This week in discussion we watched a movie called Digital Divides. This movie focused our attention on youth, computers, education, and employment. I'd like you to post your initial reactions to the movie as well as provide more analysis about what this film adds to our overall class discussions. Please provide several paragraphs so that we can get a good idea of the point you'd like to make.
Some good starting points would be to compare and contrast the differing stories. We witnessed four different stories--those of Luisa, Cedra, Travis, and Kep. How do issues that we've been discussing in class relate to their stories? How can we think about their narratives in terms of racial ravines, 4Cs, or social capital? What sorts of differences allow some of them to do well but not others?
I'd also like everyone to reply to one of the responses. In particular, I'd like you to respond to a classmate that noticed something you hadn't. Was there any reason you didn't notice that particular point? Do you think about labor and race differently now because of that post?
Video Reflection
14 years ago
I, for example, was particularly struck the suggestion that school's should be modeled on the new workplace--more emphasis on critical thinking and teamwork. As a teacher, I've heard and believe in the importance of both critical thinking and teamwork, but I'd never thought of their importance stemming from the modern workplace. Yet when I think about the handful of jobs that I've held over the last several years, it seems that almost all of them depended on excellent teamwork and great ideas.
ReplyDeleteYet this idea seemed as though this idea was in tension with some of the descriptions of technology training. Granted the video was a little dated, but the young woman interested in learning Photoshop seemed as though she were isolated from a larger community. Perhaps if she had focused less on technology as a way to better her situation, she would have been better off. Or maybe it was just that she couldn't participate as much in a community that thrives on teamwork and critical thinking because she had to spend so much time working at a fast food place to get by.
I thought the video was very interesting and the special tech school not only pertained to our class but the changing ways of the economic workforce. I thought the idea to create a school around a business model with business goals was innovative but at the same time controversial as one of the speakers talked about. While this is a great way to start business and technology early in life I don't know if this is the ideal model of a high school and the best way to rear high school kids to prepare them for a well-rounded career.
ReplyDeleteLike the woman said in the video, students shouldn't be be immediately and completely driven by what they plan to do after high school. Rather, they need to experience a more well-rounded education that teaches them to be productive people, more so than productive business people. I think the goals of the high school are better oriented for the goals of a college, where specialization and preparation for the work force should really occur. I also think that students, while they might not think that they miss it, really do miss out on more social aspects of a normal high school experience. I think going to a regular high school and fulfilling their technology interests with clubs is a better way to prepare students and make them more more conducive to learning and better able to join the workforce.
I never knew that schools like this existed and while I think its an interesting idea, I'm not sure I agree with all of the principles behind it. I think above all else, students need a more central background even if they choose to specialize in technology and business. A more well-rounded experience would not only help them become better equipped for the work force, but better equipped as citizens.
Jori, I agree with you about the specialized high schools... its uncanny how similar our posts were. I forgot to mention that in comparing the stories of each individual, some of them were successful while others were not. This shows that the divide is still there, and while determination may play a key role, it is not always enough to overcome this division, as other roles such as education and income play a signifant part as well.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction of the film was that it was outdated because most schools today start teaching students how to use computers at an early age. That way there is a less of a chance for them to be behind in terms of technology. I do however believe that there were some interesting aspects of the film as well. I did not know that schools that focused only on technology, like Tech High School, even existed. I think schools like that are very benefitial in our world of technology communications. Kep, Travis and Cedra had a better chance of getting into college and getting a job because they had computer training daily whereas Luisa was introduced to it later.
ReplyDeleteThe differences between these teenagers shows the digital divide and the ways in which they must overcome it. Luisa had to work many hours to save up for a computer and her schooling suffered from it. Cedra, Kep and Travis had access to computers on a day to day basis, so they were better off. I think that it is necessary to start teaching students at a young age how to use computers (and all types of technology) so that they can bridge the gap and overcome the digital divide.
Nate, I think it is very important to have good teamwork skills as well because you can go farther in life being able to cooperate and work well with other people. I hadn't even thought about teamwork as an issue, but I believe it is also an important tool to help young people succeed.
