Abstract+for+Chapter+2

This is going to be for the abstract for Chapter 2 Bridging digital and cultural divides TPCK for equity of access to technology.

Chapter 2 Bridging digital and cultural divides TPCK for equity of access to technology

Abstract

Bridging the digital and cultural divides means "being able to teach any subject with technology in ways that makes it accessible to all students regardless of their backgrounds or socioeconomic status". In order to address some of the gaps in teaching with technology we must first acknowledge that such divides do exist. ICT literacy presents a problem since it needs to be accessible to all children at the K-12 school levels. In practice, this can be very hard to accomplish because of other factors that come into the mix. Factors such as ethnic origin, low-income families,children whose first language isn't English or children who have lower achievement have been identified as some of the culprits of the wicked digital divide problem. Three digital divides have been identified, and have been designated as the first, second, and third divides. The first divide is where the rubber meets the road because it refers to those school children who have ICT access to computers, scanners, camcorders and access to the Internet and those who do not. The second digital divide refers to ineffective technology mediated instruction (TMI), which is observed more frequently among students whose backgrounds are from families who are low-income or minorities. The third digital divide refers to the high or low degree that technology mediated instruction (TMI) is culturally sensitive to children's backgrounds. A feasible solution to the three digital divides is the TPCK model, which serves as a model for meeting the challenges of teaching all children with technology.

Chapter 2 ( Chapter Summary) Bridging digital and cultural divides TPCK for equity of access to technology

This chapter addresses the need for equity of access to information and communication (ICT) for students of all backgrounds. The use of digital technology is becoming wide spread all across the United States schools' curricula. Integration of technology in all school disciplines at the K-12 levels has become a reality. Therefore, access to technology has also increased in importance because this access allows students at all school levels to achieve ICT literacy.

Why is ICT literacy so important now? The globalization of the world economies has caused a shift in the way technology and science are applied. Countries around the globe are increasingly becoming more reliant on them. A new paradigm seems to be buoying to the surface of the world's economies. It has been designated as the third industrial revolution or "informationalism". Like the boy or the girl from the farm who was allured by the possibility of adventure and wealth at the factory in the city at the dawn of the industrial revolution, people, today, are being challenged to have the capacity to take knowledge as their raw material, and turn it into products in the form of services. The focus of TPCK for equity of access to technology is the use of technology in order to teach any school subject, and at the same time make it accessible to all students at the K-12 levels, including those students who are at a disadvantage because of their backgrounds. Teacher educational programs need to be designed in such fashion that they give educators the pedagogical tools; so that, they can be better equipped to think of Proxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 dagogical solutions, and aid children to become ITC literate at all K-12 levels.

Why is ICT literacy considered to be a progressive pedagogical teaching practice?

These pedagogical practices are high on:

1. Educational constructivism

2. Vygotskian social constructivism

These pedagogical practices are low on:

1. "Banking system of education" scale (Freire, 1970)

2. Low on students accumulation of pre-selected facts

3. Low on teacher centrism

As a result these pedagogical practices promote the 21st century skills students need to attain in order to understand, know and apply new knowledge to problems in their communities. They advocate for individuals' thinking and discerning, and at the same time promote the seeking of solutions collectively.

What is the "digital divide"? The "digital divide" separates children who are ethnic minorities, low-income families, culturally different families whose first language is not English or those children who show lower achievement from children who have affluent backgrounds.

How is the "digital divide" categorized? Three divides have been identified. They are designated as the first, second and third divides.

The first digital divide It falls under the umbrella of those who have access to ICT such as computers, scanners, camcorders, access to the Internet, broadband or high-speed access to the Internet from those who do not (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002, 2004). Statistical data shows that there is a pattern in which populations present higher levels of digital technology, in contrast with those who exhibit lower levels. The following chart describes some of the observed trends in information and communication technology (ICT) access in the U.S. population:

High Levels of ITC Low Levels of ITC a. Middle-and high-income families a. low-income families b. White and Asian American families b. Black and Latino families c. 45% of families with annual incomes of $75,000 have ICT access c. 7% of families with annual incomes of $15,000 have ICT access d. Suburban families more likely to have Internet access d. Urban families less likely to have Internet access e. Inner city families more likely to have ICT access e. Rural families less likely to have ICT access f. Younger parents and their children are more likely to have Internet f. Older generations less likely to have been exposed to ICT

Second Digital Divide The main issue of the second digital divide is the ineffective technology mediated instruction (TMI) strategies. The lack of high quality TMI is observed more frequently among schools with student demographic populations of low-income or minority family backgrounds.

Third Digital Divide The third digital divide is perceived by students to the degree that technology mediated instruction (TMI) is culturally sensitive to their backgrounds. The pedagogiacl solution to this digital divide issue is for educators to be more more aware, and sensitive to cultural differences, and solve them by embracing them, and deliberately incorporate them into TMI.

Common Threads

Digital Divide One:

• Not surprising to anyone • Access to technology is limited for low income families (oftentimes linguistic and/or cultural barriers play a role) • Educators need to be sensitive to the fact that many families have limited resources

Digital Divide Two:

• “Equity is more complex than simple presence or absence of equipment” (p 33). • Teachers need to become more skilled technologically • Teachers need adequate professional development to aid them with technology • Some teachers (often veteran teachers) struggle with technology and shut down or refuse to use it.

Digital Divide Three:

• It is important to be aware of cultural diversity and student backgrounds. • We never have had training to evaluate programs and software for cultural diversity.

Other Threads:

• Many of us use technology in our classrooms. • If students can’t have access at home, they should have it at school • We need to involve parents and the community if we want to bridge this divide.

This is a shortter version of the abstract for Chapter 2 Bridging digital and cultural divides TPCK for equity of access to technology.