[my Ashford MAIN page] [^^^PNS home page]
NOTE: An "SME" - Subject Matter Expert; eg, "an orinthologist".
"SMA" - Subject Matter Area; the area of knowledge
that the SME is an expert in; eg, "birds".
"K-domain" - Knowledge domain. Should be sufficient
to locate via googles.
Thus "an orinthologist" is an SMA in "birds" (K-domain: aves).
Week Four Readings
==================
1. Review Chapter 2 of Teaching and
Learning with Technology (pp. 42-77).
2. Read the following Journal Articles:
a. Hitchcock, C. & Stahl,S. (2003).
Assistive Technology, Universal Design,
Universal Design for Learning: Improved
Learning Opportunities. Journal of Special
Education Technology, 18(4), 45-52.
ProQuest Document ID: 569989481
b. Hatton, J. (2002). Diversity: The
implications for trainers. Training
Journal,16.
ProQuest Document ID: 194124051
Diversity: The implications for trainers
Jane Hatton. Training Journal.
Ely: Sep 2002. p. 16 (2 pages)
c. Zhang, J. X. (2001). Cultural Diversity
in Instructional Design. International
Journal of Instructional Design Media,
28(3), 299.
ProQuest Document ID: 79122062
Cultural diversity in instructional design
Zhang Jian X.
International Journal of Instructional Media.
New York: 2001. Vol. 28, Iss. 3; p. 299 (9 pages)
d. Digital Divide:
http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech041.shtml
accessed on 2008.05.12 at 5:48 PCT +10GMT
Dept of EDU - reports
HOME page: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/index.htm
(good luck searching :( - coupons for converter box
shades of the free cheese
during the Carter era...
1997/1995 Base page: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/
1997 report
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/falling.html
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/charts.html
1995 - report
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fallingthru.html
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/tables.htm#Table%201:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/TOP/publicationmedia/newsltr/archivenews.html
New digitial divide projects
http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/
BEGIN BLOCK QUOTE (digital divide .org =============================
News Archives
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK-FIRST Wins Innovation Award
OK-FIRST, a 1996 TOP-funded project that delivers lifesaving information to local emergency managers, was selected as one of five winners of the prestigious Innovations in American Government award. The awards program, which is administered by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the Council for Excellence in Government and founded by the Ford Foundation, was established to identify and promote excellence and creativity in the public sector.
Established in 1996 by the Oklahoma Climatological Survey at the University of Oklahoma, the program provides up-to-the-minute weather data via specialized computer technology. With access to this timely information, emergency management teams can close roads and bridges before they become dangerous, alert rescue crews about storm movements and take other proactive measures to ensure public safety during severe weather.
"While we cannot control the weather, OK-First demonstrates that innovative thinking can help government respond to it more quickly," said Stephen Goldsmith, Faculty Director of the Innovations in American Government Program. "It's important that we continue to harness this type of public-sector creativity to improve the lives of American citizens nationwide."
In a recent editorial, the Daily Oklahoman noted that, "In a state where weather forecasting is a sophisticated and respected science, the Oklahoma Climatological Survey should be commended for its contribution in protecting the public from severe weather." After highlighting a number of examples of OK-FIRST's role in protecting the public from hazardous storms and tornadoes, spillage of dangerous materials, and wind shifts associated with large fires, the editorial noted that not only had the project made it to the finals of the Innovations in American Government Award competition, but it had also achieved international recognition. Although TOP support ended a couple of years ago, the editorial went on, "the state Legislature wisely continues to appropriate funds to continue this valuable program."
This year, the National Selection Committee chose only five winners, instead of its usual 10, out of nearly 1300 entries.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP's 74 New Awards for FY2001
The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced the award of $42.8 million in Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) grants to 74 non-profit organizations, including state and local governments, across the country and in Puerto Rico.
TOP grants, matched by $46.7 million in contributions from the private sector and state and local organizations, extend the benefits of advanced telecommunications technologies to underserved communities and neighborhoods.
"We want these grants to demonstrate how the most up-to-date technology can assist the delivery of services to Americans of all ages and backgrounds, improving levels of public safety, public health, public information, homeownership and economic development," said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Nancy J. Victory. "Successful TOP grants recipients share best practices with other non-profit and public sector organizations."
