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The following are forwarded from the Digital Divide Network's email list (subscribe at http://www.DigitalDivideNetwork.org/).

From: Andy Carvin <acarvin@benton.org>
To: "Digitaldivide (E-mail)" <digitaldivide@list.benton.org>
Subject: Davos essay: Grappling with the digital divide
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 10:29:04 -0500
Reply-To: digitaldivide@list.benton.org

>From Yahoo News/eCountries... -ac

Davos essay: Grappling with the digital divide

The information technology boom has done wonders in industrialized countries, boosting productivity, growth and job creation. Much of the developing world, however, is being left behind, and will have to tackle daunting challenges if it is to catch up.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ec/20010130/wl/davos_essay_grappling_with_the_d igital_divide_1.html

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From: Andy Carvin <acarvin@benton.org>
To: "Digitaldivide (E-mail)" <digitaldivide@list.benton.org>
Subject: new report: the digital divide in Maryland public schools (fwd)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 10:09:34 -0500

The following press release is from the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education... -ac

FIRST MAJOR STUDY ON "DIGITAL DIVIDE" IN MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOWS INCREASE IN TECHNOLOGY ACCESS

Use of Technology, However, Still Lags in High-Poverty Schools

BALTIMORE, MD (1/30/01) --- Maryland's public schools continue to make "remarkable progress" in improving student access to computers and the Internet, although major differences in use between high- and low-poverty schools persist, according to the results of the latest online survey of technology in the state's schools, presented today to the State Board of Education.

Conducted by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and analyzed with assistance from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education, the survey indicates that the student-to-computer ratio for mid-/high-capacity computers statewide has dropped dramatically, from 16-to-1 in 1995 to 6-to-1 today. The state target is five students to each computer.

The new report also shows that 72% of all classrooms statewide now have Internet access. Five years ago, only 23% of Maryland classrooms could access the Internet.

But while access to technology in the state's public schools continues to rise, challenges remain in the way that technology is being used.

"While student-to-computer ratios and classroom access to the Internet in the highest poverty schools are still well below average, the real 'digital divide' seems to be in the way in which technology is being used to instruct students," says MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus.

Data contained in the new survey show that the higher the poverty level in schools, the less frequently technology is used for tasks that require higher-level thinking and meaningful application of knowledge and skills. This is true even in schools in which access to computers and the Internet is readily available.

Survey results indicate that students at schools in wealthier communities are more than twice as likely as their counterparts at schools in poorer communities to use technology to gather, organize, and store information. They are three times more likely to use technology to perform measurements and collect data.

Nearly 35% of students at high-poverty schools report they never use technology to display data in charts or graphs. More than 55% say they never use email, electronic bulletin boards, or home pages.

While there was also some disparity between teachers at low- and high-poverty schools, the gap was not nearly as wide as the gulf between students. For example, 47% of teachers at low-poverty schools report using technology to access curriculum or school improvement materials from the Internet, compared to nearly 42% of teachers at high-poverty schools. Similarly, 70% of teachers at low-poverty schools use email to communicate with staff, compared to 50% of teachers at high-poverty schools.

"The survey provides a much clearer picture of what is going on in our classrooms, and it is painfully obvious that, all too often, children in poverty are not given the opportunity to use technology in a way that will challenge them to achieve at the highest levels," Ms. Streckfus explains.

State School Superintendent Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick agrees, noting, "Technology can be a great equalizer, particularly for children in poverty. Given recent research linking improved student learning with higher-level uses of technology, it is imperative that we move quickly and decisively to bridge the gaps that currently exist so that all students are able to learn at higher levels."

The new survey also points to the need for increased professional development in the use of technology, particularly in high-poverty schools. While 87% of teachers participating in the survey indicate at least intermediate-level skill in using computers, only 67% say they regularly integrate technology into their lesson plans.

Even fewer - 55% of teachers statewide - say they regularly gather data for classroom use from the Internet, online services, or software. Four percent indicate they never use technology to gather data.

While the survey stresses that such gaps must be addressed if schools are to maximize the impact technology can have on learning, MBRT and MSDE officials note that enormous strides that have been made in Maryland since 1995, due in large part to the major financial commitment to making schools tech-accessible made by Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening and the Maryland State Legislature.

"Student learning is - and always has been - the primary issue," says Robert Marshall, President & CEO of AWS Convergence Technologies and Chair of MBRT"s Committee on Technology in Education. "We have made tremendous progress in acquiring technology infrastructure and establishing the connectivity needed in our schools. But the investment in technology cannot end with wiring schools or purchasing computers. Teachers and students must acquire and use meaningful content and apply technology's powerful tools in order to significantly improve learning."

The online survey provides one tool to help educators do just that, according to Mr. Marshall. "The inventory allows us to collect, analyze, and report data more effectively than ever before," he notes. "Parents, educators, and other stakeholders in education now have immediate access to aggregated state data, district-by-district data, and even school-by-school data, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding needs, spending, and resource allocation."

Plans call for MBRT's Committee on Technology in Education to continue analyzing the data collected from the technology inventory, using findings as a planning tool in charting the state's strategic direction and in identifying future areas of concern.

Read the study:
http://msde.aws.com
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From: Andy Carvin <acarvin@benton.org>
To: "Digitaldivide (E-mail)" <digitaldivide@list.benton.org>
Subject: Malaysian Govt to set up 200 village Internet centres (fwd)
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 10:02:06 -0500

>From the Malaysian National News Agency... -ac

Govt to set up 200 village Internet centres

The Federal Government will set up at least 200 rural internet centres nationwide this year in efforts to narrow the "digital divide" between rural and urban folks. Deputy Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho said the ministry applied for RM10 million (USD $2.63 million) allocation under the Eighth Malaysia Plan for this purpose. "After it is approved, we will set up another 200 village internet centres this year". He said this to reporters after opening the fourth convention and conference of the Malaysian Postal and Telecommunication Union here Tuesday.

<snipped for copyright restrictions>

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/general/ge3001_10.htm

*****************************************
Andy Carvin andy@benton.org
Senior Associate
Benton Foundation
http://edweb.gsn.org/andy
http://www.DigitalDivideNetwork.org
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Visit my new website, Anatolian Fortnight
http://edweb.gsn.org/anatolia
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Last updated: February 1, 2001 in Hot Metal Pro 6.0