Addressing The Digital Divide

Addressing The Digital Divide


“The future arrived; it just wasn’t equally distributed.” William Gibson


In the 1998 U.S. Department of Commerce report, Falling Through the Net II: New Data on the Digital Divide showed that more people had computers they did not necessarily have access to online and certain groups so do not own computers (ED Home Technology, 2006). The lack of this access causes some students to lack the ability improve learning through utilizing educational software, adults the ability to improve technological skills and the advantage of families to stay connected.


Therefore, as an educational technology leader it is essential when discussing or utilizing emerging technologies that I take a global perspective on emerging technologies and the effect they may have on various cultures. In order to make emerging technologies valuable to others, while maintaining gender, cultural and economic sensitivity, as Dr. Thornburg states one must understand what valuable means, “Valuable means understand a culture well enough to help people incorporate new ideas into their culture” (Thornburg, 2009). Therefore, we implementing these emerging technologies into other countries it is essential to consider the culture and what would be appropriate given their actuality. Another way to bridge the gap of the digital divide is to receive funding from government programs for communities and schools to reduce inequalities in educational technologies and internet access. The final way to make emerging technologies valuable to others while considering gender, cultural and economic issues is by providing support. Dr. Elliot Soloway mentions how it is not only money, but support and services. “If you get technology that’s emerging, sometimes it doesn’t work so well and you need support structures” (Soloway, 2009). Therefore, as a leader in educational technology it is essential that we prepare our students to utilize these emerging technologies, but we first must understand how to use them ourselves and their impact in the classroom so that we can support our students with implementing these emerging technologies in the classroom.



References

ED, Home Technology, (2006). ED programs that help bridge the digital divide. ED Home Technology, Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/Technology/digdiv.html

Soloway, E. (n.d.). The digital divide: Leveling the playing field. [Podcast]. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199715&Survey=1&47=5797856&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1


Thornburg, D.D. (2009). Diversity and globalism. [Vodcast]. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199715&Survey=1&47=5797856&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1




Additional Websites

Falling Through the Net: Toward Digital Inclusion Report

http://search.ntia.doc.gov/pdf/fttn00.pdf


Caught in the Digital Divide

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech041.shtml