Article 7 - "Digital Divide? What Digital Divide?"

Diversity

Summary:

In David Nagel’s article, “Digital Divide? What Digital Divide?” the author begins by stating that more low-income students have access to, and regularly use, the internet than was previously thought. He then explains that, while students are still mostly using the internet for social purposes, they are still learning and practicing important technological skills while they do so. Nagel explains who the group of students who that were being researched in order to find this data, and that the more often they used social networking sites, the more likely they were to make the connection between education and their internet activities. He then explains that educators should take advantage of the fact that students, even low-income ones who are expected to have less access to computers, are learning skills that can be utilized in other areas, specifically academic learning, college acceptance, and job networking.  

Comments:

I think that using non-educational internet sites can be very useful in developing kids' technology skills (teaching them to troubleshoot problems, find resources on their own, etc). I was surprised to hear that so many kids who are considered to have limited access to the internet actually do have access, and are using it regularly. I know that there is a generation of students who were born around or after 2000 who are just used to computers, and have always had them around, and the fact that they have this as a part of their lives will make the changes made in education as it pertains to technology as they get older much easier on them.

Nagel, D. (June 23^rd, 2008) Digital divide? What digital divide? The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2008/06/23/digital-divide-what-digital-divide.aspx

Article 6 - "Assistive Technology: Enhanced Learning for All"

Summary:
In Lisa Wahl’s article, “Assistive Technology: Enhanced Learning For All” the author begins by describing a variety of students with special needs whose needs are meet by using various technology. She then describes the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and that it requires that assistive technology (AT) be used in order to ensure that every student gets an appropriate, effective education. Wahl then explains that, although AT is federally mandated, its use has some obstacles: lack of teacher training, lack of experience with the technology, and lack of funds. She then gives some examples of specific schools that are using AT successfully in order to make the education of special needs students more effective, and explains how they utilize volunteers (and older students) to help with managing AT. She ends the article by explaining how important teacher-parent communication about goals and progress are.

Comments:
I love that assistive technology is becoming more common in schools, but I wish there were more parent education about how simple requests for tools could make their child’s education so much more effective. In my practicum, I have a student with low vision whose parents won’t request a high powered magnifier, because they don’t think she needs it. This simple tool would make all of her school work so much easier. She is able to use assistive technology on the computer, but when she’s not using the computer, her learning is slowed by her vision impairment. I think that there are more problems in the way of making AT more widely used than the author touches on, and that there is still a long way to go before these tools are made equally and effectively available.

Wahl, L. Assistive technology: enhanced learning for all. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enhances-learning-all

Article 5 - "Give Girls a Chance: Building a Bridge to Science and Technology"

Summary:
The article begins by describing Techbridge, a partnership between Oakland Public Schools, two universities in the area, and Chabot Space and Science Center, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and is designed to promote gender equity in science, engineering, and math. Furger then goes on to explain how the program was introduced in various schools, and the effect it has had on one girl in particular. She explains how being good at, or interested in, science and technology has not been an attractive thing for many girls, and that Techbridge provides a place where they can explore this interest without judgment from boys or other girls, and without ridicule. She says that it also provides the girls with more exposure to women involved in sciences, and helps them build confidence in their own leadership skills. Furger ends the article by giving an example of how the girls in Techbridge meet up to discuss what they are working on, and how they support each other to do their best.

Conclusion:
I love the idea that this article discusses, of taking girls who are too afraid to pursue an interest in science and technology, or those who could use confidence building and are struggling in school, and getting them in an all-girl environment where they can feel more free to explore things without the fear of ridicule for messing up. Furger also said in the article that part of the reason that the girls in Techbridge are so successful in finishing long-term projects is that they can choose their work themselves. I think that adding an academic club like this where students have more control over what they explore and work on can be a great way to get kids who are having a tough time in school to feel like they can do well. I'm not entirely sure how the girls are chosen for Techbridge in every instance, but I think that if teachers were informed to be on the lookout, this kind of program could be a great help for many at-risk girls.


Furger, R. Give girls a chance: building a bridge to science and technology. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/techbridge-science-technology-girls

Article 4 - "Podcasts: Where's the Learning?"

Summary:

In Patricia Deubel’s article, “Podcasts: Where’s the Learning?” she begins by explaining that podcasts are becoming more commonly used in educational settings to demonstrate what students are learning,  but that they are often poor quality due to the technology used or the skill level of the user, and accessibility is often a problem as well. She then goes on to describe what podcasts are, and where they can be found.  Deubel then explains how students learn by creating podcasts, by developing literacy skills and learning information about whatever topic they are creating the podcast about, and that they develop higher-thinking skills, their ability to write, organize, and communicate orally. She then ends the article by saying that in the second installment of the article, she explain tactics for improving the quality and accessibility of podcasts.

Comments:

 I love the idea of using podcasts in education! I’ve long believed that having students talk about what they’re learning (in their own words) is an amazing way to reinforce the knowledge, help them sort it, and retain it longer. And having it digitally recorded so that they can go back to it later, and share it with others, is even better!  I do wonder about how to get the most out of podcasts, when you have a class of 30 kids and limited resources, so I’ll definitely be reading the second installment of this article to learn more.

 

Deubel, P. Podcasts: where’s the learning? The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2007/06/07/podcasts-wheres-the-learning.aspx