View a list of awards
Read NTIA's Press Release
Access a searchable database of applications submitted to the FY 2001 grant competition
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New, Improved Digital Divide Network
The new version of the Benton Foundation's Digital Divide Network has now gone public: www.DigitalDivideNetwork.org
If you've visited the site before, you know the general layout, but you might want to check out some of the enhanced features. One of the most important is the new Digital Divide Database, a national directory of over 20,000 digital divide-related services around the country, including places where citizens can get free Internet access and IT training (public libraries, Community Technology Centers, HUD neighborhood network sites, PowerUp sites, TOP grantees, and Urban League centers, among others).
Go to DigitalDivideNetwork.org and find the spot on the right-hand side labeled "Get Connected!" Type in a zip code and press the submit button. You'll then be brought to a map with little black circles on it, each circle with a number inside it. These circles represent the location of organizations offering a digital-divide-related service to the community. (a maximum of 30 circles will appear on any map.) If you scroll below the map, you'll see a numbered listing of each of these organizations, including contact information and their URL, when available. Click on an organization's name and a new page will open providing more information about the organization, as well as a zoomed-in street level map and an option to get driving directions to the organization.
In the future, the database will be used to service a new Public Service Announcement campaign on broadcast and cable TV networks, funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the AOL/Time Warner Foundation, Univision, the Benton Foundation, and over half a dozen other organizations. The campaign will use English and Spanish commercials to encourage young people to get involved in community technology programs in their area. In order to make sure that everyone has access to the organizations listed in the database, the PSAs will include toll-free numbers with English and Spanish-language operators who will help callers identify organizations in their community that can offer them free Internet access and IT training.
The website also includes a new search engine that provides access to archives of Digital Divide Network's news stories, feature articles, a calendar of divide-related events and relevant web resources. There is also an option to allow individuals to become members of the Digital Divide Network, with receive email regular updates on what's been posted recently to the website (including direct links to each new item, as well as articles, news stories, events listings, web resources, and recommend organizations, posted by Digital Divide Network members.
======== END BLOCK QUOTE (digital divide .org =============================
Discussions
Discussion Forum Communication
Participate in the following discussions
and respond to at least two of your fellow
students' postings and begin a critical
debate with them. This will stimulate
critical thought and help you recognize
theoretical gaps or flaws in basic
assumptions, both yours and your
classmates.
Is there a solution to end the digital divide?
As a K-12 teacher or corporate trainer, you
will most likely find evidence of the
“digital divide” in your class/training
rooms. In your posting, please address
the following:
a. Can technology solve class/training
room diversity issues? Explain your answer.
b. What are possible solutions to address
the technology equity gaps between
groups of people?
c. What improvements in your instructional
strategies can you or will you make in
your classroom to address cultural
diversity among your students/participants?
Respond to at least two of your fellow students’
postings. Full credit will not be given for
posts that do not reference course readings.
Diversity in Training
In the reading called Diversity: The
implications for trainers, the author
describes ways that you can consider
diversity in the workplace. Note one
thing you learned from this article
that you can use in your work setting
or professional practice.
Describe an example of how you would
implement that learning. Respond to
at least two of your fellow students’
postings.
Cultural Diversity and Instructional Design
In the article called Cultural Diversity
in Instructional Design, the author writes
about several different ways in which
cultural groups consider parameters such
as “cooperating,” “time orientation,”
“respect,” and “honor to the family.”
Cultural background is not simply about
ethnicity or race; it also refers to
predominant patterns and values that
someone is raised with, including
religious and social values. Some
people are of mixed cultural backgrounds
and may be influenced by the value
systems of more than one culture. While
it is difficult to make generalizations
about “culture,” this article discusses
several cultural groups in the U.S.
In your posting, discuss the following
items; then respond to two of your
fellow students’ postings.
a. What is your cultural background and
your resulting preferences for some
of these parameters (you do not have
to use the exact parameters listed
above . . . see the article to find
additional parameters discussed by
the article’s author)? In your post,
you can answer questions such as:
What do you consider respectful behavior?
How do you regard time?
What are your values on cooperation
versus individuality?
b. How do your values differ from another
culture’s values? How would you design
training or instruction to take into
account cultural modes and values that
are not the same as yours? How could
you design instruction to take into
account all cultural modes?
Links