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Katherine Walraven
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The Digital Divide
April 24, 2009 - 04:45 PM
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What are the components of the Digital Divide? Why is it a problem? What role do think that students, teachers and schools could play in reducing the digital divide?
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Liza Bolton
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 24, 2009 - 06:06 PM
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It appears to me that wealth, on a personal, local or national level is one of the key factors creating this divide. It also seems that because ICT is such an effective way of gaining and communicating information (the world at your fingertips) that a digital divide leads to a “knowledge divide”. And sadly this is probably a cycle. You need knowledge and skills, to be employed and earn money, and money is required to purchase the digital devices that can be amazing tools for gaining knowledge and skills. Less knowledge, less money, less computers, less knowledge, and so forth.
There are ways of breaking this cycle, such as Computers4Africa [1] on an international level, but the sharing of resources between communities and education systems would be another way of locally maximising access to skills and knowledge.
Kartini Kwan wrote in a post [2] about the disappointing disparities between education certificates in developing and developed countries. I think a digital divide would be both a cause and an effect of this.
Economic ability is not the only component. Age can also be a big factor in where the divide lies. When this is the case, I think partnerships between schools and communities could once again make a positive difference. Teaching helps you learn and develop maturity, so I think it would be beneficial for a sort of youth-elder buddy system to be tried, where in one-to-one learning contexts the digital divide across age groups could be bridged.
[1] Computers4Africa
[2] "The future of Education" post
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jerome Bactol
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 25, 2009 - 05:21 AM
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I think digital divide will be or is already a form of discrimination. In our country, although we are developing and can adopt to technologies very fast, it is just a generalization. A bigger potion of the filipino race is still computer illiterate and do not have access to technology, or even with electricity. If you go to provinces, you will see households still using alcohol lamps and do not have any electrical appliances.
I think it is problem because it tells us the unequal sharing of wealth and resources. Take for example the Philippines, Manila is very fast advancing, but look at the other 16 regions of the country who are left behind? the wealth of the country should be well distributed to all its citizens.
On the other hand, i admire the efforts of some universities, ngo's and student organizations to help those who are so left behind of technology. There are programs that caters to the technological needs of the less-techy provinces
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Anwarus Salam
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 26, 2009 - 06:19 AM
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Digital Divide is a very big issue in Bangladesh. Some people can use the latest technology and find any information within minutes. But people who do not have access in new technologies are living the life of last centuries.
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franmarie
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 27, 2009 - 09:35 AM
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I agree with Jerome's answers. The Philippines is one of the best example in terms of Digital Divide. Probably because of centralization when it comes to policies concerning Education. This should be eliminated. Even I, myself, studied in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, I observed that there are a lot of students who are also deserving to such technological opportunities than some of the students who are actually taking that same opportunity for granted.
Therefore we must work this out so that those who are unable to experience what we have may eventually be granted the same kind of education.
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jerome Bactol
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 27, 2009 - 12:33 PM
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Yes! as the youth of today, our simple acts could bring a big impact for tomorrow. I am fortunate to be educated in UP. I was fully exposed to the different problems of our society. Luckily, there are opportunities in the university where we could share our gifts to others. There are organizations in UP that help and bring technology to those who needed them. Hopefully, this simple acts could bring light to our leaders to prioritize education.
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franmarie
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 29, 2009 - 05:15 AM
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You're right jerome. We should lobby to our leaders for equality in education especially those who never experienced what we have here in Manila. If that cant be granted by our leaders, we can make it possible for other students, through our youth organizations.
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Lim K.S
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 29, 2009 - 05:47 AM
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Digital divide happens due to the lack of technology, finance, legal and administration. The core problem of digital divide lies in policies and government as finance is always the pressing issue.
Teachers and students can play a role in reducing digital divide through spreading the importance of the usage of digital in learning. Perhaps an online pledge for finance will be able to fund necessary technology for rural areas.
The future lies in digital.
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franmarie
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 29, 2009 - 06:01 AM
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I agree to you Lim. Nothing is possible for our good intentions for this kind of issue, the Digital divide, if we have financial support especially from the government and other groups.
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shobana
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 29, 2009 - 09:32 AM
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The digital divide is a very interesting subject that I've debated on before. The problem nowadays is that computers are often enough given to schools where the majority of students already have a personal computer at home instead of those in the rural areas where many don't even have electricity.
Though the one laptop per child project might be difficult to implement especially during the economic slowdown, minor steps should be taken to gradually narrow the divide. We don't have to give every child a laptop. Simply by providing a few computers to the rural schools, I'm sure we would start to see changes.
On the other hand, students and teachers can work together to do projects to raise money in order get computers.
Big corporations could also do their part through the corporate responsibility program to provide schools or rurals kids with computers. Instead of one laptop per child, why not one computer per family? Recently, a major corporation donated a whole computer lab to a fully residential school that already had one. Why not donate to the rural schools instead? Instead of narrowing the divide, they are simply widening it by providing computers to those who already have one.
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franmarie
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 29, 2009 - 09:56 AM
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shobana wrote:
Big corporations could also do their part through the corporate responsibility program to provide schools or rurals kids with computers. Instead of one laptop per child, why not one computer per family? Recently, a major corporation donated a whole computer lab to a fully residential school that already had one. Why not donate to the rural schools instead? Instead of narrowing the divide, they are simply widening it by providing computers to those who already have one.
That is being materialized now here in the Philippines, though the scope does not cover yet a wide area but some of the big companies/corporations are assisting our Education department especially when it comes to the use of technology (like SM Prime Holdings, EduQuest, Intel, etc)
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shobana
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 29, 2009 - 11:26 AM
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Thats really good! More countries and corporations should do the same.
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franmarie
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Re: The Digital Divide
April 30, 2009 - 02:49 AM
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Right shobana.. Though I know there is a recession in world wide economy, funding different education program from different corporations will not have a great impact on company's finance. Instead, it will have a great impact on the beneficiaries of the projects.
This post was edited on: 2009-05-07 at 03:42 AM by: franmarie
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Liza Bolton
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Re: The Digital Divide
May 5, 2009 - 04:28 AM
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Perhaps the economic recession could be used as a way of encouraging the increase of technology in rural areas, thus lessening the digital divide and maybe financial divide as well. I am nowhere near being a full fledged economist, but perhaps the economic benefits of up-skilling people with technology could be a reason to include it in government stimulus packages. Setting up some rural internet access systems would create jobs, and perhaps allow citizens to be more educated, which I hope will still improve income prospects, even in a recession. If people are making money, chances are they are spending it too, pumping some cash into local communities.
Would this kind of argument hold water?
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shobana
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Re: The Digital Divide
May 5, 2009 - 06:34 AM
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Of course Liza, I makes perfect sense to me. My country just revealed their new stimulus package, but I haven't had a look at its contents yet. I'll be sure to check if there's anything in it for that.
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