Comments on: The New Digital Divide?

By: #CCK09 First Paper (Draft): ‘Positioning’ Connectivism « Darcy Moore’s Blog

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:01:54 +0000

[...] into high schools, after a lengthy gestation period, is rapidly accentuating the ever-widening new digital divide between teachers. Learning professionals actively engaged using the internet, web 2.0 and digital [...]

By: Life in Beta - share and participate « mortempo

Life in Beta - share and participate « mortempo — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:45:43 +0000

[...] to implement ICT in my lessons. An interesting article at Betchablog addresses the issue with The New Digital Divide and points out the sad fact that the ones who usually find themselves in networks like [...]

By: A great way to catch up on your edublog reading » Moving at the Speed of Creativity

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:16:21 +0000

[...] The Time is Now Be an elearning action hero President-elect Barack Obama The truth is Out There The New Digital Divide? Order for Closure Getting our Knickers in a twist? The Macgyver Project: Genomic Dna Extraction And [...]

By: Getting into it «

Getting into it « — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:44:41 +0000

[...] to prepare students for their future, no matter how fired up you get after reading posts such as Chris Betcher’s ‘Digital Divide’, you have to try and separate advocacy from the reality of the day to day processes that make [...]

By: 2008 Edublog Award Nominations « Darcy’s Blog

2008 Edublog Award Nominations « Darcy’s Blog — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:23:24 +0000

[...] influential blog post -Chris Betcher’s, ‘The New Digital Divide’ gave me a cold chill as I read about those engaged with digital technologies, collaborating [...]

By: Candace Hackett Shively

Candace Hackett Shively — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:46:51 +0000

Found your blog via Google Reader’s “recommended for you” feature. A little scary to have the spiders reading my mind… but your post is dead-on. The thing that concerns me most as someone who tries to cajole, lure, support, validate…and do everything necessary to help teachers dive into the scary, dark waters of technology is the fact that the gap is widening so very quickly. And, in some cases, the lack of essential conditions of support and reliability (some of your 11 thoughts that make a difference) erode any ground an adventurous teacher might find after diving in. Meanwhile, the network of Those Who Do (get it) is strengthening and forging ahead. The network has jumped into the river, navigated the rapids, found the ocean, and sailed around the world in a beautiful regatta of brightly-colored sails. And Those Who Don’t did not even know there was a river. How do we get Those Who Do to go all the way back to dry land to bring in a buddy, and how do we overcome the fear of the water? The problem is global (I am in the U.S.). Teachers everywhere are following these divided patterns. Is there something deeper in the make-up of some who go into teaching that makes them so afraid?

By: John Larkin

John Larkin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:27:52 +0000

Neglected to qualify the asterisk* in my previous comment. I have one rather likeable colleague who still likes to note that they are yet to send a single email yet they often use technology in the classroom and they are legends with music and audio on the mac. Curious.

By: John Larkin

John Larkin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:25:13 +0000

Chris, well delivered. There is the divide. It's out there. I 'bump' into it each day at work. Inroads are gradually being made. I have acquired a new tool that is helping to bridge that divide. Posterous. Blogged about it a few times already. As others have blogged, the one techie skill that many teachers possess (not all*) is the ability to compose via email. Posterous allows blogging, gallery creation, podcasting, Twittering and more, all via email. Easy, elegant, efficient. If you have managed email you can manage Posterous. I do not have shares in Posterous. It is just good and the teachers that I have shared it with like it. As simple as that. Cheers, John.

By: Christen Jacobs

Christen Jacobs — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:35:13 +0000

You’re a regular Martin Luther King with the emotive language. I’m not sure I feel as strongly about it as all that. Still I was glad to be able to tick most of the connected boxes. I’d hate to be one of “them”. Working in an environment where everyone is worrying about what everyone else is not doing can’t be healthy. It takes time, but if what you are doing can be demonstrated to have merit, it will be taken up eventually. A lot of people are already listening to you, and as you have noted, the number continues to grow. Patience grasshopper.

By: Tony Searl

Tony Searl — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:08:13 +0000

Chris
This post is awesomely usable, I love it. I’m going to set the cat amongst and viral this to all and sundry in the ‘I don’t get it camp’. “Ready, fire, aim” a valuable leader of mine used to say. So many of your points resonate strongly with our workplace and NSW DET system, especially about those who are trying to load the ‘digital monkey’ onto other peoples backs. ie those who lead? by saying ‘we know we have to do it, but I have N-I so I’ll dump it on them’ That feeling of isolation is damaging and explains why those who get it are banding together so strongly.
Even some of our techeds dont get it. I am so frustrated, not being able to use or load or install or get someone to install BASIC web2.0 programs to use at work. No wonder kids power down and disconnect. Your age comments are spot on too, I did not see that implication at all. My ramble ceases now, thank you Chris.