My first thought about the movie is also that it was updated. So, I figured that the information that it offered would be misleading. But then I began to think about it more and I realized that much of what the video talks about still exists today.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that now a days schools are teaching about technology at a much younger age than they used to. But, that all depends on how well of the school is. If the school has a low budget, they will have less resources than other wealthier schools.
For instance, I attended school here in Madison, and you can clearly see the digital divide within the same school district. The amount of money that a school has depends on what neighborhood the school is located. I went to an elementary school that is ranked the one with the least money in the district, and we were only allowed to be on a computer once a week and for about an hour. After I left that school, we moved and my sisters attended another elementary school, and this one was ranked as the richest one in the district. You could clearly see the difference. There were computers in every classroom and students were by them more often.
In my opinion, this relates to the video because in order to fully close the digital divide everyone needs to be in the same page. Everyone needs to start at the same time and learn the same thing.
I wasn't surprised to see that a high school was created which models the new workplace. where there is a demand there is opportunity for a market to grow. I don't believe that it was a public high school so there is only so much that people can complain about it. sure i think that some of the goals of education are to stimulate and challenge the mind, critically access what is "known" and figure out how to learn more, all through the core subjects. and then from there skill applicable in the job field are developed and applicable. While this school is a grooming ground for future employers it also has students develop critical thinking, while i wouldn't say that the greatest goal is for the sake of knowledge i still see that the students are being challenged and they are taught to learn how to think just in a very narrow, defined way.
ReplyDeletethis high school can be addressed by the four c's. in the sense of context, the city was in an area where there was a workplace who was highly demanding of computer learned specialists - so much so that they created a high school is response to this demand. in terms of connectivity it seems like this high school has high connectivity they have funding for lots of programs and while students may not have home private access they definitely have access through the school they even can come in on the weekends. in terms of capability that is the schools job to make these students capable in this field, have the knowledge and skills to survive in the computer world. and as for content the technology that the high school has helps produce a workforce which is highly relevant to the demand for computer savvy employees and that in itself if completely relevant.
Just by the technology that was used in the film I knew right away that the film was outdated. Vice President Al Gore was also in the film, so the film was probably 10-15 years old. I did notice that the schools were trying a new hands on approach to learning. Instead of the traditional way of sitting in rows facing a chalkboard, the technology school was trying small group activities. It seems like schools are liking the hands on approach to learning today.
ReplyDeleteThe movie also discussed the racial ravine. They showed a poorer community of color. The residents of that community were less likely to afford a computer. The girl who worked at Long John Silver's (I believe she was Luisa) had to save up for a couple years just to buy her computer. The film was concerned that if someone can't learn how to use a computer they will get left behind because computers keep updating.
The movie focused on context and capable. He should the difference in context between the two high school. One high school only had a few computers, and the other had almost one computer per student. The capable of the students was also different because without using a computer the students different have the skill to use one latter in life.
Considering the advancements in computers and the Internet since the making of this film, you can see how outdated many of the uses for computers were in the examples in this film. However, I think it is important to look at this film almost as a history lesson rather than an outdated documentary. The film gave me the impression that the generation of high schoolers in the film were very much less familiar and fluent with computers at the end of their high school careers than a 2009 high school graduate would be. What seems most significant for our discussion is that as the capability of technology and technology users increases with time, the incapability of those left out increases as well.
ReplyDeleteOf the four Cs, capability seemed the most apparent issue being addressed in this film. However, the film showed that capability not only applies to the use of technology, but also to being socially capable and interactive. These incapabilities were shown twice in Travis' story when he was incapable of showing his senior project because of what was either his incapability with computers or the incapability of the software to work properly. He also told about his social incapabilities when he told about how uncomfortable he felt telling people he went to a computer-based high school and they called him a "computer-geek". His inability to be socialize comfortably was attributed to his non-traditional education.
The students at the computer-based high school seemed to have a lack of group work and team exercises which are a very important part of a primary education. They did have skills on computers that an average high school graduate would not, which would make them ideal job candidates at a company that usually has to train their employees before they begin work. The entrepreneurs from the film who were both skilled with computers and in interacting with people were the more advantaged than the others who seemed to have only one of these skills.
