Discussion: Digital Divide

EDCI 887

Heather Hoskinson

TeamCDiscussion

Assignment:
Topic:Onp.20ofthe
Integrating
bookisalistofthetoptenissuesshapingtoday's
technologyusesineducation.Therearealsoissuesfacing
highereducation
and
training
.Chooseoneissueineducation(K12orhigher)ortrainingandprovidetwo
suggestionsfordealingwiththeseissues.

Topics:
Theissuethatreallyresonateswithmeisthedigitaldivide.Wecangowithwhatever
oneyouwantbut,IvedonesomeresearchonthisinotherclassesandIthinkIcan
contributeagooddealbecauseitsoneIammostfamiliarwith.Plusthetopickindof
hitshomewithme.Weliveinthecityanddigitallearningopportunitiesareway
different.Icantelljustbylisteningtosomeoftheotherpeopleinclass,thosethatare
rollingout1:1initiatives,mykidsschooldistrictisattheotherendofthespectrum.
Whentheschooldistrictpublishedtheirtechnologyplan,themainfocuswasgetting
schoolstaffspunupandprovidingthemwiththemeans(skillsandknowledge)and
technology(hardware)tocommunicatewithotherstaff,parents,andthecommunity.
Butifyouwanttochooseoneoftheothernine,thatsfine.Thoughts?
Heather:Imalsointriguedbytheissueofdigitaldivideandequitableaccessto
technology.Theissueresonateswithmeaswellbecausetheonlytwoschoolswhere
IvetaughtwereTitleIschools.Eventhoughmanyoftheseunderresourcedschools
arestilltryingout1:1initiatives,theissuestheyfaceinthatprocessaredifferentthan
themoreaffluentdistrictsfaceoncethebarrierofaccessisovercome.Forexample,my
friendsTitleIhighschoolwent1:1andsherelayedtomethattheftoftheiPadswasa
recurringissue.Membersofthecommunitywereawarethatallofthehighschool
studentshadpossessionoftheseiPadsandsomeofthestudentsthenbecamevictims
totheftoftheirdevices.Irememberoneparticularstoryofafamilymembereven
pawningtheirson/daughter/nephewsiPad.Thatsdefinitelyasadandunfortunate
situation.SoImdefinitelyinterestedinexploringsolutionstodigitaldivideissues.

Videos:
IwatchedthedigitalHPclassroomandtheoneonTEDTalkswithAndrewMcAfee.I
thinktheAndrewMcAfeevideokindofrelatestothetopicofthedigitaldividebecause
thoseindividualswhosejobswouldgeteliminatedareprobablythesamedemographic
wearelookingatwiththedigitaldivide.Iveattachedthreevideosthatwouldserveasa
goodjumpingoffpoint:

Discussion: Digital Divide

EDCI 887

Heather Hoskinson

Whatisthedigitaldivide(02:40)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn18X4PSPc
Nice,briefvideotodefinedigitaldivideandgivesomeexamplesofinitiativestocombat
it.Itwasinterestingtoseethepercentageofbroadbandaccessgrowthindeveloping
vs.developedcountries.Whoknewitwasa150%difference?!
Whoisbeingexcluded?(01:57)
(itsanoldervideobuthelpsshapetheissue)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCIB_vXUptY

DigitalDivideonaglobalscale(02:58)
http://ahumanright.org/web/

AlephMolinari,TEDTalks,GlobalDigitalDivide(10:04)
http://www.ted.com/talks/aleph_molinari_let_s_bridge_the_digital_divide

Wow,Ireally,reallylovedthisvideo!Whatmovestechnologyishumanenergy.Very
empoweringandverytrue.IappreciatedthefactthatMolinariandthegroupbehindthe
RIAcentersseemstohavedonesuchathoroughanalysisofthecommunitieswhere
theyputtherelearningcenters,examiningthegeography,demographic,andeven
carbonfootprint.Also,theyarentjustaboutgrantingtheaccess,butalsousertraining,
content,andresearchinguserpatternsinordertolearnmoregoingforward.

