specifically designed to teach computer skills.  I live in Chagrin Falls which is the Kenston School District.  Kenston offers students many computer classes including a Computer Applications class, an Intro to Computer Science class, a Website Design & Maintenance class, and an Advanced Web Development class.  Kenston ranks number 82 out of 100 in the state of Ohio.  Our OGT, SAT, and ACT test scores are far above the state averages, resulting typically above 97% in most categories.

Teachers are affected as well.  Teachers in schools with higher SES's probably have their own personal computers at their desk with access to the internet, email, curriculum and grading software.  Teachers in schools with lower SES's probably don’t have a computer in the classroom at all and have to resort to using a grade book.  These differences directly affect the quality of learning and the ability for students to develop technical skills.     

Motivation

I personally know many individuals who are unemployed and are currently on government assistance; however, they still have home internet access.  There Facebook statuses are updated daily, they are tweeting constantly and YouTube is their favorite site.  Creating resumes and searching for jobs is the furthest thing from their minds.  Most students have access to computers and internet, but what they are motivated to do online can differ drastically.  I don’t think that this “divide” is based on race or circumstance.  Motivation comes from within.  I grew up in a very rural area where high speed internet was not an option. Even today, my parents are still unable to get high speed internet access.  Even though dial up was all that I had at home, which made online research very frustrating and time consuming, I still excelled in school.  I went on to college and completed my bachelors degree in Information Technology and graduated with honors, despite my disadvantage. 

Conclusion

Does the digital divide still exist?  Maybe, but I don’t feel as though it is a major issue in our society.  It would be interesting to see the results of an updated study.  I “googled” digital divide and went back to the National Telecommunication and Information Administration’s website and all the information that I came up with was outdated.  I feel as though disadvantaged children have just as much of a change to be successful as other students.  They just have to work harder at it.          

Resources

Valadez, J.and Duran, R. (2007). Redefining the Digital Divide: Beyond Access to Computers and the Internet.  University of North Carolina Press.   Retrieved from: https://vista8.kent.edu/webct/urw/lc1272029085011.tp1326278827151//RelativeResourceManager?contentID=1326278973151

Brazburg, J. (May 2010). The Digital Divide-A Tale of Two School Districts. The Innovative Educator. Retrieved from: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/05/digital-divide-tale-of-two-school.html

Cyberbulling

I was a victim of traditional bullying all throughout my elementary and high school years.  I grew up in a very small town where there weren’t many African Americans.  From first grade through sixth grade, I was the only black student in the entire school.  The other children were so cruel.  I was always the last person picked to be on any team, I never had anyone to play with during recess, I was always excluded from after school activities, children would through rocks and mud at me at recess and on the bus, and I would get teased nearly every day.  In high school there were about 9 other black students, but the bullying didn’t get any better.  The kids were older now so it became much worst.  Hearing the “N” word was a part of my everyday routine. The kids would chant songs and make monkey noises in the hallways.  They even went as far as putting bombs in my mailbox, toilet papering my house, and they once even broke out all the car windows in my driveway.  I graduated in 1999 and back then the internet was still new, we were still on dial up, and pagers were the “in” thing.  At least when I got home from school the bullying stopped and I could be free from torment until the next day.

With cyberbullying, for the victim, the torment never stops.  Although it is logical, I didn’t realize that cell phones were used to engage in cyberbullying.  Before I conducted this research I correlated cyberbullying with social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.  Cyberbullying has gone beyond text messages and tweets.  Children are creating websites, recording videos to share on Youtube, bullying in chat rooms, on gaming sites, on blogs, and with internet polling as well.  Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullies can create false identities, which would prevent the victim from knowing who they are being bullied by and why.  With cyberbullying, a photo, a video, and a website can go viral for the whole world to see and for multiple bullies to join in on.

Cyberbullying is a very serious problem affecting many adolescents in our society.  There are many negative affects related to cyberbullying.  According to The Cyberbullying Research Center:

Many targets of cyberbullying report feeling depressed, sad, angry, and frustrated….Victims who experience cyberbullying also reveal that are were afraid or embarrassed to go to school. In addition, research has revealed a link between cyberbullying and low self‐esteem, family problems, academic problems, school violence, and delinquent behavior. Finally, cyberbullied youth also report having suicidal thoughts, and there have been a number of examples in the United States where youth who were victimized ended up taking their own lives. (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010, p.1)

I found it very surprising that schools run the risk of being sued for trying to stop cyberbullying.  Even though cyberbullying usually takes place off of school grounds, it generally involves students from the same school; therefore, you would think that schools would have some rights as a disciplinarian to stop cyberbullying from occurring.  I also was shocked to learn that there are specific criminal charges such as cyberharrassment and juvenile delinquency. 

It seems as though cyberbullying is hard to prevent, hard to stop, and hard to prove.  I feel as though with more and more technological advances, this problem has the potential for enormous growth.  The first step to prevent cyberbullying is to take it more seriously.  A lot of adolescences and adults brush it off as no big deal, when in actuality it is affecting many lives and some cases taking them.  Parents need to become aware of the common warning signs of cyberbullying.

