Week 6- Digital Fluency

This week we logged onto Scratch.mit.edu to create our own cartoon

I found this extremely frustrating to do, and ended up unhappy with my cartoon, due to limited experience on the program, and certain things not working for me.

As a person who grew up with computers, using basic programming comes as second nature to me. Word Processors, Excel Spreadsheets etc. are a piece of cake. This Scratch program, while basic in nature, was extremely difficult to get my head around. This is where I see the real meaning of Digital Fluency and where it could be a problem

We not only need a basic level in which every student needs to reach in regards to technologies, but also need to adjust our viewpoints as to how digitally fluent children are in school. Gerald White writes “The knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to harness new digital media for teaching and learning are an extension of many traditional skills but with the complex addition of new skills and a changed focus” (Digital Fluency for the Digital Age. 2013)

We need to remember that just because schools teach with different technologies, not all students will be able to use them, and compete on the same level

My Cartoon:http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/21521879/#player

REFERENCES:

Howell, J. (2012) Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaboration and Creativity. South Melbourne, Victoria. Oxford University Press

White, G. (2013). Digital Fluency for the Digital Age. Retrieved from http://rd.acer.edu.au/article/digital-fluency-for-the-digital-age

http://www.scratch.mit.edu

Week 4- Digital Divide

This week we covered the Digital Divide

There are many reasons for the Digital Divide in today’s society, but I thought I would look up close and personal at two in particular. Affordability and accessibility

Affordability is probably the biggest reason for the digital divide. Some people simply cannot afford a computer, or the internet, or any other digital devices. Statistics have shown that children from higher socio-economic backgrounds have more digital fluency than those of lower socio-economic backgrounds. In fact, of the children that showed average or higher technological fluency, 72% of those were children from middle to upper socio-economical backgrounds (MCEEDYA National Assessment Program- ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10. 2008)

Accessibility is still a huge issue in Australia. Metropolitan areas have better access to the Internet than rural areas, which puts them at a disadvantage. Jane Curtin writes “There has been an increase in the percentage of people in rural and regional Australia who have access to computers at home and the percentage of country people with access to the Internet has more than doubled since 1998. However, use by country people has yet to reach the level of use in capital cities” (Curtin. 2001.)She continues “The cost of Internet access remains higher for those who live in rural and regional Australia….” (Curtin. 2001)

REFERENCES

Patterns of Internet Access. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0.55.001</p

Curtin, J. (2001). A Digital Divide in Rural and Regional Australia. Retrieved from http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Publications_Archive/CIB/cib0102/02CIB01

Howell, J. (2012) Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaboration and Creativity. South Melbourne, Victoria. Oxford University Press

Mahesh, S. (2013) Digital Divide still an issue for Low Income Earners. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/digital-divide-still-an-issue-for-low-income-earners-20140226-33i7l.html