I made this wiki for a class I took last semester on Authorship and Learning in the Digital Age. It was designed as a resource for teachers who are interested in using the internet in the classroom, but want to make sure they are preparing their students for safe internet use. It deals with COPPA, privacy and safety concerns, and touches on media literacy and informs teachers what researchers have found about young kids' processing of online content. I'd love to hear your feedback on the site, and if you find it useful, please forward the link along!
I read this article this afternoon, and thought of it when I was doing work for my wiki assignment. I am looking into the blog Teachers Love SMART Boards (http://smartboards.typepad.com/) and I saw that the author of the blog also works for Teacher Online Training, which offers courses (for a fee) for teachers interested in implementing technologies in their classroom, or using the technology they currently have in a more meaningful way. The majority of the blog was reviews of free sites or education-oriented tools from outside sources, but there were a few posts that dealt with the programs offered by TOT. It made me wonder whether the blog was intended to be impartial, or a form of advertising... He mentioned his job in the company at the beginning of most if not all of the posts that promoted their programs, but these new guidelines may put this blogger in a sticky situation.
It's a novel concept to see youths afraid of technology- in America, this attitude is usually reserved for parents, teachers, and other non-digital-natives...
these services are expensive and thus digital barriers are widening
In America, we have tried to fix this by offering computer access in the schools. We don't have digital cafes offering computer access in many locations- typically it's just WiFi connections. Unfortunately, this means disadvantaged students are forced to complete any computer-based assignments before, during, and after school, while the building is still open.
Now, in the age of Internet 2.0, the web is of no use if only some people have access to it. Perhaps the digital society can help with this - I believe that promoting tele-education in our cities will help these people to get good education.
If you're not yet familiar with it, check out the WIDE World site through HGSE. It's a good example of online learning and community building, and you might be interested in some of the topics! http://wideworld.pz.harvard.edu/en/
Hi T561- a bit old, but an international perspective on the inequality of technology access across the globe. This article links in with the TIE list discussions about the One Laptop Per Child effort as well. If we want to use technology to break down international barriers, like Dede's "Microsoft of the future" film, we have to address the issue of accessibility, both across the globe and within our own student population.