A "New" Digital Divide Emerges...

Throughout this blog, I have repeatedly mentioned the speed with which technology is constantly changing and developing. As technology changes and develops, the digital divide is bound to change as well. An article on USA Today’s online website acknowledges that there is already a “new” digital divide that differs from the divide I have discussed in previous posts. This online article, written by Jesse Washington, suggests that phones are one element of technology that is greatly changing the definition of the digital divide in our country. While the digital divide may be changing, it is far from ending.

Washington’s article states, “as mobile technology puts computers in our pockets, Latinos and blacks are more likely than the general population to access the Web by cellular phones, and they use their phones more often to do more things” (Washington, 2011). This increasing use of cells phones with internet access is where the “new” digital divide begins to emerge. Washington’s quote suggests that while blacks and Latinos have often been statistically on the less plugged-in side of the digital divide, when it comes to internet cell phone use, they have more access. However, while blacks and Latinos are increasing their use of the internet through these phones, some researchers “have noticed signs of segregation online that perpetuate divisions in the physical world. And blacks and Latinos may be using their increased Web access more for entertainment than empowerment” (Washington, 2011). If blacks and Latinos are using their access to technology for “entertainment” instead of “empowerment”, then they are still on the losing side of the digital divide. The digital divide is more than just access to technology; it includes access to the benefits technology offers in terms of academic and economic mobility and success.

The article references Anjuan Simmons, an engineer and technology consultant who is well plugged into the digital world, and his “[hope] that blacks and Latinos will use their increased Web access to create content, not just consume it” (Washington, 2011). Creating content implies being actively involved in the realm of technology. Using technology to further oneself academically and economically presents opportunities to not only use technology, but to contribute to its growth and development. The education system needs to prepare students to use technology for success rather than sheer entertainment. It is easy to consume the information on the Web, to surf the internet and shop online, but it is a far more rewarding experience to actively engage with the Web and the reap the educational and economic benefits it can offer.

While cell phones do provide internet access, having and using a computer is still important for equalizing technology use. Washington quotes a Pew research specialist, Aaron Smith, to further this point. Smith states, “research has show that people with an actual connection at home, the ability to go online on a computer at home, are more engaged in a lot of different things that people who rely on access from work, a friend’s house, or a phone” (as cited in Washington, 2011). Creating and updating a resume, and finding online tools to that offer hints about how to do that, is an example of a task that is easier from a computer instead of a mobile device. Phones are convenient for entertainment, but it is important to realize they are not a substitute for having access to a computer.

Finally, the article quotes Peter Chow-White, an author and assistant professor, who said, “As long as you have structural inequalities in society, you cannot expect to have anything less than on the Internet…The Internet is not a separate space from the world, it’s intricately connected to everyday life and social institutions” (as cited in Washington, 2011). To ensure equality, social institutions, like the education system, need to prepare students equally. The education system needs to focus more attention on teaching students to be comfortable with technology, and it needs to stress the importance technology can have on the academic and economic success.

"Ritmo Records owner Miguel Amador meets with customer Ramon Corona in one of his two stores in Camden, N.J. Five years ago, the majority of his revenue came from music CDs. Now his mobile device sales are up 50 percent from last year" (Washington, 2011).

Reference: Washington, J. (2011, Jan.). For minorities, new ‘digital divide’ seen. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-01-10-minorities-online_N.htm .

Cell phone image from chinacellphones.net

"Tech Talk", a Step Towards Limiting the Digital Divide

The digital divide is a concern in America’s classrooms. Overcoming the digital divide should be a priority for teachers and especially for teachers with high percentages of minority, foreign language speaking, and low-income students. In an article that encourages the elimination of the digital divide, Patricia A. Young suggests that “tech talk” is one of the most beneficial approaches to encouraging students to become active participants in the world of technology. Her article is titled “Empowering Minority Students Through Tech Talk” and gives a well detailed explanation of techniques teachers can incorporate into their classrooms to enhance the technological skills of all students, including minorities.

Young explains that “tech talk is the active use of computer lingo to communicate” (Young, 2002, 46). Young furthers the definition of tech talk when she states that “tech talk is the language of communication used in the technology industry” (Young, 2002, 46). In these two statements Young refers to tech talk as a language (or lingo); tech talk should therefore be taught as a language. Each student will learn this language at different speeds and tech talk needs to be used frequently and thoroughly for all students to fully learn and comprehend it.

Young realizes the importance of tech talk for all students but her article focuses on the importance of minority students’ exposure to extensive tech talk, “using tech talk with all students, but particularly with minority children, is imperative to their acquisition of language and their future in this technologically driven society” (Young, 2002, 46). This statement acknowledges that while all students need to be well versed in tech talk, it points out that minority students, and I would go so far as to say students with a first language other than English, particularly need educated about the jargon of technology. With increased knowledge of tech talk, minority students gain comfort and confidence with both technology and the language that surrounds that technology.