A child or teenager may be a victim of cyberbullying if he or she: unexpectedly stops using their computer or cell phone; appears nervous or jumpy when an instant message or email appears; appears uneasy about going to school or outside in general; appears to be angry, depressed, or frustrated after using the computer or cell phone; avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer or cell phone; or becomes abnormally withdrawn from usual friends and family members. (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010, p.3)

 Schools can help prevent cyberbullying by encouraging their faculty and staff to talk to students about cyberbullying and the affects it could have on others.  Faculty members can also give students advice on what to do if they are a victim of cyberbullying.  The school as a whole should implement a cyberbullying policy and enforce Cleary stated consequences.   Schools should post cyberbullying warning signs in computer labs, install monitoring software, and block certain sites.

I am not a teacher or a parent, but as an individual I feel that I can help prevent cyberbullying by getting the word out to as many people as I can.  This can be done by simple word of mouth, facebook, or on my blog.  I volunteer at a community center, and I am going to talk to the director about implementing a cyberbullying awareness series with the after school tutoring programs. 

Hinduja, S. Ph.D. , & Patchin, W. Ph.D. (2010). Cyberbullying Identification, Prevention, and Response. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.cyberbullying.us/Cyberbullying_Identification_Prevention_Response_Fact_Sheet.pdf

http://cybersmartcurriculum.org/cyberbullying/lessons/6-8/dealing_with_cyberbullying/

Children & Ergonomics

Children seem pretty resilient.   I am not a teacher or a parent; therefore, it never occurred to me that a child could develop health issues like carpal tunnel, back problems, and computer vision syndrome, especially due to the use of electronics.   Computer Vision Syndrome is a condition that I didn’t even know existed.  On the webpage entitled Children and Computer Vision Syndrome, Larry Wan explains the effects of how the tremendous growth of computer usage has contributed to issues with sight.  At a rate of 94%, nearly every American family has access to the internet at home.   On the webpage he states, “In 2009, 29 percent of American children ages 8 to 18 had their own laptop computer, and kids in grades 7 through 12 reported spending an average of more than 90 minutes a day sending or receiving texts on their cell phones.”  He also explains that, “Computer use demands fine motor skills from young eyes that are not well developed. Only when the visual system matures is a child better able to handle the stress of a computer on that system.”  This would explain the increase in sight problems amongst children, teenagers, and young adults.  According to the website, the National Eye Institute conducted a study which found that over the past 30 years nearsightedness has increased more than 66% among Americans. 

As a teacher, there would be many ergonomic considerations to think about when it comes to children and students in general.  Most schools supply size appropriate chairs and desks; however, I have never seen a classroom with size appropriate keyboards and mice.  Before conducting this research, I was familiar with ergonomic keyboards and the “hand shake” designed mouse.  However, I was unaware that there were different sized keyboards and mice available to better suit children.  The keyboards for children are really neat because they have smaller keys and shorter distances between the keys, which reduce the strain on little fingers and shoulders.   Some of the keyboards have color coded keys which is a wonderful tool to use with children who are just learning how to spell. 

Using adjustable keyboard trays, document holders, and anti glare screens, while making sure that the monitor is sitting eye level with the child are all simple inexpensive, yet highly effective ergonomic tools that should be considered in the classroom.  Teachers should also that they are providing adequate break times.  Combining all of these ergonomic tools and precautions has the power to prevent potential health problems.  Taking preventative measures is much easier than dealing with health problems after they occur.  

There are probably a lot of parents who are unaware of the computer related health concerns.  Teachers should take the opportunity to educate parents of the potential problems and the simple adjustments that parents can make to their personal workstations.  Most children use the same computer area as their parents and simple things like adding a footrest, a lower back pillow and a phonebook or a booster seat can make a huge difference in making computer usage safer in the home.  Teachers can send a quick handout home to parents or discuss simple tips during an open house. 

Google Docs – A Web Based Word Processor

Google Docs is a remarkable tool that is very similar to Microsoft Office.  It allows the user to create word documents, spreadsheets, and slideshow presentations.  You can even save the documents with Microsoft Office extensions so that the files are compatible with the Microsoft Office Suite.  Users can also import Microsoft Office content and Adobe pdf’s as well.  Users have the ability to format their documents and there is a spell check feature. 

The beauty of Google Docs is that unlike desktop word processors, users can access their documents from any computer with internet access.  The documents are saved to Google’s servers, so there is no need to worry about storage devices.  The documents are automatically saved continuously; therefore, the user will never loose data.  After creating a document the user can keep it private, publish it as a Web page, email it, or share it on blog.

With Google Docs groups have the ability to work collaboratively on documents.  Different users can work simultaneously on the same the document.  If the user chooses to share the document with others, the user can adjust the privacy settings depending on the level of access desired.  Additional users can be added as viewers, which would allow them read only access, or added as collaborators, which would give them full edit rights.  There is also an option for collaborators to add other collaborators.  Up to 200 collaborators and viewers can be added to any document; however, only 10 users can access the document at the same time.  Each document will contain a Revisions tab that will list all of the versions of the document.  That way if a collaborator makes an unwanted change or mistake, the document can be reverted back to an earlier version.

