Layton, Its good to know that significant initiatives are being taken up in the area of "digital literacy: in IL. As you rightly suggest, digital divide and computeracy have found their own meaning in the context they are used.
The concept has some very different meanings in developing countries. I come from one and have worked in government, social space and corporate sector in both Asia and Africa and the corporate sector in Europe and the US and have had opportunities to look at why developing countries see things so differently.. One of the reasons is that some of these concepts have emerged in the OECD countries. Craig Smith founded Digital Partners that I chair in India and his notion was far wider.. but evolved in Seattle some six years ago.. One of the notions was that as technologies make the smart world smarter, those with little access to it will be left further behind.. Operative word was access.. And therefore emphasis on cheaper hardware, network, broadband access etc.. However, the key gap is not just hardware..All knowledge that gets generated leaves a generation- many generations gap- between what the developing word can "read" and "experience" So while they can "read" about what the new technology does, what they do with it remains at a far remove from what they read about.. This gap is harder to bridge because even before they learn to use it, they develop ideas, opinions and ideology around it.. So you may find that while even a country like India that exports IT services to the tune of over $10 billion annually, has domestic spend of less than $2 billion and that translates into having a rather weak experience base.. So digital divide is as much as a divide of access as its of experience or moving up the learning curve.. Digital literacy or comupteracy is even more difficult to fathom.. What ten year old kids can achieve in the US with their Ninetendos, PSIIs and x-boxes are something older generation cannot and they are better adept at using the language of computing than those schooled a decade ago.. The gap is far more serious when it comes to developing countries where only those who can afford it.. meaning less than a percent of population can even get started on that path.. May be helpful to create a project to understand what these issues really are and make it widely available. In case they are already captured by some researchers, it will be good to give them wider circulation.. Thanks much On 12/5/05, Layton E. Olson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Bonnie, > > I agree that in Digital Divide and other language "success has many > parents, and failure is an orphan," including "ownership" by public and > political figures who seek to communicate widely about "what's to be done." > > Digital Divide is the "problem" that just about everyone understands to > some degree in their own terms everywhere in the world. As with other > "meta message" language, it needs to be translated into meaningful terms for > many audiences. > > In Illnois since 2003, a number of public officials, civic enterprise and > community network leaders (including the Illinois Community Techology > Coalition which recently celebrated its 2nd statewide conference in > Springfield during November) have worked to "define a solution methodology" > in terms of definititions of "technological skills" (basic ICT skills > sufficient to use Internet and electronic tools, similar to basic reading > and math skills) or "digital literacy" similar to basic handwriting analog > literacy that is understood to be important throughout the world. Digital > literacy is understood by many public officials as "vital" for economic > development, digital government productivity and consumer society. For > example, all citizens need to be able to access a consumer-friendly > FirstGov.gov (national) and linked state website, similar in feel to a > home page or information kiosks. Thus, digital literacy means second-nature > confort in using Internet linked tools, whethe! > r through a basic $100 TV or Laptop, Information Kiosk or Library or > Telecentro Workstation, given that human nature finds that about 1/2 of any > population will work with a keyboard and about 1/2 prefers a 6/8 choice > Information ATM Kiosk format, a channel-changer or other hand-held device. > > As part of the conference in Springfield, Illinois' Lt. Governor Pat Quinn > issued a Declaration on the value of Digital Literacy and Community > Technology Centers. Michael Maranda is preparing a press statement > including the full Declaration, and including citation of Illinois State > Library Director Anne Craig who gave remarks on The Future of Digital > Literacy, including via 4,000 libraries in Illinois, linked with > international definitions of ICT skills. > > It would be interesting to hear how the term "digital literacy" is used in > many settings around the world. > > Layton > > > Layton E. Olson, Esq. > Howe & Hutton, Ltd. > 20 N. Wacker Dr., Suite 4200 > Chicago, IL 60606 > 312-263-3001 Fax: 312-372-6685 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.howehutton.com > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2005 2:05 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [DDN] timeline of the digital divide > > > In a message dated 12/3/05 10:54:25 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > Digital Divide became the more common term > > > when interest in the problem went beyond educators and attracted the > > > attention of the business community.. At that point, it seemed to > > > me, the emphasis went from providing access to technology to > > > providing connectivity. > > > > One of the things we learned while working on the NIIAC, was not to claim > ownership of ideas, terms and initiatives. It is said that the best ideas in > Washington are often discarded based on partisanship, so we learned to float > an idea, a term , and a project without contribution of who first used it. > > Al Gore liked to talk about how his father helped to create the links that > created the infrastructure for the highway system that became the interstate > and the series of highways that criss cross the US. > He also talked about the differences in transportation as a divide. But > remember it was the time of the biggest divide between Republicans and > Democrats to the point where the government was shut down and our work had > to be sponsored by a private person. Newt Gingrich was knocking on the door. > Actually he espoused a lot of the initiatives we proposed, but in his own > way. > > I have seen a lot of people claim the honor of proposing the resources > that are those that connect schools to the information highway. Only a few > of us know who proposed those initiatives as well. The point was that we > wanted the ideas to come to fruition. I laugh when I see various people get > awards and accolades for things that they never initiated , but it is part > of the process , to float an idea and to let others carry the ball in > Washington so as not to get it mired in partisanship. > > Bonnie Bracey Sutton > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] the word UNSUBSCRIBE in > the body of the message. > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] the word UNSUBSCRIBE in > the body of the message. > -- Satish Jha Special Adviser, Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICTs Principal Adviser, vMoksha Technologies Co-Chair, Economic Opportunities Commission, WITFOR Management Consultant - Technology Strategy, Management and Program/Project Management www.vmoksha.com; www.dpindia.org; www.aiti-kace.com.gh; www.witfor.org _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