What I found most significant about these contrasts was how this film was made when computers were just being introduced into education, and yet there were already very noticeable differences between those of different educational backgrounds. Today, when technologies are much more capable than the ones in the film, those differences between people who are connected and aren't connected are also much more apparent.
Of the four stories we heard about in the Digital Divides video, I think I was most struck by Luisa's. I was very impressed to hear that her interest in computers may have actually saved her life by getting her out of the gang she was a member of and getting her more interested in learning things. While the video was pretty outdated, Luisa's struggle to work long hours, attend classes, and learn new skills is still very relevant. I'm sure there are plenty of students today doing the same thing, whether they're in college or high school.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed hearing Travis' story. I've heard about schools that place an emphasis on technology before, but seeing the students working and hearing about the emphasis on their computer skills and teamwork, and hearing that if they didn't pass certain criteria -- not just academic -- they couldn't graduate made me realize what a different environment that would have been from my high school. The outdatededness of the video showed a lot in that part of the movie as well, since most school these days have multiple computer labs and computers in each classroom. My high school, for example, only had about 280 students, but we had two computer labs, and the science labs all had multiple computers for students to use. Still, I was intrigued by the idea of a technology-based high school. I thought it was a really good idea when they first started talking about it, but I got kind of worried when the students mentioned that basic abilities like writing weren't emphasized there. It's good to have technological skills, but a computer isn't going to be able to write your papers for you in college.
The movie focused on four teenagers: Cedra, Luisa, Travis and Kep. Cedra was probably the most well off of all four teenagers. Her father owned a computer company and that had given her access to computers since an early age. She took advantage of this and applied computers to her every day life, like being the editor of the school paper (and organizing the paper online) and doing her homework online. Luisa was not as fortunate as Cedra, and didn’t have things handed to her in life. Luisa worked forty hours a week, tutored younger children and attempted to get an internship working with computer applications. Luisa also saved her earnings for three years until she was able to buy her own computer, which was the also the first computer her family had ever owned. However, Luisa had too many responsibilities to handle at one time, and was not able to graduate high school with her class. Travis and Kep both attended Tech High, while the two girls attended a regular high school. Travis and Kep definitely benefited from learning all the current technology compared to the other two students. Kep was at a disadvantage compared to Travis because of his family’s financial situation (they had just moved from another country) and the fact that he also had to work. However, while I believe that Tech High provided many valuable tools for Travis and Kep, it only functioned as a high school programming students to get a certain type of computer based job. If that is what the student was interested in, than I do believe that it benefited these students tremendously. On the contrary, I think that the girls were more well-rounded individuals. Although technology is definitely a part of our lives, it does not replace the importance of learning other subjects in school, extracurricular activities and social lives.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think that the issue of race did come up in this video. For Luisa, a Mexican-American student, she suffered inequalities compared to Cedra. Luisa’s school lacked the amenities that Cedra’s, wealthier school, provided for its students. Luisa also had to work in order to help support her poorer family, which gave her less time to study for school and participate in other things. As for Kep, an Asian-American student, he also suffered inequalities compared to Travis. Travis’s family understood the importance of technology in the American society and American culture as a whole. However, Kep was new to this country and juggling many things. His family had more important things to worry about than whether or not their son had the newest computer. Kep’s family needed to make sure they had somewhere to live, somewhere to work, someway to learn the language and someway to integrate into a new lifestyle. I think that these differences help explain why some students excelled in school compared to their peers.
For me, growing up in a very conservative, white neighborhood, these issues never crossed my mind. I never had to worry about whether or not I had a computer at school or home, I only had to worry about whether or not I had to fight with my sister to use it. I think that many of us still don't grasp how wide the digital divide really is. I couldn't imagine not coming to college never having used a computer or coming without my own laptop. I think that a balance is needed between both schools. Obviously, in a perfect world, everyone could have access to computers and the right skills to use them. However, I don't think our government or private companies should spend money on schools like Tech High. I think it's a waste of money to provide state-of-the-art technology for a select group of students than attempting to even out the digital divide. If these companies donated their money to schools that lack resources to help students keep up with more privileged students, then it would be one step closer to narrowing the gap.