Google lists several ways that teachers can incorporate Google Docs in the classroom:

·         Promote group collaboration and creativity by having your students record their group projects together in a single doc.

·         Keep track of grades, attendance, or any other data you can think of using an easily accessible, always available spreadsheet.

·         Facilitate writing as a process by encouraging students to write in a document shared with you. You can check up on their work at any time, provide insight and help using the comments feature, and understand better each students strengths.

·         Create quizzes and tests using spreadsheets forms, your students' time stamped answers will arrive neatly ordered in a spreadsheet.

·         Encourage collaborative presentation skills by asking your students to work together on a shared presentation, then present it to the class.

·         Collaborate on a document with fellow teachers to help you all track the status and success of students you share.

·         Maintain, update and share lesson plans over time in a single document.

·         Track and organize cumulative project data in a single spreadsheet, accessible to any collaborator at any time.

These are just some of the many ways that Google Docs can be utilized by educators.  Google Docs is a very high-quality application that has the potential to be beneficial to everyone in some way.  To use Google Docs a user must first register.  However, if you already have a gmail account, you can start using Google Docs today.  Simply go to https://docs.google.com and login.

Penzu - An Online Diary and Personal Journal

Penzu (www.penzu.com) is an online personal journaling site.  Registered members have the ability to create online journal entries.  Users can add text, titles, images, and the journal entries are automatically dated.  Journal entries can be kept private, shared, printed and emailed.  The user has the ability to make their entire journal private or make specific journal entries private.  Only the user has the ability to edit the journal entry.  Users can download the Penzu application to their smartphones for easy use and access from wherever they are.  In an article called Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers, Nik Peachey list different ways that teachers could potentially use Penzu in an educational setting:

Create digital materials - You can create your own online materials using texts with images and share them with your students.

Writing portfolio - You can use it to set written homework task for students. These are then neatly stored and can be reviewed as a kind of writing portfolio and shared with parents or employers.

Professional development journal - You can use it as your own personal development journal to reflect on your teaching and your reading about teaching.

Lesson summary - You can also record what you did with the classes each lesson and send it to them as a summary or reminder.

Model process writing - You can use it to create models for writing activities. You could use a new entry each time you redraft to show how the text changes through the process steps of brainstorming and drafting to the finished product.

Learner diaries - You can get your students to use it as a learning journal and write in what they learned from each lesson. They could share these entries with you.

Action research feedback - You could use it for action research feedback by asking students to reflect on aspects of your teaching and then send you the response using the anonymous message feature. (Peachey)

These are just some of the ways that Penzu could be used in an educational setting but the possibilities are endless. 

Curriki - An Online Community for Educators

Curriki is an amazing tool for teachers.  It is a wiki page that is updated by teachers for teachers. Curriki enables teachers and instructors from around the world to come together as a group and share resources, lesson plans, activities, and new Web 2.0 tools.  Curriki has "trusted partners" that donate material for entire courses to the site.  The content that is uploaded by the general users is screened and evaluated to ensure high quality and direct value. 

It is very easy to search Curriki's repository for content and learning resources that match specific subjects and education levels.  The user has the ability to print, download, and save the information to their computer and mark it as a favorite so that they can easily retrieve it.  Registered members are given a personal members section where they can manage selected content.  In the members section users can create collections of curriculum found in the repository.  These collections can stay private or they can be shared with a group.  For example, if the students from Technology & Learning created a group on Curriki, the students would all be able to collaborate to create a collection, add curriculum and relevant resources to the collection.

On Curriki, users can create all kinds of content including wikis, worksheets, quizzes, rubrics, and use templates to design lesson plans and WebQuests!  The best part of all is the user does not need any technical knowledge with Curriki’s easy to use forms and templates.  The user can publish their content or make it private.  Members can create groups or join groups based on their specific interest and need.  Curriki is a free resource.  To join Curriki or for additional information, please go to www.curriki.com.

Students are making Web 2.0 grow wild!

50% of all blogs on the Internet are authored by teenagers
96% of all students engage in social networking
57% of teenagers create online content
50% of 9 to 17 year olds visit websites they see on TV - even as they continue to watch
76% of teens favor user-generated video clips and content - the most of any online content

Sources:
Grunwald Associates study, March 2008
Pew Internet & American Life Project, November 2005
Study from the Cable & Telecommunications, Association for Marketing, February 2008


Preferring the Web to Watching TV
-For children ages 10 to 14 who use the Internet, the computer is a bigger draw than the TV set,
according to a study recently released by DoubleClick Performics
- 83 percent of Internet users in that age bracket spent an hour or more online a day,
but only 68 percent devoted that much time to television.
- While 72 percent of the children online belonged to a social networking site (usually MySpace),
60 percent of them said they rarely or never read blogs.

MINDLIN, A., The New York Times, Preferring the Web Over Watching TV, August, 2008