Dr.Talabvideo:
IwatchedtheSamsungclassroom
video
fromDr.Talabslist.Ihavemixedfeelings
aboutit.SincethevideowasproducedbySamsung,itdefinitelyhadthathigh
productionfeelbutalso,andnotsurprisingly,hadthatcommercialfeeltoit.Iwantedto
likeitbutitalsofeltliketheyweresellingtheirownproduct(andperfection)alittletoo
hard.Itsoundslikeagreatproductandinitiative,butagain,itsaSamsungproduced
video,sowhywouldntit?Itleftmewonderinghowmuchapackagelikethatcost,how
muchofthecontenttheyaccesshastobeproprietary,cantheystillutilizethirdparty
andopensourceappsandthelike,etc.Sincetheytoutedhowmuchsupportyouget
fromSamsung,ithastobeexpensive.Howwouldarural(andthereforemostlikelylow
income)districtlikethataffordsuchaprogram,unlessSamsunggiftedittothemfor
purposesofpromotion?Ilovetheideaofallthatsupportwhenrollingouta1:1,butisit
realisticformostsituationsoranidealbeingpushedbySamsungsothattheycansell
moreGalaxyNotes?

DiscussionQuestion:

Discussion: Digital Divide

EDCI 887

Heather Hoskinson

"Doesdifferentialaccesstocomputertechnologycreateeducationaldisparitiesand
dividemembersofoursocietyalongsocioeconomic,ethnicandculturallines?
Myanswerisyes.Thesecondvideo,althoughitisabitolder,showsthedivide
betweenthedifferentsocioeconomicgroups.Thefactthat40%ofhouseholdsthat
make035kayearhavebroadbandinternetaccessvs.82%ofhouseholdsthathavean
incomeof75krevealsthattheissueofaccessamongdifferent
socioeconomicgroups
,
insomemannerdoesexist.
Thereadingsfromthe1sttwochaptersofourbookalsomentionthesinglegreatest
factordeterminingaccesstotechnologyiseconomicstatus(Roebler&Doeing,2013).
ThereportbythePewResearchandInternetProject(2010)revealssomepretty
interestingfactssurroundingaccesstotheInternet.Thestudynotedthatwhilethereis
asignificantlylessamountofbroadbandusersamongsocioeconomiclines,minorities
continuetooutpacewhitesintheuseofmobiletechnologyspecificallydataapplications
onhandhelddevices.
Infactoftheminoritydemographicsurveyed,87%ownedacell
phone.
Thisisawholeheartedyesforme.Afterruminatingonthisquestion,Iwentaheadand
watchedDr.Talabsothervideo
link
,theTEDtalkbyAndrewMcAfee,WhatWillFuture
JobsLookLike.ItisclearthatasMcAfeestates,theeducationalsystemneedsto
producemoreTeds,becausealloftheBillsarebeingleftinthedust.Differentialaccess
st
meanslessopportunitytolearn21
centuryskillsforBill.McAfeetalksabouthowthe
workerofthefuturewillneedtobeathinkerandinnovator,sincethemachineswillbe
carryingoutthelabor.Anditisagiventhatsincemachinesarethefuture,extensive
knowledgeanduseoftechnologywillbearequiredskill.Ireallylovedthisquotehe
gaveattheendbyWinstonChurchill(1949):

Ifwearetobringthebroadmassesofthepeopleineverylandtothetableof
abundance,itcanonlybebythetirelessimprovementofallourmeansof
technicalproduction

Whatarethesolutionsorwhatisbeingdonetohelpbridgethedigitaldivide
IreallyenjoyedthevideobyAlephMolinariandwhatheisdoingprovidingeducation
andaccesstotheInternet.Molinarimakesthepointthatacrosstheworldtherearestill
some5billion(outof7billion)peoplethatdonthaveaccesstotheInternet.Molinari
recommendsanetworkofcommunitycentersthatadvocateandpromotetheuseof
technology.Hiscompanyhasseveralsuchinitiativesunderway,manyofthemlocated
inthepoorestregionsofMexico,thatprovidethemostdisenfranchisedand
underservedlocals,theeducationalopportunitiestogetonline.Hislearningand

