This week I read Digital Citizenship in Schools by Mike Ribble and Gerald Bailey. The authors provide a frame work for teachers to successfully design, implement, and provide instruction for students and professional development for teachers but, although parental and community participation are mentioned, the authors do not provide insight on how to engage and educate the school community located outside of the scholastic setting.
Prior to reading this text, I posted my views on the recent United Nations session that resulted in the declaration that access to high-speed Internet is a basic human right. The UN's decision ties directly to the first of nine essential elements of digital citizenship, digital access, identified by authors Ribble and Bailey. Unlike the UN document, which focuses more on the lack of Internet access in developing nations, the author's address the lack of digital access within the United States. Although there are areas, often the very rural and isolated pockets, in the US that lack access to the Internet, their concern focuses more on the myth that computers are available to all. According to a 2009 Nielsen survey just over 80% of American households reported ownership of a computer with approximately 20% indicating they accessed the Internet via dial-up. Additionally, it has been noted that Latino and African-American ethnic families lag behind Caucasian and Asian families in access to both computers and Internet.
Considering that the remaining nine essential elements: digital commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, and security, all require digital access, makes it unacceptable that ANY student within the United States should remain shut-off from using and developing the digital skills required for successful participation within the global community. Once access is ensured for all students, including those traditionally marginalized because of special needs and public education's standardized testing concerns related to socio-economic status or ethnicity, students need to be taught HOW to use the Internet effectively and equitably within the collaborative and participatory nature of the Web 2.0 environment.
In a 2009 presentation, Stephen Balkam, CEO, Family Online Safety Institute indicated that online safety requires users who are fully active and engaged with one another in respectful and responsible ways that promote the ideals of digital citizenship. Ribble and Bailey effectively provide the framework for instructing students to develop and aspire to a high level of digital citizenry which will allow for the development of increased global citizenship via the use of Internet technologies.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
High speed Internet as a human right
I recently read a post published by Nick Sauers via 1 to 1 schools that strongly favored making access to high-speed Internet a "human" right. Nick indicated that the United Nations Human Rights Council has come down firmly on the pro side of the debate by declaring that access to the Internet is a "fundamental human right" in a brief published following their seventeenth session in May, 2011.
Opinions in the United States will run strong on this issue. Undoubtedly, many will decry this right as an attack of Socialism or that access to the Internet is not a human rights issue but rather a luxury commodity. I don't believe the right to Internet access is an undecided issue. The International community of educators and the United States population have already signaled their belief that Internet access is a right.
At the 2010 TED Conference, Professor Sugata Mitra discussed a series of educational experiments designed to bring powerful educational tools to often marginalized areas of the world. His experiment involved setting up a single Internet connected computer that allowed students self-directed use of the web. In the United States, many would see this addition to a classroom as a redundant measure because we assume ubiquitous Internet access (this assumption is false). However, in many countries, Internet access is not the norm as a result of weak infrastructures, political or philosophical restrictions, and funding issues.
Professor Sugata found that simply providing students with Internet access increased self-directed learning. The students, who were not provided training or directive to use the computer, self-monitored their use and began to explore educational web content. Without the Internet, the world of information beyond their locale would be inaccessible and their potential for contributing and participating in the global community would be impossible. Sugata's research strongly implies the need to consider access to the Internet a basic human right but evidence is found elsewhere, outside the educational circle.
Two recent products demonstrate the American assumption of the right to access the Internet, the Google Chromebook and the Amazon Kindle Fire. Both of these products rely on the "cloud", the off-site storage of digital materials and programming, to reduce the storage and processing needs normally associated with computers and readers. For these products to be viable, the assumption must be made that ALL users will have nearly full-time access to the Internet. When products demonstrate such assumption, how can one state that the Internet is not a basic human right? Our culture validates the assumption as demonstrated by the products we choose to purchase.
With consideration to equity, if we assume the right to Internet access in our own country we must acknowledge the right to Internet access for all. I believe, even though many will disagree, that the UN was correct; access to the Internet must be considered a "basic human right" if we are to move forward as a people within our continually more connected global society.
Opinions in the United States will run strong on this issue. Undoubtedly, many will decry this right as an attack of Socialism or that access to the Internet is not a human rights issue but rather a luxury commodity. I don't believe the right to Internet access is an undecided issue. The International community of educators and the United States population have already signaled their belief that Internet access is a right.
At the 2010 TED Conference, Professor Sugata Mitra discussed a series of educational experiments designed to bring powerful educational tools to often marginalized areas of the world. His experiment involved setting up a single Internet connected computer that allowed students self-directed use of the web. In the United States, many would see this addition to a classroom as a redundant measure because we assume ubiquitous Internet access (this assumption is false). However, in many countries, Internet access is not the norm as a result of weak infrastructures, political or philosophical restrictions, and funding issues.
Professor Sugata found that simply providing students with Internet access increased self-directed learning. The students, who were not provided training or directive to use the computer, self-monitored their use and began to explore educational web content. Without the Internet, the world of information beyond their locale would be inaccessible and their potential for contributing and participating in the global community would be impossible. Sugata's research strongly implies the need to consider access to the Internet a basic human right but evidence is found elsewhere, outside the educational circle.
Two recent products demonstrate the American assumption of the right to access the Internet, the Google Chromebook and the Amazon Kindle Fire. Both of these products rely on the "cloud", the off-site storage of digital materials and programming, to reduce the storage and processing needs normally associated with computers and readers. For these products to be viable, the assumption must be made that ALL users will have nearly full-time access to the Internet. When products demonstrate such assumption, how can one state that the Internet is not a basic human right? Our culture validates the assumption as demonstrated by the products we choose to purchase.
With consideration to equity, if we assume the right to Internet access in our own country we must acknowledge the right to Internet access for all. I believe, even though many will disagree, that the UN was correct; access to the Internet must be considered a "basic human right" if we are to move forward as a people within our continually more connected global society.
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