Module 6

Addressing the Digital Divide

‘The future arrived. It just wasn't equally distributed.’ William Gibson (n.d.)

If the future is technology, then it has definitely has arrived and with a vengeance!  The thing about arrivals, no matter what type you may be talking about, is that they do not show up at the same time, place, or repetitively.  Think about a recent package you waited for in eager anticipation.  It is now possible to track this kind of everyday transaction online and in ‘real time’.  You were given an estimated time of arrival for your item but, it is possible that it will come early, be on time, or be delayed.  This is the fact with many things in life not just packages, flights, births, and technology; the distribution fluctuates and remains unequal.

The traditional definition of the digital divide is a metaphor to describe the perceived disadvantage of those who either are unable to or do not choose to make use of technology in their daily life. People who are usually considered disadvantaged in their access to or knowledge of technology include people with low incomes, people who have few educational qualifications or have low literacy levels, the unemployed, elderly people, people in rural areas, people with disabilities, single parents, women, and young girls (Cullen, 2001). (Wikibooks, 2009)

A redefined definition of the digital divide offered by Warschauer (2002) suggests that the digital divide should take into account a variety of factors related to physical, digital, human, and social resources so that social development can be enhanced through the effective integration of ICT into communities. (Wikibooks, 2009)

As a leader in educational technology for my work colleagues I will work as a collaborative member to be open minded to new ideas and share insights gained from this course.  It is my intent to use this knowledge regarding obsolete and emerging technologies to steer our decisions towards items that will benefit all rather than just some.  At our site the staff possesses a wide range of comfort levels in regard to their comfort level with technology.  This is where the unequal distribution of technology is felt the most and not just by the staff members but the students as well.  If we are to develop our students’ understanding, knowledge and capabilities with technological devices we need to ensure an even comfort level among the staff.  The best way I see to accomplish this task is to hold collaborative, hands-on training sessions that provides the staff a stress free and supportive environment to learn and ‘play’ with the technology tools available at our site.  Then, invite reluctant staff members to witness firsthand the tools being used in a classroom setting so that they may experience the tools in action with students as they would in their own classrooms.  The goal would be to instill confidence and infectious enthusiasm for all of our staff, which would equalize the distribution.

References

Soloway, E. (n.d.). The digital divide: Leveling the playing field [vodcast] Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com

Thornburg, D. (2008). Evolutionary technologies. [vodcast] Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com

Wikibooks (2009). Web 2.0 and emerging learning technologies/digital divide. [website] Retrieved from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Web_2.0_and_Emerging_Learning_Technologies/Digital_Divide

Module 5

Increasing Returns and Red Queens

When choosing a movie based on a Philip K. Dick book for our recent assignment without hesitation I turned to Netflix for an informed decision as a basis for my viewing pleasure.  I needed to first do some research on the movie selection, not having had a strong desire to watch science fiction movies in the past, as none of the titles immediately drew my interest.  That being said the decision to select a movie from within the Netflix library was one of ease of use and monetary outcomes.  I already pay for a subscription with Netflix, enjoy the service it provides, and had no desire to purchase a movie for my personal collection until I knew that I would want to view the selection numerous times.  In the end I watched “Paycheck” through Netflix’s watch instantly option and made an attempt to watch “Next” on DVD but lost interest and sent it back immediately.

Dr. Thornburg defines Increasing Returns as two competing innovations that hit the market at the same time and only one is accepted, forcing the other to the curb. (Laureate, n.d.a) Currently the competition between the DVDs and the Video On Demand (VOD)  have yet to manage to knock each other off the podium, so for the time being this competition can be defined as a Red Queen.  A Red Queen, as explained by David Thornburg, is in reference to Lewis Carroll’s book “Through the Looking Glass” where it is explained to Alice that she needs to run as fast as she can just to stay in place. (Laureate, n.d.b)  Netflix and Redbox are examples of a Red Queens.  Both companies provide customers with inexpensive ways to view DVDs at home for a small fee and choice option for how long they choose to keep the selection.  The time will come, soon I believe, that consumers will no longer desire DVDs and only watch movies through the internet or wireless devices that send the selections directly to our televisions.  So many newer TVs already have the capability to connect to services like Netflix and Amazon that it is only inevitable that we would want to discontinue the use of an item like the DVD that can break and scratch for something more reliable and instantaneous like VOD or streaming videos.

Laureate Education, Inc. (n.d.a). Increasing returns [Podcast] featuring Dr. David Thornburg.

Laureate Education, Inc. (n.d.b). Red queens [Podcast] featuring Dr. David Thornburg.

Plastic and Plush: Designer Toys News and Reviews (2010) Review the red queen of tcf. (Clipart) Retrieved from http://plasticandplush.com/2010/07/review-the-red-queen-tcf.html

Stash Space.Com (2010) Copy dvd to dvd. (Clipart) Retrieved from http://www.stashspace.com/video-transfer/dvd-to-dvd.stm

Module 4

Second Life as a Disruptive Technology in Educational Settings

The usefulness of Second Life and other virtual technologies are still developing in the educational realm and have yet to blossom into their true potential.  This could be due to the fact the educators are still trying to decipher exactly how to use this resource effectively and aligning to their current educational practices, without being a complete distraction to the learning community.  Incorporating technology into any aspect of the instructional day has been moving along at a slow pace, even without the idea of using a virtual world for the students interact in that would not require them to even be in the same room with each other.

Dr. Thornburg describes a disruptive technology as “a new technology with the same functionality of an existing technology, but it functions more efficiently or is available at a lower coast, then obsoletes that technology.”  (n.d.) Second life has the potential to disrupt various every day functions in educational settings; requirements to be “in class” at a brick and mortar school to interact with classmates, the need for classes to take field trips if it is possible to travel to a location virtually to learn about a new culture or ecosystem, or teacher centered classrooms where the educator is the knowledge holder and the students are the sponges absorbing with no reversal in roles.  Disruptive technologies vary from evolutionary technologies in the idea that an item that evolves is still around, where one that is disrupted is pushed aside and replaced completely with a new device. (Laureate, n.d.)  This is where a complete shift in education could arise with the use of technologies like Second Life, radically changing the way we perceive education in the future.

The shift towards using Second Life, especially in elementary school setting, in my opinion is quite a ways off.  I say this due to the fact that even the simplest of interactions or integration of technology in classrooms has still not been completely adopted at this level.  To put even an estimated time frame on this notion feels a little too farfetched to even make an attempt, similar to taking a stab in the dark.  I do agree with Rosedale (2008) that its influence will continue to increase, and that fear of this technology is futile because its increasing ubiquity is inevitable. I’m sure that there will be a pocket of early adopters but when the majority will get on board seems to be a mystery in my eyes.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer) (n.d.) Disrutptive technology. [Podcast] featuring Dr. David Thornburg. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4433411&Survey=1&47=3931272&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Rosedale, P. (2008). Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.

The Electronic Envelope (2008) Clipart retrieved from http://trc.ucdavis.edu/TRC/envelope/Columns.jpg