Read the summary (only) of report focusing on Home Broadband Adoption 2010 --http://www.pewinternet.org/Commentary/2010/February/FCC-Broadband-Adoption-and-Use-in-America.aspx.
In the comments section of this posting, include three findings that are important for teachers.
You are encouraged to read (and post comments on) other scholars' comments.
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ReplyDeleteAs a teacher in a highly Hispanic area I always think that I am going to see more students without internet, but every year more and more students have computers and internet at home. Even many of their parents are getting online to check their grades.
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ReplyDeleteI teach in an extremely African-American neighborhood and many of my students struggle to do internet-learning at home. Although my school building has three labs for student use, there are heavy security and restrictions on staff and students alike on youtube.com, twitter and google sites. I believe that this fact is a disservice to all of my students because they are not able to practice responsible internet-learning. Throughout the required reading I found reasons for the high security: adults who are not familiar with the internet and its benefits are often in fear of it. Thus, the people who are "in charge" of school district funding are typically within the age groups cited in the article who have little to no internet-learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with B that so many security restrictions can cause problems for both teachers and students. We have server issues regularly where students lose their work and teachers get so frustrated they won't use the labs. If we would allow students (at the middle school) to have access to gmail, we could use documents and save to the cloud. That way students could work from home on PCs OR Macs, and teachers could edit online.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to remember that not all of our students come from a place where education is valued and/or that their families might be struggling to get by. It is a perfect example of how the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. We need to empathize, encourage and enable these students the best we can.
This article points out some interesting things for us in education. The statistic that 78% of U.S. adults are internet users shows the importance of incorporating technology into education. Teachers can work with students to set up websites for classroom newsletters and share other information. I have seen a teacher who has utilized computers by having each student create a video of stories they had written pertaining to science. The teacher then developed a website to share with the parents so they could see what their children are doing in class. It can be a great communication tool!
ReplyDeleteSeeing that many elderly and people of low socioeconomic status, especially Hispanics and African Americans, are missing out on these huge opportunities shows the need to provide paper based forms of newsletters and online tools as well. Like Trace stated, it seems like the rich get richer and the poor get poorer with the opportunities provided. Knowing these statistics shows the importance of providing technology training opportunities and resources geared towards low income populations.
I teach in a school where the vast majority of students are Hispanic. In a brief show of hands survey I found that many of my students did not have access to internet in their homes. This can make homework problematic for these students without access to the internet. Parents of these students are also affected by this because they are not as easily able to access their students grades to monitor their progress.
ReplyDeleteThe digitally distant group is also interesting to me. Older teachers are missing out on all of the possibilities that the internet offers. A great wealth of knowledge can be found with the click of a few buttons. The students in their classrooms would be more than interested in teaching the teacher because it means they get to use the technology.
The group labeled digitally uncomfortable was disheartening to me. Maybe it is because I find myself to be technologically savvy, but almost anything I can think of can be found on the internet as a video tutorial. I think these people are scared of breaking technology so they tend to stay away from it.
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ReplyDeleteDwight says
ReplyDeleteI agree with b in that OPS are too restrictive with internet sites and emails.
I have tried to show many very mild non controversial u tube videos that were restricted.
This greatly reduces what you can show students for educational purposes
Dwight says
ReplyDeleteI found Ms. Fox’s article consistent with what I have observed.
The observations I would make are that fewer older people use technology as much as young people do.
Many poor and minority people do not have access to computers at home or the training to use them.
Because of this you can't give homework to students requiring a computer unless you know they will have access to them either in the school or at home.
She also stated that a large majority of people have internet and/ or broadband access but 7% lack the skills or the interest in acquiring in using these tools effectively.
One important finding for teachers is that low income households have broadband adoption in only 40% of households. This will impact the ability to assign homework where internet access is needed.
ReplyDeleteAnother finding that is relevant to teachers is that 68% of broadband users said they use the internet to communicate with family and friends. This may also be a good way for teachers to stay in contact with parents either through e-mail or school/classroom websites.
The third finding that could be important to teachers is that 81% of broadband users feel the internet is a valuable resource for information and learning. Along with this, 74% agree it's important for kids to use the internet. This could translate into parental support for increased internet use in the schools.
The numbers really made a lot of sense to me. I know from experience, of my immediate circle of adult friends, that there are those that own computers, but don't really see the need, particularly those that are retired. Years ago, after my father retired, I got him a computer. I figured it would be a good tool for him to keep in touch with friends and co-workers, and keep him out of my mother's hair. Additionally, he has always had a thirst for knowledge so I thought a computer was the answer to curb the inevitable "boredom." I was wrong. The computer just sat for years. The only use it got was when one of my siblings came to visit. My father said it was too complicated and when he "messed up" he couldn't fix it. He found it easier to write letters and read books.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that stood out the most to me in this article was the gap between internet use among homes with different socioeconomic status. There were less internet users in homes with low socioeconomic status. I think this is just another way the achievement gap is being widened. As a teacher I think it is important to know this and understand this reality so that we use the internet in our classrooms. We can't assume students will know how to use the internet because they use it at home because they may not have it. It's important to use the internet in school so that students learn important computer and internet skills.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that stood out to me while reading this article was that 81 percent of people surveyed felt like the internet was important for learning. I agree. Obviously we use the internet for learning at school, but I wonder how often people really use it for learning at home?
