interesting article on cnn.com

just found this on cnn.com, if anyone is interested....relevant to the class and discussion material primarily from exam 1 stuff: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/28/recession.libraries/index.html

Response to Digital divide movie

The movie covers issue, which is addressed under the benefit of technology in nowadays - digital divide – and suggests sort of an alternative ways and illustrates how they overcome the disadvantage or pull down disparity according to their background (context). It was interesting to follow the contrastive four cases that had difference in locations of living and various cultural/racial backgrounds. The alternatives for breaking the barrier of digital divide were particularly interesting, and as well as the technology high school, which introduced as a controversial institution.

Technology high school was introduced, which provides better environment for computer related field and it mainly focuses on educating students learn actual skill for future job. There are some schools specially made for specific field of study – such as music school – but since technology high school is not providing basic curriculum what high school students learn, it is not sufficient even though the existence of school itself contribute to break the barrier of digital divide.

I think the movie also showed Luisa was taking course at community inquiry lab, which provides free program/courses for people. The video described it as a tool to overcome digital divide, however, it seemed to be a challenge after I saw the gap in supporting technology. While some students living in Silicon Valley that were exposure to the latest technology that almost everything they can experience, some schools had no connection for Internet.

The impression that I got from the movie was more negative than positive because it seems the digital divide did not only build a barrier but also the option that the people can choose are limited under the digital divide.

Digital Divide Video

My reaction to this video was a bit in hindsight because I could tell the material was a bit outdated, but even so I have a few opinions. In regards to the school in silicon valley, it kind of struck me that the principal and students thought their program was such a trendsetter. Yes it was probably way ahead of the curve in terms computer technology and the skill development needed to be successful in the technology industry. But to me it seemed so one-dimensional in that the students were constantly surrounded by computer technology and computer programs. It seemed like a factory spitting out computer programmers (something the video brought up) but little of anything else. If you are one of the very select few young adults who know what your future profession will be then yes a school tailored exactly to that subject would be great. For many of us though I believe it is a good idea to be exposed to all sorts of ideas and concepts, not just those of computers. So in that regard it is trend-setting in the short term, but in terms of the big picture, does this type of school create different types of jobs and people like we want our culture to have? No it doesn't. 

This video did portray the idea of a digital divide, in terms of those at technology high are much more educated in the realm of computers, compared to those at the inner city high school. The video did follow what we have been talking about in class in terms of class and affluence. It was obvious with some of the people in the video of minority background their school experience was much less technologically orientated than some of the others who went to more affluent and less diverse schools. I know from my personal experience that a happy medium between the two seems to be the best option in terms of integrating technology in the school curriculum while still teaching the standard basics of education. Throughout elementary school we had "computer lab" once a week, and in high school it was required to take computer classes in order to graduate. This I believe incorporates the best of both worlds.

digital divide

This video was very interesting and had much information about a school for technology, and stories behind it's students being there, and stories of what they had to go through to be able to go and maintain that lifestyle. 

This video deals with technologies and shows differences in lifestyle between different cultures. It relates to our library studies in that not all people are capable of having access to such things, or it is at least a little more difficult. This was shown by one girl saving up all her money for a couple years to buy her own computer. She didn't have the resources and funding to be able to just go out and have a computer. She had to work full-time along with going to school to support herself. Another man that was going to the school seemed to have no troubles with resources. His family was wealthy enough for him to get by. These differences in culture show us this digital divide.

Like libraries, this school can also be a way to bridge the digital divide. Its a place for people to come together and share knowledge or share technologies. In a place with a bad library system it would still be a divide from a place with better technologies, but within that small community within a bad library system, it is still a place to connect and gain at least a little knowledge of technology. This school acts in the same way that it is bringing people together for the common goal to gain more information to be able to use in the world.

The digital divide is evident in the video even though all the kids go to the same school. Some of the kids had been around computers before they went to the school and they had some background as to what they were and how they work. For one of the others, when he went to the school, it was the first time he had used a computer. This clearly demonstrates the digital divide by kids who were the same age, and were going to the same school had completely different backgrounds with computer knowledge/usage. 

DIGITAL DIVIDE

I felt that the movie did an adequate job highlighting the digital divide yet I feel their "technologically advanced schools" are not necessarily an adequate of addressing the problems of this divide.  The video is obviously outdated, as the majority of schools now have computer labs with internet, so I'll leave that factor out in assessing the video.

