An Overview Of The Digital Divide

An Overview Of The Digital Divide This essay defines and addresses the significance of the digital divide providing evidence to support its existence in the United States. It analyzes findings from various research reports and case studies identifying factors that cause the divide. The digital divide is a technology gap between the haves and the have-nots. As a result of these gaps, 21st century learners will fall further behind and will not be able to reap the full benefits of our fast-growing technology driven society. The digital divide is the technology gap between people with access to digital and information technology and those with limited or no access (NTIS, 1998). The digital divide is often referred to as the technology gap between the haves and the have-nots. There are many factors that inhibit student access to computers and the internet. There is a digital divide among computer and internet access by race, income, education and location, as well as physical disabilities (Fourie Bothma, 2006). Research shows that Caucasian Americans access to digital and information technology at 46.1% nearly doubles that of African Americans at 23.5% and Hispanic Americans at 23.6%. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders exceed all racial/ethnic groups at 56.8% (Athena Alliance, 2001). Minority groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to having access to computers and the internet but it is not because they are minorities. Their limited access is because they are at a socio-economic disadvantage due to lower education levels and poorer incomes (Solomon, 2002). The technology gap by race seems to be closing significantly. This is due to the availability of computers and internet access at schools, libraries and community centers. Yet, there is still a technology gap in low-income and rural communities. Socio-economic factors play a major role in the technology gap between students. Poverty remains a major factor that limits students access to technology. Only 35% of households in lower socio-economic groups have internet access while 59% of middle income groups, 73% of upper middle income groups, and 83% of those in top income groups have access to the internet (Gartner Group, 2000). Now more than ever, unequal adoption of technology excludes many from reaping the fruits of the economy. Sectors of the population are excluded from the power and the economical benefits offered (Fourie Bothma, 2006). Divisions among the population are not just due to income but also location. There is a digital divide by geographical location. For students in high-poverty and rural areas, libraries can be the only way to get online (Barack, 2005). A digital divide separates rural America from the rest of the nation when it comes to broadband internet use and access. Only 24% of adults in rural America have high-speed internet access, compared to 38% of urban Americans and 40% of suburban Americans who have access (Perkins, 2006). Efforts are being made by the government and the private sector to increase connectivity in rural America. People with disabilities face a significant digital divide as well. Despite regular increases, both metro and non-metro people with disabilities have lower rates of internet use than their geographic counterparts with no disability (Dobransky, 2006). Surveys consistently report that people with disabilities have only half the rate of internet access of people without a disability (RTC, 2006). Obstacles that Americans with disabilities face include how costly adapted hardware and software can be, limited locations for internet access, workplace internet access maybe unavailable because of unemployment, and internet content may be frustrating because sites are not accessible to people using assistive technology (NTIS, 2000). Educators at all levels must keep up with the digital world inhabited by a new type of learner whose worldview is often developed through surfing the web, instant-messaging, and online activities like video games or social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace (Menard, 2008). To level the playing field for these 21st century learners or digital natives, we must bridge the technology gap that exists among these students by racial/ethnic, socio-economic, educational and geographical factors, as well as limited accessibility due to physical disabilities. According to Menard (2008), todays young people were born into the Internet era and face a life saturated by digital media. Their interaction with technology will deeply affect the way these learners interact with their environment. To be successful in todays technology driven society, students must have equal access to computers and information technology. References Barack, L. (2005). Gauging the digital divide. School Library Journal, 51(8), 21. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Research Library. (Document ID: 882387801). Dobranksky, K. Hargittai, E. (2006). The disability divide in Internet access and use. Information, Communication Society, 9, 3, 313-334. Fourie, I. Bothma, T. (2006). Addressing the digital divide in teaching information retrieval: A theoretical view on taking students from ICT access to knowledge sharing. The Electronic Library, 24(4), 469-489. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1142659581). Gartner Group (2000). The digital divide and American society. Available: http://www.3gartner.com Menard, J. (2008). Higher ed responds to the digital generation. The New England Journal of Higher Education, 23(1), 13. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1529959711). NTIA (1998). Falling through the net: Defining the digital divide. NTIA No. PB99156614 Available: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ NTIA (2000). Falling through the net: Toward digital inclusion. A report on Americans access to technology tools. NTIA No. PB99144487. Available: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ NTIA (2000). Falling through the net: A survey of the have nots in rural and urban America. Available: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/falling.html Perkins, B. (2006). Location spawned digital divide can cost you. Realty Times. Available: http://realtytimes.com RTC (2006). Disability and the Digital Divide: Comparing Surveys with Disability Data. Available: http://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu Solomon, G. (2002). Digital equity. Its not just about access anymore. Technology Learning, 22(9), 18-26. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from ProQuest Computing. (Document ID: 115857641).

