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Title page

Introduction

1.Defining Digital Divide

2.Education and Digital Divide

3.Golobal Digital Divide

4.Digital Divide and political impacts

5.Conclusions

Appendix

List of Reference





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Education and digital divide

 

 According to contemporary study, the rates of use of internet among children age 5-to-17 year old became higher in rapid speed, especially in America. (Debell, and Chapman 1)The report states that rates of computer use among children and young adults in school sprung from 27 percent in 1984 to 69 percent in 1997; and among them, two thirds of children and young adults have been internet users by 2001. (Debell, and Chapman 3)These trends, however, are more prominent among socioeconomically advantaged groups such as White children in rich school compare to Black or Hispanic background students. (Debell, and Chapman 6)This can be explained number of reasons including the accessibility to computers in schools according to financial status of either the school itself or the student; and the availability and support for appropriate training for teachers. What is significant about the technology education is that the access to technology does not only affect the learning experience of students in school, but also has impact on the beyond scale including employment in the future. As mentioned above, today's society has become increasingly dependent upon knowledge and information, as well as technological skill. This is why most of developed countries are attempt to encourage their schools and teachers to train children and adolescents to study and acquire digital technology skills. The specific example can be found in the former President Bill Clinton's administration in USA about their "global information highway" speech in 1996. (Couldry 186) In the speech, the former Vice President Al Gore stated that he and the President Clinton have challenged to ensure all of their teachers and students to have an " access to modern computers and engaging educational software"; to provide " all teachers with the training and support they need in order to help students make the most of" all new technology; and to make sure that no children will be left behind and "separated" by digital divide. Furthermore, the President Bill Clinton marked that the world is being transformed by technology therefore creating "unimaginable" and unlimited possibility of new and broad jobs that does not exist yet; and that it is their responsibility to make sure every students have opportunity to make best out of that possibilities. (The White House) Although this was spoken more than ten years ago, it clearly shows how the government of the United States was supportive of technology education of their students, which explains one of the many reasons the internet usage and the digital telecommunication in the US shows remarkable high numbers compare to other countries. According to statistic data, even though the numbers of internet user rates in developing nations have increased in significant numbers (figure 1), they are still yet to reach even the half-way to the level of North America. (Robison, and Crenshaw 37) In short, socio-economical status differences exist in each class within country or each nation and whether supports for providing proper education on digital technology for both teachers and students is available or not plays essential role in educating digital technology; hence the gaps exist in internet usage among children and the young adults.