In this Summary on Home Broadband adoptions, the survey conducted by the Federal Communications Commission's in 2009 found that most
ReplyDeleteAmericans use internet connection from home or someplace else like work or a friend's place or a family member's place.
The first finding of the survey is that internet is a means of communications for the majority of Americans. This finding applies also to teachers for, they need internet to stay in touch with their loved ones and this also helps in their teaching career.
The second finding is that internet is used as a way to gather information. Teachers as well as other broadband users research information about many things online.
The third finding is that the internet is a learning tool for children. Children need to learn to use the internet since teachers also use the internet to teach them at school.
First off, I think that this article has to be taken lightly as it surveyed just over 5,000 American adults for these statistics. Although it may be representative of the population-that stuck out to me.
ReplyDeleteNext, I think that although 78% are using the internet, it goes back to what they are using it for. I know many people who have their homepage set to their Facebook page and only use their computer to look at statuses. I wonder how much that has changed over the past 2+ years since the article was written as well as how internet usage has changed with the ever increasing access to smart phones.
As for teachers, I wonder how many teachers are aware of the massive amounts of 'junk' that can be found on the internet. Many different sites may have false or old information. I think that with the increasing numbers of people are using this tool, that teachers/students/general population need to be cautious about the information they find.
I also think that that smaller groups that do not use/have access to the internet may not be a necessarily strictly 'bad' thing. I think that although knowing how to type 120 words/minute is an important skill, that many people can be just as successful without ever learning. In addition, a point was brought to my attention. I was talking with someone who has traveled weekly to all over the U.S. for the last 20+ years. He has noticed the ever increasing lack of eye contact made by anyone in airports as they walk from terminal to terminal. Almost everyone has their heads down playing with their phones... wonder how that going to effect this next generation with social skills in the long run?
I agree with Kristin in that we first need to look at the details of the statistics at hand. Also, I agree with others who have commented on the lack of internet access for those in different socio-economic status' not being able to have equal access to internet for assignments. However, I found it optimistic that approximately 78% of the population are internet users (when the article was written) and know that as time passes the number of those without access will decrease.
ReplyDeleteI think that this article provides good information for teachers to consider when assigning homework that needs to be completed using internet and also when expecting all parents to be monitoring their student's grades/progress on-line. I also think that this article points out that educators need to be aware of students in their classes who might not have any other experiences with internet than in the classroom. It is improtant then for these students to learn the skills that will benefit them in their future such as how to find the resources, research, information, or programs they might need.
I think these statistics are eye opening, especially for teachers, in the fact that even though we might think that everybody uses the internet and/or owns their own computer, some of the families of the children that we are teaching do not have access to a computer. Therefore the children will not be able to familiarize themselves with the internet at home. This is why it is so important that we are teaching these children to use the internet/computers at school. In their day and age it is essential for them to be proficient at computer use and internet use. We cannot simply assume that a child is sitting at home playing around on the computer all day. There are many families who simply cannot afford this luxury.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I believe that it is a teacher's duty, as an educator, to know how to utilize the internet in the classroom. Schools should hold training days where teachers come in to learn the ins and outs of internet/computer use. I think that it would be extremely beneficial to our students, as well as to our teachers. It is such a huge part of society that really everybody should use the internet.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Kristin that we have to take into consideration the scope of the population surveyed. I think it does propose important issues to keep in mind when incorporating technology and assignments that require use of a computer outside of class. As educators we need to focus on how we can provide equal opportunities to students living in lower socio-economic conditions. I found the article informative for educators. The statistics were not completely shocking and it can be assumed that those in households of lower income and education would have less access to resources. The high percentage of adults and students who use Broadband emphasizes the need to utilize technology in the classroom. The article's statistics highlighted the need to help students become proficient in technological skills.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kristin regaurding the scope and age of the survey. I also question the have access to... statements. The real quesion is, What are they using it for? Do the see it as an educational tool or an entertainment device. I am also at OPS and the restructions, while in some cases nessisary, make getting to info and communicating very difficult. I agree with KellyAnn that we should have more training in our schools for teachers but I would also like to see us exstent that into our community. If I held a class for parents in the lower socio-economic group would anyone show or would they fall in the group that the artical defined as "living with someone who uses."
ReplyDeleteThe main thing I took from this article was the huge difference in home computer ownership between the "classes". The lower the SES the less computers there are. This makes sense. As a teacher I have to remember this and never require out of class work using any kind of technology. I also can't assume that a student will already know how to use technology. I also can't avoid technology because it is a skill that students need to learn.
ReplyDeleteI found this article fascinating. I hated to see that some people are still on dial-up, but was glad to see that most people have access at home via broadband. I hadn't thought about it, but I wasn't surprised to learn that lower socioeconomic groups rely on smart phones to access the Internet. If only smart phones are going to be produced in the near future. everybody is going to have access if they can afford the data plan.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that broadband is a necessary tool in the home. But will eventually be outsourced with the modern cell phone systems in place. I personally cannot see me ever getting rid of my broadband, but it appears that cell phones will make it obsolete. The numbers regarding the access of computers in homes still boggles my mind. It seems higher than the "social class system" allows.
ReplyDeleteI teach at Millard West where the clientele is predominately white and although many come from middle to middle upper class families, I still have some students who do not have internet access at home which always really surprises me. It also can make assigning certain homework assignments difficult. I have actually had some students use their smartphones to complete an entire assignment because of this. -Andrea Carson
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