  

The first issue I had with the film is the fact that the students at the high tech school seem to assume an advantage over those that attend normal high schools.  I think this is shown best through the male student at the "high-tech school" who comes in to present a powerpoint presentation and doesn't know how to load his project.  The student has been talking throughout the film about the advantages he's provided and yet he doesn't finish his work.  This is also seen as Lucia fails her software test as she applies for her job, while this is different (she didn't attend the high-tech school), it again shows that having access to the internet isn't necessarily going to mean you'll be good enough with computers to follow them for your career path.

Another issue with high-tech schools is the narrowness of their curriculum.  The fact that one goes to a technologically advanced school gives a leg up in technological fields but also creates a disadvantage in terms of how well-rounded ones education is.  Students aren't necessarily going to want to pursue a career with computers or internet and if they have little background in other subjects this could be a big disadvantage.

All in all I feel the integration of internet to schools is good to an extent.  Teaching students how to use the internet and computers as a tool is important but shouldn't be the focus of a whole four years of high school education.

Digital Divide

Foremost, I found the movie to be dated. In an enviornment in which technology plays a huge role, and in which technology is quickly outdated and updated, I was not impressed by the story of the first high school to be equipped with internet access. I was equally unimpressed with the high school that was built primarily for the use of new technologies, to give students a "heads-up" in the presumed technologically driven workforce. Though, yes, they were correct to assume that technology would play an increasing role in future years, the high school lacked essential social elments that no computer could replace.
While the new technology driven high school did focus on group work, they only focused on one type of work enviornment, presumably leaving many of their students without the skills, or lacking in the skills, necessary to suceed in college, or other trained professions. Technology is used in all fields, and it is important to be familiar with technology, but it should be introduced in a format that leaves students with the option to seek any career path. I didn't like how the school focused on how work would be in an office, or a cubicle, because technology transcends into so many professions. You need to be technologically literate in journalism, if your an author typing at home, medical work.....so many things. I felt the school was limiting.
I was more impressed with the traditional high school that implemented computers into the classroom. They took a formula that was working, and added computers to it, further boosting the kids computer literacy and comfort in using computers. It also left the students with options, and they were able to study other important academic subjects WHILE using computers.
I did think thhe video made an important point about the digital divide. Though I feel the digital divide, though it does still exist, is less prealent in the age of Youtube and Facebook, which widely appeals to all genders, races, and people of all classes. The reason it may be less prevalent, could be because many users of the internet today, had computers in their classrooms early on. They were taught in elementary school how to use a computer and this knowledge has transcended into society.

Movie reaction

While I was watching “Digital Divides”, I continuously had the question of whether “tech high schools” were a good thing or a bad thing. My thought process on the matter is as follows. I feel that the idea of a tech high school, like the one in the movie, although having good intentions, closes more doors than it opens. Although they have very nice equipment and opportunities, the opportunities are limited to computers only. It is a simple breading ground for business professionals, and is so specialized that kids get locked into a field and area, at such a young age. Although for some this is a good thing, many kids at this age are still making up their minds as to what they want and should have the freedom to take different classes, etc. I was also thinking how unfortunate that the arts and extracurriculars are not a part of the schooling. This is another area that is vital to kids being well rounded and tech schools close this out. It was disturbing to here Kep say that he left behind libraries and the football team with his old high school.

This movie exemplified the notion of the “dual city”, the concept of some having access and some not. The kids that go to this school have access to a wide variety of technology, while people who don’t go to this school ( maybe because of geographic or financial disparities) do not have access to computers and new technology. This widens the gap between the digital divide. It is interesting to note how this is a continuous pattern, because those with access to technology have access to an information network and continue to thrive because of it, and those without access are on the outside looking in, and usually don’t prosper or benefit from having no access. This cycle is what widens the divide.

From the footage they showed in the video in the actual classrooms, I found the “content” of the work the kids were doing rather meaningless. Maybe it was just for one class, but it seemed like they were working on a rather meaningless project. Travis in the video seemed to be spending all his time creating an animation for a project that didn’t even work at the end. I felt the use of more pragmatic technologies would benefit the kids more, who since they are going to a tech high school are probably going to go into Silicon Valley in an IT job. Maybe the kids did have other projects that they used other programs with, and they just chose to focus on this one, but that was just the impression that I got.