Discussion: Digital Divide

EDCI 887

Heather Hoskinson

innovationcentersarecalledRia's.Hiscenter'sprovideeducationandtraining
opportunities,havelongeroperatinghoursthanschoolsandlibraries,and
arestructuredtoappealtoawiderdemographic(hisyoungestlearneristhreeyearsold
andhisoldestis86yearsold).HisRia'shave140,000usersandhavegraduated
34,000students.Inmyopinionthedigitaldivide,ordigitalabyss,dependingon
yourperspectiveisamajorissueshapingtechnology'suseineducation.Solutions
suchasMolenarisRiasprovidegreatopportunitiestohelpimprovethequalityoflife
whilepromotingaccesstoeducationandtechnology.Itshouldbethegoalofschools,
communities,government,andpublic/privateorganizationstorampupandduplicate
effortssuchasMolinaris.
IagreethatMolinarisRIAcentersareaninnovativesteptowardsnarrowingthegap.I
cameacrossanothernonprofitprogramcalledBlackGirlsCode.Youcanseeavideo
aboutithere:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1mXZMCaRmk
.Apparentlyonly3%
oftheworkforceincomputingarecomprisedofblackwomen.Programslikethisare
makingsuchinnovativeeffortstobringcomputingandtechnologicalknowhowto
underservedcommunities.Thisprogramprovide[s]youngandpreteengirlsofcolor
opportunitiestolearnindemandskillsintechnologyandcomputerprogrammingata
timewhentheyarenaturallythinkingaboutwhattheywanttobewhentheygrowup.
(
www.blackgirlscode.com
)Whatagreatprogram!AndIthinkthisprogram
accomplishesawholelotmorethanteachcodingtoaminority.Iliketothinkitalso
functionstohelpyoungminoritywomenchangehowtheythinkofthemselves.Wedoa
lotofstereotypingandIwouldbelyingifIdidntadmitthanwhenIthinkof
programmers,Iamnotusuallypicturingablackwoman.Forgiveme,butImadmitting
myownbias.Soyeah,theseyoungwomencanchangetheirperceptionoftheirown
abilitiesastheylearnthesenewskills,andwecaneventuallyshedourownbiasesin
theprocessasthefieldbecomesmorediverse.
IfnonprofitinitiativescancometogetherwithsupportfromcompanieslikeSamsung,as
wesawintheSamsungcomestoEloyvideo,Ithinkthereisahugepotentialtomakea
dentinthedigitaldivide.Thenonprofitleadersseemtohavetheinnovativeideasand
passion,butoftentheydonothavethefundingtobringtheirprogramstoawider
audience.Soitseemstomethatthesecondpartofthesolutionisamorefinancially
basedone.Technologycostsmoney,asMolinariexplicitlypointedout,trillionsof
dollars.Ithinkschooldistricts(andstategovernment)shouldreallocatesomeofthe
funding(andefforts)spentonstandardizedtestingandputitintoinstructional
technology.Additionally,andthiswillsoundpolitical,defensespendingshouldbe
reallocatedaswell.Whatifinsteadofbuildingweapons,wefunneledmorespending
intoeducationalinitiatives,specificallythosethatwillincreasetechnologyskills?Im
interestedtohearyourthoughtsonthisspecifically,sinceIimagineyouaremore

Discussion: Digital Divide

EDCI 887

Heather Hoskinson

familiarwiththemilitaryperspectivethanIam.ThisisnottosayIthinkdefenseisnt
worthspendingonofcourse,justratherthatIthinkthereisdefinitelyalotofroomthere
todosomeshaving.

OtherResources:

TheUrbanInstituteatUrban.orgVigdorandLaddpaper,ScalingtheDigitalDivide,
withUrban.orgabstract
http://www.urban.org/publications/1001433.html

Nberworkingpaper12182:
ThediffusionoftheInternetandtheGeographyofthedigitaldivideintheUnitedStates
retrievedfrom
http://www.nber.org/papers/w12182

40BillionDevicesconnectedtotheInternetinthenextdecade:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/oracle/2012/11/06/bigdatasettoexplodeas40billionnew
devicesconnecttointernet/

Documentaryonthedigitaldivide
http://webthefilm.com/