Moving On With a Disability :: Papers

Moving On With a Disability 'Disability' something that disables a person, a physical incapacity caused by injury or disease. To me the word was somewhat closer to home. I am going on fourteen and am seated in a wheelchair permanently, I always have been. Cameron is the name, walking is the game. The wish more like. Being stuck in a wheelchair is very infuriating and when I am in that mood, just don't try and get me out. Talking of going out I don't. Well very rarely. I stay in my room most of the time with my books and my tutor. It is where I want to be. It is no-one's fault I am in this way and there is nothing anyone can do about it. I need to face facts; I am glued to the chair. " Good morning Cam!". He stood there like he did every morning at 9am sharp, but DiÃÆ'Â ¡z was not a sharp man. Messy struck me as more of the correct word. My tutor was in his mid thirties with short, brown hair. He hadn't shaved. Stubble the colour of cigarette ash clung to his jaw. His big round glasses bounced as he walked. His clothes were shabby and he often wore the same items for days running. DiÃÆ'Â ¡z was a good friend; my only friend and he shared my love of books. He often brought me a book from his collection. They were about all sorts but I liked the detective ones best. I wished I was Sherlock Holmes. Mind you I wished I could walk too but as Mum always says, ' Life does not come on a silver plate.' Well it should come on a gold one, that's what I think! I don't think you can understand what it is like not to be able to do something that everyone else can. I definitely don't think I can explain it! When I wake up, I cannot dress myself. How would that make you feel? Incompetent maybe? That's how it makes me feel. Everyone else can dress themselves, why can't I?

John Steinbeck section Essay

â€Å"Yea, an’ besides we gunna have to if we wanna have any fun, you know, won’t be much fun jus’ me and George. † Candy observed innocently. Slim chuckled fondly, while George whispered a soft, â€Å"Yea, won’t be much fun†¦ † He sighed contemplatively and looked down at the ground in deep thought. He was jerked out of his daydream at the sound of a bullet, the bullet coming from Carlson’s gun. He looked up and around at the nearby tree, the tree that towered over the ranch, casting a long shadow over a part of the bunkhouse. He took one last glance and turned away. The gunshot was heard again as Carlson pulled closer to the cart. â€Å"Can’t let ya leave wit’ out saying goodbye†¦ ya kno’†¦ † Carlson shifted uncomfortably while looking down at the ground. â€Å"Ok then. Thanks for the concern. † George said abruptly. â€Å"ppreciate it. † With that, George joined Candy at the front of the cart, and set off. A few days had passed and things seemed to be going as slow as ever, the days seemed like months and the nights like years. Nothing exciting had happened to George and Candy, all except for a frog that was hopping along. The monotonous sound of the horse’s hooves threatened to send George into a deep slumber. And Candy, he just sat next to George occasionally lifting his left hand to rub his stumped wrist. Just then, a woman appeared. Not just any woman, the most beautiful woman in the world according to George. Her light brown hair with streaks of a deep red that almost looked brown in the light was delicately waved. It framed her oval face perfectly. Her emerald green eyes looked at George wistfully, as if to decide whether he was approachable. Her soft pink lips parted as she slid her perfectly manicured fingers into her mouth. She whistled at the cart to grab George’s already given attention. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

Games to Support Skills for Children with Disabilities

Games are an effective tool to support instruction in special education. When your students know how to play a game, they can play it independently. Some board games and many electronic games are available commercially or online, but they dont always support the skills that your students need to build. At the same time, many online computer games fail to support social interaction, which is an important benefit of supporting instruction with board games. Reasons for Games Drill and Repetition: Students with disabilities often need lots and lots of practice on skills, beyond what they would receive in a general education class, in a more naturalistic approach to instruction. We also know that students have difficulty generalizing skills, so games that use math or reading skills in a game will motivate children to use those skills across more social settings.Social Skill Training and Practice: Many children with disabilities, especially developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders, have difficulty with social interactions. Board games support waiting, turn taking, and even losing gracefully, which both typical, and children with special needs struggle with. Games can even be designed to support social skills, such as a social skill game that requires students to complete a social task successfully (Say hello to a friend, etc.), to stay on a square on the board, or you can make some social skills cards for existing games (Chance cards on Monopoly?).Peer-Mediated Instruction:  Children with disabilities benefit from having skills modeled by typically developing, non-disabled peers. Those skills will include both academic and social skills. The typical peers will be sure to check the work of their challenged peers and can supervise play. Games as part of inclusion give both groups opportunities to practice skills, exercise some socially appropriate behavior, and build positive peer relationships. Bingo Kids love bingo. Kids with disabilities love bingo because it doesnt require knowing lots of rules, and since everyone plays through every game, it scores well on the engagement scale. It requires that they listen; identify the numbers, words, or pictures on the card; place a cover on the squares (fine motor skills), and recognize the pattern of covered squares. Many bingo games are commercial and available through online or brick and mortar stores. Teaching Made Easier, an online subscription tool for making games is an excellent way to make sight word, number, or other sorts of bingos, including picture bingos. Kinds of Bingo Games   Vocabulary Building Bingos: These bingos have children cover pictures of animals or items in other categories to build receptive language.  Number Recognition Bingos: Teaching Made Easier makes it possible to customize the range of numbers used for Bingo. You can make one set of cards that uses numbers from twenty to forty to give students practice in recognizing numbers larger than twenty, but not the whole shooting match up to 100. You can also ask students with strong number recognition to read the cards, as it helps them build their skills in reading numbers aloud. Educators often recommend that some recitation in math instruction is included to be sure the numbers also get into students mouths.  Math Fact Bingo: Call numbers and have students cover matching math facts (i.e., call 12 and students can cover 2 x 6 or 3 x 4) Board Games You can build a board game based on any number of different games: Parchesi, Sorry, Monopoly. The simplest games are simple games that start at one place and end at the finish line. They can be used to support counting, or they can be used to support specific skills. You can use dice, or you can create spinners. Many Math series provide spinners that you can adapt: Once again, Teaching Made Easier provides a template for spinners. Kinds of Board Games Counting Games: An example is Halloween Rumble. Start with a serpentine path divided into squares, use dice (to building counting and adding skills) or a spinner. You can use a spinner for skip counting games (by 2s and 5s).Social Skills Games: Design this after games like Life or Monopoly, where students take cards to complete a social skill. Perhaps you might have a stack of requests such as, Ask a friend for help on your math, or a greeting: Greet a teacher in school. Quiz Show Games A great way to help students prepare for a test is a Quiz Show format. Build your game like Jeopardy and make you categories support whatever topic your students are preparing for. This is an especially good tactic for a secondary teacher who can pull a group from a content area class to prepare for a test. Games Create Winners! Games are a great way to engage your students, as well as give them lots of opportunities to practice skills and content knowledge. They seldom realize that the whole time they are competing with their classmates, they are supporting learning with their peers. It can provide some formative assessment information, letting you see whether a student understands a skill, a content area or a set of concepts.