Where are the "digitally" excluded?

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Permalink Reply by Cerese Godfrey on April 20, 2007 at 5:33pm

As education funding tends to be a real desert, being the "evangelists" or voice crying in the desert does seem to fit the bill. Change comes from shedding light and the willingness to share ones expertise to those with an open mind that are willing to try new things for the betterment of their instruction and their students. I am impressed with the members of this community to share with others in their physical community and with some of us in their cyber community that are interested and are starting to find an oasis in a very dry and antiquated educational system.

Since this "community" is a world-wide one instead of a "national" one, I don’t think the “African” American comment is relevant. We have a wide variety of ethnicities represented in this network. We all are more interested in the “subject matter” (I hope) that dividing ourselves into subgroups that shouldn’t over shadow our interest in classroom instruction and promoting relevant learning experiences to help prepare ALL our students for the ever changing future that are heading towards.

I do agree we have a digital divide. In resent courses, I have research the digital divide to some degree, but find that it has many branches. Technology has the potential to be an effective bridge in the divide. The great educators here are wonderful bridge builders.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Zilla on April 20, 2007 at 6:14pm

Cerese, my aim was not to malign the membership of Classroom 2.0. It was to suggest that those who are in the forefront of using digital technologies in our schools might be the best persons to discuss how to use them to connect classrooms in our country that find themselves in very different educational/social circumstances.

"Twinning" classrooms in different parts of the world is aimed at better understanding between students of different languages and cultures. It is considered by many as a good idea for social education. From my perspective, is it possible that its use to bridge divided communities in the U.S. is also an idea, not only becoming more feasible, but also desirable for the common good?

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Permalink Reply by Kevin H. on April 21, 2007 at 3:51am

Skip,

I think equity is a huge issue when it comes to technology and therefore, socioeconomics plays a role in who has access to computer equipment (that has upgrades and is not stuck with Win98 and a phone connection to the 'Net, if any) and professional development. In our area of Western Massachusetts, I am overseeing a big blogging project with rural and urban schools, and equity and access is a point we come back to again and again.

I think your question about who is here in this forum is a good one, and one that schools in general face. Why doesn't this site have more diversity? And is diversity necessary? Maybe one movement is to show how technology can lead to social change (if we agree that is possible) and that might attract a whole new realm of teachers to the fold who otherwise just see "technology" as computers for word processing. And the bigger the stew of teachers, the more diverse the people (I would hope).

Thanks for the question. It's an important one.
Kevin

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Permalink Reply by Skip Zilla on April 21, 2007 at 11:26am

Kevin,

There is what might be termed a "heads-down" phase when new technologies are introduced and first used in a workplace. It is an understandable phenomenon. Adult learners involved at all organizational levels divert a good deal of attention away from their professional mission while they become proficient using the new tools of their practice. I've seen it happen in a number workplaces: in the 1970s, while providing training support to the FAA and its prime contractors as they "digitized" the National Airspace System; in the early 1990s, integrating desktop systems for small businesses and independent professionals; and up until five years ago, developing and introducing new productivity applications to working professional groups in large corporations.

Why bring up the issue of the "digital inclusion" in a forum dedicated in large part to "heads-down" proficiency? The educators here in Classroom 2.0 know that they are much more than tool users and technology consumers. There are true vocations to be found here and a dedication to serving students. Despite all the "buzz," they still know where the "honey" is. For them, the "why," not the "how," questions of adopting new Web-assisted, educational practices remain: to serve students and steward a hopeful future.

From my perspective, a very promising way of helping students learn to be good citizens, which is the primary goal of public education, is to use the Web to connect them with others who are diversely different, not only in other lands, but in our own. Communicating in real time with real people about real diversity can't help but turn strangers into recognizable "friends" and increase the probability of future collaboration.

I see the longer-range possibility for educational leadership to emerge among educators in this membership which advocates for needed civic development of our society and finds practical ways to initiate it using new technological tools in our classrooms. The tools themselves were designed to provide a facility for connectivity and collaboration. They are inherently useful in a self-governing society where students learn how to use them to include themselves in public discussions and debate.

I hesitated before raising the "digital divide" issue in this forum. I know that many Classroom 2.0 members are already overloaded with many practical riddles of making use of the Web-based computing platform in their classrooms. My intent, whether badly aimed as to audience, or poorly timed as to preoccupation, was to help conserve among dedicated people in the process of re-inventing their practical roles/work in the classroom the long-standing vision that the vital mission of educators in a democratic society is building its civic foundation.

Skip

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Permalink Reply by Kevin H. on April 22, 2007 at 6:34am

I think your topic here was right on target and that this kind of forum at Classroom 2.0 is the exact place where these conversations should be happening. If we are not thinking about these issues, then who is?
Kevin

PS -- I echo you on the connectedness of experience through technology and the hope that this will allow people to better understand the lives of others outside of our comfortable circle of friends and community.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Christopherson on April 21, 2007 at 12:02pm

Being non-american, the thrust of the question dealing with connecting socio-economic groups in America is not a high priority for me. It does present an interesting educational paradox for those involved and would be of some interest to follow but maybe it needs to take place in a subgroup since, as Cerese points out, this is an international gathering. Having said that, if it were in a larger context,like discussing how to achieve greater equality for all children and teachers, then it could be applied to most national settings. If it is to be limited to American schools, then you will limit those who can, by the nature of their experience, contribute to the discussion.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Zilla on April 21, 2007 at 1:38pm

Kelly,

I suppose I could replace, in all that I've written so far, every reference to "our" (American) society with "a modern democratic" society. It might result in a template for further thinking and discussion about the issue of "digital divide" in any society, anywhere on the globe. I could widen the topic to include ongoing efforts in developed nations, especially European, to help underdeveloped nations "digitize" their local communities. However, as they say about politics, all education is effectively local, except for a tiny minority of truly globalized individuals.

It is for American educators to address issues of digital inclusion in American schools, just as it is for Australian, Brazilian, or any other society to do the same within its own borders. This issue is global in scope, when five in six human beings are excluded from access, but its solution is local, or at most regional, in practice.

The idea of educator groups from various societies sharing their global concern and their local initiatives is a good way to proceed. The initiatives undertaken by such subgroups in their own societies might benefit greatly by the presence of a loosely confederated, world-wide organization in which they are members.

I am an American. I've experience an American divide. I see an American solution to bridging it. This in no way diminishes my identity as a citizen of a larger global society with responsibilities to collaborate for a human common good.

Skip

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