In order to use tech talk in the classroom, teachers need to make sure they are comfortable with this form of language and should remember that “consistent repetition helps you become comfortable with speaking, writing, and teaching about technology. This comfort level enhances your ability to use technology. Students notice your ease of using tech talk, and they become more comfortable” (Young, 2002, 47). Frequent use of tech talk is a way to help students gain confidence in using this new language of technology in the classroom. I would add to Young’s above statement and include that a teacher should also acknowledge his or her own questions about new technology within the classroom, students will then learn it is okay to ask questions about technology. Technology develops and changes quickly and it is important for students to know that “tech talk” is a constantly developing language that students can inquire about without looking foolish or underprivileged. Young suggests that with some conscious effort, “tech talk can become an integral part of the classroom discourse” (Young, 2002, 46). Once tech talk becomes part of the classroom discourse students can feel at ease with learning technology and the digital divide can begin to decrease.

Young encourages teachers to use tech talk and gives real world examples and recommendations for ways to incorporate tech talk into lesson plans; she recommends teachers “provide opportunities where students produce things with technology. For example, students can publish a class newsletter and distribute it throughout the school. They could produce videos as an extension activity to a lesson. Or using hypermedia-authoring programs like KidPix, Hyperstudio, or PowerPoint, students could create presentations, class hypermedia books, or other learning activities. Again, students should be allowed to incorporate things specific to their prior experiences, culture, language, community or ethnic identity” (Young, 2002, 48). I found this lengthy passage insightful because it encourages combining technology and each student’s culture. This allows students to learn the new language of tech talk while connecting to the comforts of their own cultures. The education exercises and activities Young listed can also grow as technology changes and develops over the years. Young emphasizes the importance of teachers staying up to date on new technology and constantly striving to incorporate that technology into their classrooms. Incorporating technology into the classroom and pairing it with extensive tech talk in order to enhance the technological skills of students is one means of decreasing the problematic digital divide.

I have discussed earlier in this blog that students with a second language other than English are particularly hindered in the realm of the digital divide; this article gives some ideas and suggestions about ways to help those students with limited technology access. As students learn how to talk about RAM, short-term storage, java scripts, htmls, gigabytes, AJAXs, operating systems, PC’s, Macs, etc. they gain confidence with technology and are viewed as technologically literate citizens qualified and prepared for a work-force firmly grounded in technology.

Reference:
Young, P. (2002). Empowering minority students through tech talk. TechTrends, 46(2), 46-49. Retrieved from ERIC database (EJ654206).


A Clip of the ultimate tech talk master...




courtesy of Saturday Night Live and Hulu
(While Nick Burns might not be the most the most reliable source, this clip does show that computer lingo is its own language and it's a language that is important in the work force and must therefore be taught in our schools.)

The Digital Divide and Latinos

I recently wrote an analysis for this course about the digital divide and the English-Only Movement. During the research for that analysis I ran across some other interesting sources about the digital divide and foreign language speakers. The Pew Hispanic Center had a particularly interesting report about Latino use of technology. The article, “The Latino Digital Divide: The Native Born Versus the Foreign Born”, has some startling statistics that explain and exemplify the digital divide between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. This article justifies the claim that something must be done to decrease the digital divide; especially between Spanish-speaking and English-dominant citizens.

First, the report states the unfortunate fact that “technology use among foreign-born Latinos continues to lag significantly behind that of their U.S.-born counterparts, according to a new analysis of survey data from the Pew Hispanic Center” (Livingston, 2010, 1). The analysis also points out that “Latinos are the largest minority group and largest immigrant group in the United States” (Livingston, 2010, 1). With Latinos as the largest minority and immigrant group in the US, their inclusion in our digital world should be a top priority.
This article reports a variety of facts about technology use among Hispanics. One particularly useful aspect of this article is the inclusion of cell phone use data as supporting evidence that reveals Hispanics are often on the disadvantaged side of the digital divide. Many articles seem to consider internet use as the primary basis for measuring the digital divide; however, this report acknowledges that technology is more than just getting online. The report also divides data into age groups, making it is easy to see the statistics for high school aged students, which reveals that the educational system can have an impact on the digital divide by targeting this age group’s advancement in technology use and skills. The article states, “among Latino teens ages 16-19, the native-born are more likely to use a cell phone than the foreign born [81% versus 67%], and the third generation is more likely to do so than the second generation [90%-78%]” (Livingston, 2010, 3). The statistics of cell phone use for 16-19 year old Latinos reveals an obvious divide that needs repair.

