Digital Inequality

Technology has a strong and ever increasing presence in our world and schools today. Many things have transitioned to a paperless and digital format such as books, media, library resources, and everything from store coupons to company work schedules.  People need to have the computer skills and access to the internet in order to attain the increasing amount of information that is online. Digital inequality is a term that describes the unequal access to and differentiated use of the internet by all people.

As someone who is dependent on technology in order to run my day to day life, it is difficult to imagine how a person can survive in the world today without having an email account or even a computer.  This substantial difference in skills and access to the internet is known as the ‘Digital Divide.’  The lack of digital resources can have a far reaching impact on an individual’s amount of social participation as well and limiting opportunities for economic mobility.

The issue of Digital Inequality is very relevant in our society because knowledge and access to computer technology has been shown to substantially impact how successful a person will be in a technology driven world. Studies by the National Center for Educational Statistics have shown that the lack of access to technology creates ‘opportunity gaps’ which indicates students have a lower rate of academic achievement.  The digital divide in education creates these ‘opportunity gaps’ which limit access to information and impact the students’ likely hood of continued and higher education.  The limited access impacts career opportunities as well social participation among community members.

In order to bridge this gap, there are several private and public initiatives to increase funding and provide better internet access in underserved communities.  Here are some of the options to consider:

1. Install computers in all public libraries in the state and expand the hours when the computers are available.
2. Expand staffing and other resources so that public schools can be open to the public after normal school hours, on weekends, and during the summer months.
3. Provide individuals in disadvantaged communities with computers.
4. Provide high-speed Internet and mobile access for all state residents.
5. Subsidize Internet Service Providers to provide low-cost Internet to all state residents.
6. Provide information literacy courses to enhance computer skills and enable knowledgeable use of digital technologies.
7. Develop free online educational content, giving first priority to content most relevant to lower socio-economic groups before content that is relevant to the rest of the public.

Each of these options will help to make technology available to all people; however, I feel  that there are a couple of options which should take the forefront.

The strongest option is 1 & 2: Expand staffing and other resources so that public schools can be open to the public after normal school hours, on weekends, and during the summer months.  Option 2 is again focused on enabling people to learn and access information on their own.  Starting with our students and their families, the school is often the center of the community and a place where people can come together and learn. A community centered school would create extended learning opportunities beyond the class time within a safe environment.  Option #1 would tie directly in with #2 in creating a location for free and public access to information and technology.

I believe that the next strongest option for providing people with access to the internet is educating them in how to use it. Simply put, if people don’t have the skills for how to use a computer and locate information online, they will not use it. For this reason, option 6 should be the first choice for increasing access.  I believe there is a large portion of the population who have the hardware available yet choose not to access the internet for things because they lack the skills.  Many people have missed out on the opportunity for training or lack prior computer use and feel discouraged or intimidated by technology.  Because knowledge is power, with option 6 we will provide information and courses designed to help people become familiar with programs and therefore enable them to connect to the digital world.

I believe that the next step and making technology accessible to all people would be a combination of option #4 and #5.  We must make sure all people have internet access at an affordable and appropriate cost. The internet is no longer a luxury for the few, but a necessity for success and we must work to make it available for all people.

I would vote against option #3 and #7 because I feel that providing personal computers and specific content is not a conducive step in our plan for digital accessibility.  With the first options we use people will have public access to these things and they can be shared among the community rather than by and individual.

References

Christman, E. (2010). DIGITAL DIVIDE. Billboard, 122(20), 9.

Hsieh, J. J. P.-A., Rai, A., & Keil, M. (March 01, 2008). Understanding digital inequality: Comparing continued use behavioral models of the socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged. Mis Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 32, 1, 97-126.

AECT Standards

Standards 1.2 and 1.3: At the beginning of the week, my group members and I discussed the the presentation’s design and the assigned the steps need to complete the project.

Standards 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4: An audio program was used to narrate the PowerPoint presentation and then the presentation was uploaded to authorSTREAM.

Standards 3.1,3.2, and 3.4: We demonstrated our technology skills and resources to create a presentation on how to integrate more technology in the state of Ohio.  with a $50 million budget.

Standards 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4: We demonstrated skills by organizing and coordinating instructional technology to design and develop a project through storing and transfer systems.

Standards 5.1 and 5.4: Problem analysis and long-range planning were used to evaluate and choose the best digital inequality solutions and offer alternatives.

 

Horizon Report Tech Trends

Digital art is a term for the latest movement in art.  It includes an exciting range of artistic works which are generated through the uses of multimedia and digital technology.  Its use in our world is seen everyday in advertizements, television, movies, music, and by contemporary artists.

But is it really art if it is generated by a computer? Digital art is becoming a widely accepted art form as it requires creativity and knowledge of art and design principles.

Just as art has evolved throughout history in accordance with the technology available, so has the role of the artist.  In an era prior to the invention of the camera it was and artist’s job to portray the world in a realist and accurate way which would capture the time and mood of a moment.  An artist would choose an appropriate medium to work with such as oil, pastels, or tempera.  With the invention of the camera, that role changed and artists were beginning to express their imagination in different ways, this radical new concept became known as abstract art.  Next, photography was developed into it’s own unique medium in which the artist would use a camera and film developing techniques as a way to express and capture life.  As digital photography emerged, editing and effects software become another tool which an artist could master to manipulate their photo and create a new result.  In the age of a computer driven world technology is again changing the role and medium of the artist.

I have created this lesson plan to introduce 6th grade art students to the possibilities and applications of digital art.  Students will combine their knowledge of the artistic process with the tools and features of a digital painting application called Brushes.  Using this application on an iPad, the students will  to create a self-portrait which demonstrates proper drawing, painting, and color application technique.

View this document on Scribd

 

This image is just one of the the infinite examples of the work done using the Brushes application as displayed on the online gallery. (Are you as excited about this as I am?!)

Teaching my students how to use new technology and utilize applications to create digital art is an essential piece to a complete art education.  It is important to help my students understand the roll of technology, not only as it applies to our current era, but also how it has impacted artistic movements throughout history.  My goal is to help my students make connections between how creative expression and art have real world applications and career potential.

It is important when working with a digital art medium in the classroom setting for student to have an opportunity to display their work.  Creating an online gallery and uploading images to a school digital art gallery are a great way to do this.  Creating a digital gallery would allow students to publish their work while establishing a online learning community which could potentially extend far beyond the reaches of your district. The possibilities are practically endless!

References:
Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Cummins, M. (2012). The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

 

Introduction Video