The Digital Divide: It's a Long Way Across

This morning I was listening to an NPR segment on the Ebola epidemic that has now affected more than 1200 people and it looks like it has spread into Lagos, Nigeria's most heavily populated city.   (They don't have transcripts online yet, so I can't link it for you) As I was listening, the discussion moved to literacy and that, of those who are literate - they quoted 50%, the vast majority of those are only functionally literate. This means that nearly all of the people affected do not have the level of literacy to understand a print source discussing what a virus is and how to decrease the spread of one.

It brings us back to this divide in literacy and involves the digital divide as Aleph Molinari's and Sugata Mitra's Ted Talks. Some might ask, "How does this involve the digital divide?" It has to do with speed, interconnectedness, and resources that can provide accurate information. If, as Molinari and RIS have done in Mexico, there were spaces where people could gather to increase their levels of literacy and obtain digital literacy, a virus could be researched, information disseminated, and doctors could be contacted through the speed of the internet. The chances that this epidemic could have been slowed by earlier by more understanding are great because while Ebola cannot be cured, it can be treated. Because of a lack of understanding, families were hiding their sick relatives and attacking health care workers who were trying to save the sick; because of cultural tradition, people were falling on and crying on the dead bodies of their loved ones, not knowing that at the time of death the Ebola virus is at its most dangerous.

I take for granted that when I hear a word I don't know, I can look it up online and find resources that are as basic or complex as I need them to be. Before this morning's news and my searches that are concurrent with writing this blog, I knew very little about Ebola beyond that it's a virus and that it sounds really scary. With a few clicks, I've learned a lot - but I have access - and that is what this digital divide is about.

The digital divide doesn't just happen in areas outside of North America and Europe. In my classes I have student who are on the newest iPhones, bring in laptops from home, share their latest mixes with me created with professional-grade software, and teach me how to use Prezi. I have other students without cell phones and/or internet at home who need help signing into Google Docs and still don't know how to get into Campus to check their missing assignments. This isn't the socioeconomic divide that was occurring in the suburbs when I was in 7th grade and thought/hoped/was pathetically certain that if only I had a pair of Guess? jeans that the popular (rich) kids would invite me to sit with them in the cafeteria (I got the jeans. They didn't.). This is a divide that keeps knowledge, power, economic potential, and more out of the hands of billions.

Digital Divide

Using Animoto was a good challenge for me in forcing me to edit and be very selective. I think that it would be a great tool for my students who ramble and a fun way to deliver a message primarily using visuals.

I don't have an iPad, but we are going 1:1 next year, so I need to start looking at how I want to use them in my classroom. Here is an article I found that wasn't nearly as overwhelming as "THE BEST TOP iPAD APPS THAT ARE MUST HAVES FOR EVERY CLASSROOM EVER" articles that kept popping up - I would love advice from those of you who have used iPads/tablets in class.

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/07/07/10-incredible-ipad-apps-for-education/