Comments on: The Other Digital Divide http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2009/03/25/the-other-digital-divide/ The official blog of the Young Adult Library Services Association Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:29:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mk http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2009/03/25/the-other-digital-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-10367 mk Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:33:18 +0000 http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?p=3807#comment-10367 Sounds like I have a lot in common with other commenters--our library is dealing with only having certain software (like Publisher, and the necessary converter for opening .docx files in older versions of Word) on one or two computers, district-wide blocking of YouTube... I think a very real factor in this divide is the fact that many adults (yes, including teachers and librarians) simply aren't comfortable with the technology. "Look it up when you get home" is sometimes code for "I don't know how to find that." Sounds like I have a lot in common with other commenters–our library is dealing with only having certain software (like Publisher, and the necessary converter for opening .docx files in older versions of Word) on one or two computers, district-wide blocking of YouTube…

I think a very real factor in this divide is the fact that many adults (yes, including teachers and librarians) simply aren’t comfortable with the technology. “Look it up when you get home” is sometimes code for “I don’t know how to find that.”

]]> By: Mary Ann http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2009/03/25/the-other-digital-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-10365 Mary Ann Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:40:03 +0000 http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?p=3807#comment-10365 This is a very real issue which is finally garnering some attention. The real digital divide is less likely to be based on age and much more likely to be based on access. My stepdaughter does not have access at her mother's house - it is an ongoing source of frustration both for her in trying to get her homework done, and for me who feels quite strongly that the situation is handicapping her learning. She constantly has teachers tell her to go home and look it up online. That is usually when I get a phone call. Furthermore she has teachers who only accept assignments completed with Microsoft products - despite the fact that she is learning the same skills, and the content is the same when she uses her hand me down Mac that I gave her to help alleviate the problem. Compounding this is the lack of a school librarian, and a public library that is closed more than it is open. Libraries have an opportunity to fill a very real need. I opened late some nights to help students who had after school practices when we had large research and/or tech assignments due. I provided online support in using the tools at night for those who did have access but needed help with skills. One thing that goes unmentioned in this post but also complicates the access divide is the issue of filters. In the library our students can not watch video online - any video. Resources other kids have access to at home are filtered in the library - ie: YouTube, certain wikis and blogs. Social networks (which I get but still . . .) - students share and do homework using SN but those who rely on school library for access lose that opportunity. And I'm sure that is true in some public libraries as well. I'm glas you posted on this - the access divide is real, and creates a well have/have not problem This is a very real issue which is finally garnering some attention. The real digital divide is less likely to be based on age and much more likely to be based on access.
My stepdaughter does not have access at her mother’s house – it is an ongoing source of frustration both for her in trying to get her homework done, and for me who feels quite strongly that the situation is handicapping her learning. She constantly has teachers tell her to go home and look it up online. That is usually when I get a phone call. Furthermore she has teachers who only accept assignments completed with Microsoft products – despite the fact that she is learning the same skills, and the content is the same when she uses her hand me down Mac that I gave her to help alleviate the problem. Compounding this is the lack of a school librarian, and a public library that is closed more than it is open.
Libraries have an opportunity to fill a very real need. I opened late some nights to help students who had after school practices when we had large research and/or tech assignments due. I provided online support in using the tools at night for those who did have access but needed help with skills.
One thing that goes unmentioned in this post but also complicates the access divide is the issue of filters. In the library our students can not watch video online – any video. Resources other kids have access to at home are filtered in the library – ie: YouTube, certain wikis and blogs. Social networks (which I get but still . . .) – students share and do homework using SN but those who rely on school library for access lose that opportunity. And I’m sure that is true in some public libraries as well.
I’m glas you posted on this – the access divide is real, and creates a well have/have not problem

]]> By: lollibrarian http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2009/03/25/the-other-digital-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-10362 lollibrarian Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:36:36 +0000 http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?p=3807#comment-10362 A lot of students at the school where I recently worked do not have access to computers or high-speed Internet at home. Rather than this situation preventing teachers from giving tech-based assignments, the school tries to provide opportunities for students to engage in those activities while in the school building. When I asked teachers how they cope with the discrepancies between students who are wired and those that are not, they told me that they give more time for assignments that require students to go online. The school library media center is open before school and until 5pm Monday-Thursday, enabling students to utilize the resources the school has outside of class time. I think school libraries really need to offer those extended hours to students who don't have other means of computer or Internet access. When I did a lesson using the software, Comic Life, some students were able to download the program to their home computers; others, though, visited the library during lunch and after school to complete their projects. All of this work was completed in addition to the several hours of class time devoted to the project. The school also offers an Information Literacy class where students collaborate on a Ning social networking site set-up just for their school, create screencast tutorials about Web and library resources, and are introduced to many other Web 2.0 technology tools. If a small, rural middle/high school can do it, then every school should be able to offer this type of training and access to their students. A lot of students at the school where I recently worked do not have access to computers or high-speed Internet at home. Rather than this situation preventing teachers from giving tech-based assignments, the school tries to provide opportunities for students to engage in those activities while in the school building. When I asked teachers how they cope with the discrepancies between students who are wired and those that are not, they told me that they give more time for assignments that require students to go online. The school library media center is open before school and until 5pm Monday-Thursday, enabling students to utilize the resources the school has outside of class time. I think school libraries really need to offer those extended hours to students who don’t have other means of computer or Internet access. When I did a lesson using the software, Comic Life, some students were able to download the program to their home computers; others, though, visited the library during lunch and after school to complete their projects. All of this work was completed in addition to the several hours of class time devoted to the project. The school also offers an Information Literacy class where students collaborate on a Ning social networking site set-up just for their school, create screencast tutorials about Web and library resources, and are introduced to many other Web 2.0 technology tools. If a small, rural middle/high school can do it, then every school should be able to offer this type of training and access to their students.

]]> By: Debby http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2009/03/25/the-other-digital-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-10361 Debby Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:31:16 +0000 http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?p=3807#comment-10361 This year we've purchased inexpensive MP3s for audiobook download and checkout. Our local public library subscribes to a cooperative for audio downloads which we access on our students' behalf. The program has had limited appeal to our students but has proven popular with our staff. That is our approach to bridging the digital divide for our patrons for MP3s. I also publicize the existance of OpenOffice.org for those student and faculty who do not have access to MSOffice. Our big digital divide is over MS Publisher. This is not part of the OpenOffice suite, yet creating pamphlets on topics is a favorite exercise for many of our teachers. Things are hoppin' in the library when the pamphlets are due since few have the Publisher program at home. I was interested in the many comments on the U Mass survey that spoke of the appeal of the library commons being that it is a quiet place where students can concentrate without distractions. This seems to fly in the face of much I read in our professional journals about making libraries places where "shhhh" out and boisterous fun is in. This year we’ve purchased inexpensive MP3s for audiobook download and checkout. Our local public library subscribes to a cooperative for audio downloads which we access on our students’ behalf. The program has had limited appeal to our students but has proven popular with our staff. That is our approach to bridging the digital divide for our patrons for MP3s.

I also publicize the existance of OpenOffice.org for those student and faculty who do not have access to MSOffice. Our big digital divide is over MS Publisher. This is not part of the OpenOffice suite, yet creating pamphlets on topics is a favorite exercise for many of our teachers. Things are hoppin’ in the library when the pamphlets are due since few have the Publisher program at home.

I was interested in the many comments on the U Mass survey that spoke of the appeal of the library commons being that it is a quiet place where students can concentrate without distractions. This seems to fly in the face of much I read in our professional journals about making libraries places where “shhhh” out and boisterous fun is in.

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