Addressing the Digital Divide

What is the Digital Divide? According to the International Telecommunications Union, (Digital Divide: What it is and why it matters) "Digital Divide" refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not. This website explains socioeconomics reflecting on the benefits of technology on the wealthy in contrast to lower income people. The following is suggested: “Thus giving to the poor digital technology that has been designed for the rich may actually add to the causes of poverty and accelerate the exodus of the rural poor into cities already bursting at the seams. “ (Digital Divide: What it is and why it matters) This is true if there is a lack of education that supports the technology, and a lack of cultural understanding by the educators.

As a leader in educational technology it is my responsibility to support the school systems, the education associations, and the communities to push for improvements in quality education, and in quality technology resources. Equal access to technology needs to be provided, and so must the quality of education to utilize the technology.

In providing a quality education, it means that there must be an understanding and appreciation of the cultural and societal differences. Dr. Thornburg (2009) states, “When bringing in technologies to other countries, we must understand the cultures to see what technologies are appropriate given their realities. In all of our studies as educators we have learned that in order to make a difference in the level of learning that a student acquires, we must draw from their prior knowledge and their cultures. When students see how a lesson or a topic affects their lives, they will appreciate how to benefit from the emerging technology. It shows them that the emerging technology is not taking anything away from them or making them compromise their livelihood. It is here in my role as a leader in educational technology that I must make learning and the learning of technology (or with technology) meaningful to diverse students—to all students.

I really like the quote by William Gibson: “The future arrived; it just wasn't equally distributed.” I can’t help but think that; “ Education arrived; it just isn’t equally distributed,” is a quote that the former cannot exist without.

Thornburg, D. D. (2009). Diversity and globalism. [Vodcast]. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199715&Survey=1&47=5797856&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Digital Divide: What it is and why it matters. (n.d.). Retrieved August 22, 2010, from Digitial Divide.org Ushering in the Second Revolution: http://www.digitaldivide.org/digitaldivide.html

Red Queens and Increasing Returns

I first searched the library online to reserve a copy. The problem with this was that it would take a few days for them to remove it from the shelf and put it on hold. The other problem was that most copies were in VHS format. I could have chosen this option, since I have a VHS/DVD player, but I prefer the DVD. Also, it just would have been faster and easier to go to the store directly and check it out in person. I thought about digitally downloading it, but I couldn't decide which movie I wanted to watch. So I did a search on Blockbuster's inventory and found out which movies they carried and at which location I should go to. I found one close location that had 3 of the 4 movies which gave me options. So I rented all 3 of them, and decided later which one to watch and review. Also, I chose to go to the store because I like to get out of the house and just browse through the selections.

The DVD has the advantage of being portable, and of being able to be kept and stored. It is hard for me to look at these two technologies as being representative of increasing returns because ultimately, the digital downloads would be copied and stored on a DVD. I think that it is an example of Red Queens for the DVD. It must compete with the convenience of downloading a movie directly to your computer or Xbox 360 or Wii. Blockbuster and Netflix realize this. With their services, you not only can digitally download a movie, but you can still rent DVDs and have them delivered directly to your home via the mail. You don't have to drive to the store to rent a movie. You can simply go to your mailbox. I think that this is where the DVD is running and running trying to keep its usefulness apparent to the public. With a couple of DVDs that I have recently rented, there are two in the case, one which is the movie, and the other which is in a digital format to be shown on the computer.

The digital downloads seem to be in the "enhances" quadrant, improving the speed of which to view a movie, but it doesn't completely improve the DVD because it lacks portability. The DVD is still in the "rekindles quadrant", as it rekindles personal recording, and motion picture recordings that can be stored and viewed many times at home.

 

http://www.netflix.com/HowItWorks

http://www.blockbuster.com/download/ondemand101

Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.