The article also includes the role of English-speaking ability and its impact on the digital divide; “another indicator of assimilation, English proficiency, is also linked to cell phone use among Latinos ages 16 and older. Some 84% of those who are English-dominant use cell phones, compared with 76% of those who are bilingual and 69% of those who use primarily Spanish” (3). That makes a 25% difference between cell phone use for English-dominant and Spanish-speaking Latinos!

The article also discusses statistics about internet use and explains how foreign born Latinos use the internet less than Latinos born in the United States. The report claims “English proficiency is also closely linked with internet use, some 87% of English-dominant Latinos ages 16 and older go online, compared with 77% of Latinos who are bilingual. This share drops to only 35% for Spanish-dominant Latinos” (Livingston, 2010, 5). This startling statistics reveals the importance of English ability in accessing and using the internet.
The report has statistic after statistic about technology use amongst Latinos and provides graphs and charts to represent their findings. Finally, the end of the article explains the methodology for this study and includes the margins of error. The numbers and graphs throughout this report really provide scientific support to highlight the concerns of the digital divide. The digital divide is a serious problem and is adversely affecting Spanish-speaking Latinos in our nation. The fact that this article does not provide suggestions for how to improve this problem only lends more credibility to the site. This report reveals the facts, it up to the government and education system to take the necessary steps to change these statistics.

Reference:

Livingston, G. (2010) The latino digital divide: the native born versus the foreign born. Pew Hispanic Center. Retrieved February 10, 2011, from

“Internet Divide Remains for Minorities” January 10, 2010

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41023900/ns/us_news-life/

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A video clip on MSNBC discusses the digital divide and the impact the divide has on minorities in the United States. As this story opens, announcer Alex Witt explains the severity of the digital divide, “for many minorities the internet is still an explored frontier and the depth of the digital divide may surprise you. Only 42% or African-American and Hispanic consumers use the internet regularly. 30% are occasional users and 16% do not use the internet at all” (Witt, 2010). Witt credits these statistics to the Internet Innovation Alliance. These statistics emphasize the fact that the digital divide is currently a relevant issue in American culture. While the digital divide is often related to ethnicity, gender, or economic status, this video clip focuses primarily on the impact the digital divide has on minorities in our country. Those on the have-not side of the digital divide, in this case a high percentage of minorities, are shorted opportunity in today’s digital world. A lack of access to and use of certain technologies are a detriment to economic success in today’s culture. 

 The guest speaker in this video clip is the chairman and CEO of the Alliance for Digital Equality, Julius Hollis. Hollis explains the empowering benefits of technological access. Hollis claims he fears “that a large segment of our society will be essentially dysfunctional and disenfranchised from our economy because of the lack of understanding of how informative the digital technology is in terms of broadband” (Hollis, 2010). When a portion of our society is detached from the current digital technology, the country suffers. Below average use of modern technology is synonymous with below average economic and educational contributions due to the fact that so much of the business world relies on heavy technology use. Hollis emphasizes the importance of “digital empowerment programs” to educate Hispanic and African American communities with limited access to broadband and other technology (Hollis, 2010). Hollis suggests that “if we fail to act in a progressive way, then we are in fact creating a situation which will be disastrous for our societies in years to come” (Hollis, 2010). In this statement, Hollis claims that the current digital divide is a national problem that will be a detriment to the nation as a whole if something is not done to solve the problem.

Even though the digital divide is a separate topic from the issues we have recently been discussing in class, it unfortunately ties in very closely with the concept of Standard English and English Only classrooms.

Earlier in class we discussed the idea of Standard English and the expectations to use this form of English in most professional settings. In my opinion, Technology is a sort of offshoot of Standard English. If someone goes into a job interview, they need to be able to talk the talk of technology. An individual needs to know how to efficiently not only use the internet, but modern software and upcoming technologies as well. If someone is raised within a household or community that only offers limited access to the internet and the technology that comes along with it, that person is at a serious disadvantage for gaining employment. Technology is a language that  students must know how to speak if they hope to succeed in today’s business world and the MSNBC clip discussed above supports the claim that minorities, those with either strong dialects or those with English as a second language, are some the people most hindered by the digital divide. Unfortunately, these are also the people that are neglected by our educational systems as we discussed in class the last couple of weeks. A change needs to be made in our educational system both to accommodate to African American dialects, English as a second language learners, and students with limited access to technology if equality within the classroom is ever going to be achieved.

Witt ,A. (Interviewer) & Hollis, J. (Interviewee). (2010). Internet divide remains for minorities. MSNBC. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34793083#34793083.

Here’s a link to Alliance for Digital Equality, Hollis' organization's website:  alliancefordigitalequality.org

Also, here is another clip regarding the digital divide and urban communities: