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Helping people understand the digital divideTRANSCRIPT
E – Book By Luke
Chapman
Blogging
What is Blogging? –
“Blogging is a simple way of getting your voice heard online. A blog (or web log) can be used for a whole range of reasons. Professional and amateur and journalists use
them to discuss news or events, others use blogs to air their views, discuss their hobbies or as a kind of diary to record their thoughts, experiences and everyday life”.
Blogging p8 the internet revolution
Here are some examples of Blogging sites;
Word press - “Word Press started in 2003 with a single bit of code to enhance the typography of everyday writing and with fewer users than you can count on your fingers and toes. Since then it has grown to be the largest self-hosted blogging tool in the world, used on millions of sites and seen by tens of millions of people every day”.
Blogger - Blogger is Google’s free tool for creating blogs. Blogs, short for web-logs, are a form of online journal.
Edublogs - Edublogs hosts hundreds of thousands of blogs for teachers, students, researchers, professors, librarians, administrators and anyone and everyone else
involved in education.
Live Journal – Live Journal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary.
Facebook – Facebook is commonly known as a social networking site. But there is a part of face book that you write notes. This is where you can create your own
mini blog.
Advantages of blogging - Blogs are easy to create
Easy to maintain Blogs can build the profile of the writer
Disadvantages of blogging –
Most people don’t have very much to say that’s interesting, and/or are unable to write down their ideas.
Like practically everything else on the Web, blogs are easy to start and hard to maintain.
My view on blogs is that people should write them. But only if you are going to maintain them properly, and they are also great in Schools. All Schools should use blogs as well as their students.
Communication
Communication is when you talk to people. Like I say “hello to the people who is reading this”, but many people are now using (Information Technology) or (ICT) to stay in touch. The ways which people are keeping in touch is though many social
networking sites. The aims of social networking sites are that you build a community where you share common interests with your friends. You can chat to them and see what they have been up to. “Over a fifth (22%) of adult Internet users aged 16+ has their own online profile”. This is from P9 from the internet revolution by Lisa Firth.The many problems of social networking are that people are visible to people all
over the world. This could from criminals to famous people. Most parents are rather worried about this fact, and also that many young people are posting their personal details on these sites, and this could range from phone numbers, addresses, School name and E-Mail address. The social networking sites which are out on the world
presently are; Facebook
MySpace
Bebo
Here are some types of social networking sites and what they set out to achieve;
Facebook – Facebook is where you can add friends and send those messages. You can also join/add and make groups. Also you can tell your friends what
you are up to.
Twitter- Twitter is a micro blogging site but it is still a social network. You have a 140 character space where you can tell people what you are up to. You can also send messages to your friend on your network. The messages
which you send are called “Tweets”.
Bebo- Bebo is where you have your own profile page and you list hobbies and a bit about yourself. You can also apps to your profile where they predict the future and when you fall in love. You can also what you are up to and inform
all of your friends.
Advantages of social networking- Low cost-
Most of the social networking sites are free and there is no cost to them. This is why they are so popular.
Also it is easy to navigate around. It is not too difficult and people get use to it.
Connecting through your friends- You are friends with people who have other friends, and so on. So then with
this you can make new friends and meet up with them or even have an online friendship if you cannot meet up with them. You are also to find old friends and maybe you could be lucky enough to set up a relationship up.
Disadvantages of social networking-Scams and Harassment –
This is due cyber stalking, online stalking and Identity theft. These are major points in which can affect you very badly.
Lack of Anonymity-Most people give out to much personal information in which could lead Stalkers and
Paedophiles. Most parents are worried about this fact.
There are many sites out on the internet which tells everybody about the safety of the internet.
I personally think that kids should be taught about internet safety in Schools. I think that this would stop the internet bullying.
Here are some facts about privacy a safety from the internet revolution by Lisa Firth:
“41 per cent of children and 44 percent of adults leave their privacy setting as default “open” which means that their profiles are visible to anyone”.
“34 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds are willing to give out sensitive personal information such as their phone number or email address”.
“17 per cent of adult users said that they talked to people on social networking sites that they didn’t know and 35 per cent spoke to people who were “friends of
friends”.
What people and organisations are trying to say is that you have to careful on what you publish on the web!
E – Learning
“E-learning (or sometimes electronic learning or eLearning) is a term which is commonly used, but does not have a common definition. Most frequently it seems
to be used for web-based distance education, with no face-to-face interaction. However, also much broader definitions are common. For example, it may include all
types of technology-enhanced learning (TEL), where technology is used to support the learning process. Although pedagogy is usually not part of the definition, some authors do include it. For example in this definition, where e-learning is said to be:
"pedagogy empowered by digital technology”.
E – Learning is a very powerful tool mainly in Schools. This could lead pupils using a laptop in every lesson. That is an example of E – Learning. Here are some more
examples of E – Learning;
Virtual classrooms Collaborative software
Second life Distance learning Screen casting
Web 2.0.
Virtual Classrooms -
Virtual Classrooms is a web-based platform for anyone and everyone who wants to teach and learn live, online.
Collaborative software –
Collaborative software is software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve their goals. There is software which you can download are;
Mind MeisterDimdim
Group-OfficeInstant Business Network
Collabtive
Second life –
Second Life is a virtual world accessible via the Internet. A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with
each other through avatars. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade
virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world, which residents refer to as the grid. Second Life is for people aged 18 and over,
while Teen Second Life is for people aged 13 to 17.
Distance learning –
Distance learning means that you study on your own, either at home or wherever suits you. The Open University’s unique, world-leading style of distance learning is
called supported ‘Open Learning’.
Screen casting –
Screen cast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration.
There are many types of software to do this for any type of Os or operation system.
The types of software you can get to do this are;
(These are all for windows) BB_FlashBack
Camtasia Studio Camstudio Captivate
Microsoft Expression Encoder ScreenCam
ScreenToaster
(For mac users)
Jing, free and Pro versions
Web 2.0 –
Web 2.0" is commonly associated with web development and web design that facilitates interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and
collaboration on the World Wide Web. Examples of Web 2.0 include web-based communities, hosted services, web applications, social-networking sites, video-
sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies. A Web 2.0 site allows its users to interact with other users or to change website content, in contrast to non-
interactive websites where users are limited to the passive viewing of information that is provided to them.
Web 2.o consists of sites such as;
Wikis Blogs, RSS
3D virtual tours Chatter Boxes
Wikis-
Sites like Wikipedia and others enable users from around the world add and update online content.
Blogs –
Also known as we logs, these allow users to post thoughts and updates about their life on the web.
RSS Feeds-
A RSS feed is a feed which you cans subscribe to so you do not need to read the actual blog. There are many apps that you can download one of them are rss owl.
This is just one program where you can see all of your rss feeds which you have subscribed to.
Chatter Boxes –
You just import a photo; add some speech and the software makes the photo say your words! They're really cool and great fun to make.
3D Virtual tours –
A virtual tour is a virtual photo where you can see everything and also you can scroll and see any point of the photo.
(This is an example of a web 2.0 app. This is called wordle)
Instant Messaging
Instant messaging is another form of communication, and this done by little convos or (Conversations).
Loads of people use to say hello and how they are doing, and as you can see in the picture above. This is Google talk in which Google provide with their e-mail services.
There are other downloadable services which you can download this are;MSN
Web messengerYahoo messenger
But there is another instant messing service which organisations and Schools would use. This is called Office Communications Server 2007. “Office Communications
Server 2007 manages all real-time (synchronous) communications including: instant messaging, VoIP, audio and video conferencing. It works with existing tele-
communications systems, so business can deploy advanced VoIP and conferencing without tearing out their legacy phone networks.
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 also powers presence, a key benefit of Microsoft unified communications that unites all the contact information stored in
Active Directory with the ways people communicate”.
Big organizations and Schools would use this because it is a lot easier to keep in contact and than using a phone.
Advantages of instant messing;
Easy to use Real Time – Fast – Instant Response
Contact / ‘Buddy List Controlled access
View availability online
Disadvantages;
Security risks Virus via file transfer
(bypasses virus scanning) Privacy concerns
Can be distracting
Lack administration
Viewed as a Time Waster
I think that instant messing is good if you want to keep in contact with people, it is nice and easy. Also that is good o Schools and organisations to keep in contact with
each other. It is pretty useful.
Online conferencing
There are many ways of doing online conferencing and it is another form of communication. “Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings, training, or presentations via the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected to other participants via the internet. This can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendees' computers or a web-based application where the attendees access the meeting by clicking on a link distributed by e-mail (meeting invitation) to enter the conference”.
There is a number of software which can do this. These are; Office Live Meeting. Video conferencing.
Remote control. Desktop sharing and Recording.
Office Live Meeting -
“Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007 is an online meeting space that your organization subscribes to or that your organization hosts internally. You can meet with your colleagues online, which allows you to collaborate in real-time, even over
long distances. Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007 is installed on your computer, allowing you to connect to meetings (whether they are hosted on your
organization’s servers or on the Microsoft Office Live Meeting service). The power of live meeting is that meeting attendees can deliver a presentation, kick off a project, brainstorm ideas, edit files, collaborate on whiteboards, and negotiate deals from their personal computer at a fraction of the cost and without the hassle of travel”.
Video conferencing-
A videoconference (also known as a video teleconference) is a set of interactive telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via
two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. It has also been called visual
Office Live Meeting
collaboration and is a type of groupware. It differs from videophone in that it is designed to serve a conference rather than individuals.
Remote Desktop –
In computing, the term remote desktop refers to software or an OS feature allowing graphical applications to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally.
Remote desktop applications have varying features. Some allow attaching to an existing user's session (i.e. a running desktop) and "remote controlling" it in front of the user's eyes. Taking over a desktop remotely is a form of remote administration.
Desktop Sharing –
Desktop sharing is a common name for technologies and products that allow remote access and remote collaboration on a person's computer desktop through a
graphical Terminal emulator.
The most common two scenarios for desktop sharing are:
Remote log-in Real-time collaboration
Video Conferencing
Remote Desktop
Remote log-in allows users to connect to their own desktop while being physically away from their computer. Systems that support the X Window System, typically
Unix-based ones, have this ability "built in". Windows versions starting from Windows 2000 have a built-in solution for remote access as well in the form of
Remote Desktop Protocol and prior to that in the form of Microsoft’s NetMeeting.
The open source product VNC provides cross-platform solution for remote log-in.
The shortcoming of the above solutions are their inability to work outside of a single NAT environment. A number of commercial products overcome this restriction by
tunnelling the traffic through rendezvous servers.
Application/Tool Cost
Screen
Sharing
Remote
Access
Instant Messagi
ng
Share Contr
ol
Video Conferenci
ng
File Transf
er
Cross Loop Free X X X X
TeamViewer Free for private users X X X X X
Desktop Sharing
Yuuguu Free X X X X
Festoon Free X X X X X
GoToMyPC $19.95/month X X X X
Webex45 cents per minute/per user
X X X X X X
IBM Lotus Sametime
$338.00 annual X X X X X X
Oneeko $72 annual X X X X
Mikogo Free X X X X
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro $39/month X X X X X X
PocketMeeting $5 per day X X
ScreenStream Free X X
I think this is a piece of software which many people can use to help people out with computer problems. Most Schools and other big originations use this to help there
users out.
Online Entertainment
Entertainment – Online entertainment is where you listen to an online service. Such as BBC Iplayer,
ITunes, Spotify and Pirate radio. These are all examples of online entertainment. You can access these all via the web and if you have an internet connection. I will explain
about them all and in a little bit more detail below;
BBC Iplayer –BBC Iplayer is an online service which the BBC provides. You can watch all the latest
TV show on the Iplayer which the BBC shows on their channels. So if you have missed you favourite TV show you can watch it on the Iplayer. You can also get the
BCC Iplayer on a ps3 and many mobile phones.Here is the website address;
Spotify –
Spotify is a new way to enjoy music. Simply download and install, before you know it you’ll be singing along to the genre, artist or song of your choice. With Spotify you
are never far away from the song you want.
There are no restrictions in terms of what you can listen to or when. Forget about the hassle of waiting for files to download and fill up your hard drive before you get
round to organizing them. Spotify is instant, fun and simple.
Because music is social, Spotify allows you to share songs and playlists with friends, and even work together on collaborative playlists; Friday afternoon in the office
might never be the same again! We’re music lovers like everyone else.
ITunes –ITunes is a proprietary digital media player application, used for playing and
organizing digital music and video files. The program is also an interface to manage the contents on Apple's popular iPod digital media players as well as the iPhone.
Additionally, iTunes can connect to the iTunes Store via the Internet to purchase and download music, music videos, television shows, applications, iPod games, audio
books, podcasts, feature length films and movie rentals, and ringtones. It is also used to download applications for the iPhone and iPod touch running iPhone OS 2.0 or
later.
Pirate Radio –The term pirate radio usually refers to illegal or unregulated radio transmissions. Its
etymology can be traced to the unlicensed nature of the transmission, but historically there has been occasional but notable use of sea vessels – fitting the most common perception of a pirate – as broadcasting bases. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political
purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation. Rules and regulations vary widely from country to country. In countries such as the US and many countries in Europe, many types of radio licenses exist, and often the term
pirate radio generally describes the unlicensed broadcast of FM radio, AM radio, or short wave signals over a wide range.
These are all great examples of online entrainment services and they are free to use. The great tool if Spotify because it is absolutely free and it offers a great deal of music, and many people like the fact of this.
Types of online learning
There are many online learning tools out on the web. The tools range from Mind Meister
You tube, Alison
Smart asses
These tools range from online mind mapping, video searching, and online learning and online Assessment.
Mind Meister –
Mind Meister brings the concept of mind mapping to the web, using its facilities for real-time collaboration to allow truly global brainstorming sessions. Users can
create, manage and share mind maps online and access them anytime, from anywhere. In brainstorming mode, fellow Mind Meister from around the world (or just in different rooms) can simultaneously work on the same mind map and
see each other's changes as they happen.
You tube-
You tube is an online video service which you can use to search for videos, as well user can also upload to the channel. You also have can sign up and have a profile.
Your profile can be updated with a photo of your choice and you can save your favourite videos where people can share and see them.
Search bar
Most viewed videos.
Alison-
“Alison is a free online learning resource. for basic and essential workplace skills. ALISON provides high-quality, engaging, interactive multimedia courseware for
certification and standards-based learning. All courses on ALISON are accessible for free to individual learners.
The mission of ALISON is to enable anyone, anywhere, to educate them for free via interactive self-paced multimedia. It is our belief that through ALISON, the cost of
access to high-quality education can be removed”.
I think that online learning again is really important and is a great effect in Schools. Many Schools should take this up because it will change the students learning for
ever.
Online Video Services
Video services – There are many online video services out on the web. They range from;
YouTubeReal player
Vlc media playerCCTV
Quick time
YouTube – You tube is an online video service which you can use to search for videos, as well user can also upload to the channel. You also have can sign up and have a profile.
Your profile can be updated with a photo of your choice and you can save your favourite videos where people can share and see them.
Real Player-Real player is just like YouTube, and it plays a range of multimedia formats.
Search barVidioes which people are watching right now.
Vlc media player
Vlc media player is a free open sourced media player which plays many media formats.
CCTV
CCTV stands for (Closed Circuit Television) this is installed all over the country and watches us every moment. Mainly the police and organisations which want to
protect the land would use this or if you are trying to protect anything you would use (CCTV).
Quick Time
Quick time was mad by Apple capable of handling various formats of digital video, 3D models, sound, text, animation, music, panoramic images, and interactivity.
VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments)
Many Schools now have a “VLE” or a virtual learning environment which is their learning gateway. This is where they communicate and learn. This is a vital part of the students learning. When anybody logs into the VLE, they are first taken to the “Welcome / Home Page”. You can return to this “Welcome / Home Page” at any time by clicking on the TAB at the top that says “Holmesdale Technology College
VLE”.As well as displaying the “Latest News & Events”, this page also shows your
personnel“Teaching Timetable” for the day & any active “Student Alerts”
The VLE can be divided into 3 main areas,
A -E-Learning Tool Bar – (Along the Top)This Link Bar gives you access to the various tools available such as E-Mail,
theStudent Information Centre and the Learning Object Repository etc
B -Information Bars – (Left & Right Sides)These areas can be used to access “The Library & Learning resource
Centre”,“E-Safety Info” & “School Newspaper / Live Feeds”
C -Page Content – (The Rest of the Page) this area on the page changes to display new information when you click on a link.
A VLE is part of WEB 2.0. “Web 2.0" is commonly associated with web development and web design that facilitates interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Examples of Web 2.0
include web-based communities, hosted services, web applications, social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies. A Web 2.0 site allows its users to interact with other users or to change website content, in contrast to non-interactive websites where users are limited to the passive viewing
of information that is provided to them”.
Web 2.o consists of sites such as;
Wikis Blogs, RSS
3D virtual tours Chatter Boxes
Wikis-
Sites like Wikipedia and others enable users from around the world add and update online content.
Blogs –
Also known as we logs, these allow users to post thoughts and updates about their life on the web.
RSS Feeds-
A RSS feed is a feed which you cans subscribe to so you do not need to read the actual blog. There are many apps that you can download one of them are rss owl.
This is just one program where you can see all of your rss feeds which you have subscribed to.
Chatter Boxes –
You just import a photo; add some speech and the software makes the photo say your words! They're really cool and great fun to make.
3D Virtual tours –
A virtual tour is a virtual photo where you can see everything and also you can scroll and see any point of the photo.
(This is an example of a web 2.0 app. This is called wordle)
I think that VLES are a vital part for Schools. This is a way which people can communicate and learn by their self’s. A vle is used as a communication tool in
collaborative school projects different functionalities are needed than when having a Learning Content Management System that interfaces seamlessly with the rest of
your school’s administrational system. Every School should have one!
LIFE IN THE IN INFORMATION AGE
Communication
Communication is when you talk to people. Like I say “hello to the people who is reading this”, but many people are now using (Information Technology) or (ICT) to stay in touch. The ways which people are keeping in touch is though many social
networking sites. The aims of social networking sites are that you build a community where you share common interests with your friends. You can chat to them and see what they have been up to. “Over a fifth (22%) of adult Internet users aged 16+ has their own online profile”. This is from P9 from the internet revolution by Lisa Firth.
The many problems of social networking are that people are visible to people all over the world. This could from criminals to famous people. Most parents are rather worried about this fact, and also that many young people are posting their personal details on these sites, and this could range from phone numbers, addresses, School name and E-Mail address. The social networking sites which are out on the world
presently are; Facebook
MySpace
Bebo
Here are some types of social networking sites and what they set out to achieve;
Facebook – Facebook is where you can add friends and send those messages. You can also join/add and make groups. Also you can tell your friends what
you are up to.
Twitter- Twitter is a micro blogging site but it is still a social network. You have a 140 character space where you can tell people what you are up to. You can also send messages to your friend on your network. The messages
which you send are called “Tweets”.
Bebo- Bebo is where you have your own profile page and you list hobbies and a bit about yourself. You can also apps to your profile where they predict the future and when you fall in love. You can also what you are up to and inform
all of your friends.
Advantages of social networking- Low cost-
Most of the social networking sites are free and there is no cost to them. This is why they are so popular.
Also it is easy to navigate around. It is not too difficult and people get use to it.
Connecting through your friends- You are friends with people who have other friends, and so on. So then with
this you can make new friends and meet up with them or even have an online friendship if you cannot meet up with them. You are also to find old friends and maybe you could be lucky enough to set up a relationship up.
Disadvantages of social networking-Scams and Harassment –
This is due cyber stalking, online stalking and Identity theft. These are major points in which can affect you very badly.
Lack of Anonymity-Most people give out to much personal information in which could lead Stalkers and
Paedophiles. Most parents are worried about this fact.
There are many sites out on the internet which tells everybody about the safety of the internet.
I personally think that kids should be taught about internet safety in Schools. I think that this would stop the internet bullying.
Here are some facts about privacy a safety from the internet revolution by Lisa Firth:
“41 per cent of children and 44 percent of adults leave their privacy setting as default “open” which means that their profiles are visible to anyone”.
“34 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds are willing to give out sensitive personal information such as their phone number or email address”.
“17 per cent of adult users said that they talked to people on social networking sites that they didn’t know and 35 per cent spoke to people who were “friends of
friends”.
What people and organisations are trying to say is that you have to careful on what you publish on the web!
Crime and Crime Prevention
The ways in which .I.T. have affected crime and crime prevention is that has improved their methods and efficiency. Many of the police officers which are employed the Police force are trained heavily in .I.C.T. The way in which the police use .I.C.T. is:
Word Processing Digital Radio systems
Computer aided despatch (CAD)Databases
Biometric DatabasesDigital Video
CCTVHigh Technology Crimes
.I.C.T. had had a major impact on crime and crime prevention. The largest and most obvious impact is on the types if crime committed. Bank robbery is as likely to be committed by programmers as by armed robbers; safe cracking is becoming less common than electronic cracking; virus threats, hacking, and internet and e-mail frauds are each a massive problem. The response to this is to have much more IT-
aware detection forces. As with many other areas of our lives crime has also become more global and the crime prevention agencies have had in turn to try to respond on
a global level.
Some policing databasesPNC police National Computer. Genesis Good Practice Database. SEND Stolen
Equipment National Database. HOLMES 2 home Office large and major enquiry system for sharing information on major investigation’s such as the ‘Yorkshire
Ripper’ or terrorist investigations. Assault Database
National Injuries DatabaseMass Disasters Database
Forensic Medicine Database
Satellite Tracking of Offenders‘Satellite technology will be used to track 5000 career criminals who are responsible for one in every 10 crimes in Britain’. A quote by the then UK Home Secretary, David Blunkett.
Education
In much School’s ‘ICT’ is a vital role for learning inside the classroom and learning outside the class room. Many Schools now have a lot of it and it is a great learning tool. Many Schools have different types of it. It could range from every student having a laptop to having four different learning environments. It can be use as a collaborative learning to tool. It also gives teachers the chance to embark on technologies and to enhance the learning outcome of the students of the class.
The major benefit from .I.C.T. in education is that many students have internet access in their classroom. This means that they have access to unlimited libraries of information. So that means that teachers can say ‘find the capital of Australia’ then the students does the search on a search engine. A search engine is used to find information out just like;
This is where you would put the information which you are searching for:
This is where you would put the information which you are searching for:
There are such things called learning environments for the students of the School. Learning environments are created for the children to learn in and so that the students can focus on their work. A School which has done this is called ‘New line learning academy’. Currently they have three but soon to have four. The learning environments which they have created are called ‘Plazas’.
Also many Schools websites will lead onto a virtual learning environment or (VLE) for short or managed learning environment (MLE) allows for the virtual delivery and management of education. They are intended to offer as many facets of the educational experience as possible in a virtual manner. The (VLE) or (MLE) are used:
Delivery of lessons through videos, pod casts, online handouts and interactive materials.
Group Interaction and tutorials through chat, conferencing and email.
Management of assessment through timed placing and receiving of assignments.
Libraries for the provision of online books, papers, related websites. It is now common for most Schools if they have the lucky chance of getting re built most of the head masters will not include a Library.
A -E-Learning Tool Bar – (Along the Top)This Link Bar gives you access to the various tools available such as E-Mail, the
Student Information Centre and the Learning Object Repository etc
B -Information Bars – (Left & Right Sides)These areas can be used to access “The Library & Learning resource Centre”,
“E-Safety Info” & “School Newspaper / Live Feeds”C -Page Content – (The Rest of the Page) this area on the page changes to display
new information when you click on a link.
“Is Gensler's prototype the school of the future?”
New Line Learning is an Academy whose transformational learning vision is based upon a risk / resilience model, whereby pupils are individually evaluated over a 6
week period through curricular, emotional and social competencies, enabling assessment beyond predictive educational needs, aiming to provide alternative life
outcomes for a deprived community.
As you can see from the photos it is a chilled out style of learning. Many Schools are taking this as an example.
As well many Schools are trying to turn paperless. This means that all their lessons are all done online or through and electronic way. There are many types of software which supports this. The advantages of going paperless are that you are saving a lot
of money on the electricity bill for the School.
Entertainment and Leisure
The way in which .I.T. has affected our leisure is that we have a lot of stuff in our homes which we take for granted. Such as
MicrowaveOvens
Washing machineDishwashers
Central heating boilers
This is due the ‘Microprocessor’, ‘The microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) on a single integrated circuit (IC, or microchip).[1] The first microprocessors emerged in the early 1970s and were used for electronic calculators, using binary-coded decimal (BCD) arithmetic on 4-bit
words. Other embedded uses of 4- and 8-bit microprocessors, such as terminals, printers, various kinds of automation etc, followed rather quickly. Affordable 8-bit
microprocessors with 16-bit addressing also led to the first general purpose microcomputers in the mid-1970s’.
Source found at ‘http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor#64-bit_designs_in_personal_computers’
Without microprocessors we wouldn’t be able to function properly in life.
The ways in which .I.T. has affected our entertainment is that we have now got
Many ways to watch online media Different ways to stream
Browsing the internet Playing computer games
Online booking.
Working Styles
Working styles are basically the use of .I.T. in business. Many job descriptions have dramatically changed due to the use of .I.T. Many businesses will some how use .I.T.
during the day. Many shops will use an EPOS system – this is an Electric Point of
Scale system. Shops would also use an EFTPOS – Electric Funds Transfer at Point of Scale. This is a stock control system. As well as most office staff is expected to know
how to word process on Microsoft Word.
The Digital Divide
The Digital DivideThe term digital divide refers to the gap between those people with effective access
to digital and information technology and those without.
It includes the imbalances in physical access to technology as well as the imbalances in resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.
The causes of the divide – Economic Economic prosperity plays a large role in determining the prevalence of modern
technologies in society. A subsistence economy will be more concerned with basic survival that ICT. A prosperous developed economy can both afford to
devote energy and resources to fund the research and development needed to create digital technologies, and has the affluent consumers to purchase the
technologies created.
Economic prosperity also has an underlying effect on a number of factors that increase the divide. A poor economy often has a poor technological
infrastructure, which makes it harder to put in place the digital technologies that would improve its situation. People existing at a subsistence level have no motivation to learn the skill necessary to use ICT. Rich nations can bridge
physical obstacles, and for example take electricity cross mountains and ravines, whereas this may be low priority for poorer nations.
As well ICT equipment is expensive and rental charges and fees for connection to the internet can be high. It is not surprising then that people on low incomes. Or without a job, are disadvantaged, and this may include the unskilled, disabled,
the elderly and the young.
The causes of the divide – SocialThere are so social causes to the divide. Some groups may be unwilling to expose any gaps in their skills or lack of confidence in front of a mixed audience. Community access is provided there may not be adequate crèche facilities; they may be inaccessible to people with limited mobility, and people without their own transport. Rural and very poor communities, where there are already other barriers to access, may be particularly poorly served in community facilities.
The causes of the divide – Geographical
Another compelling factor behind the digital divide is geographical, although as always this is related to the other factors. Mountainous countries such as Nepal, desert areas such as North Africa, and rainforest regions such as Central Africa, South America and South East Asia all present special problems for the uptake of digital technologies, on top of the fact that most of these areas are already poor. In these regions even the simplest physical infrastructures such as roads and bridges may be missing for at least some part of the year. There will usually be little in the way of reliable fixed communications systems and the social organization may also be less centralized.
The extent of the divideThe digital divide is shrinking more and more every year. The access to technology of all forms is becoming easier and cheaper as developments continue. The computers
are becoming easier to use as are items such as mp3s, personal organizers and digital computers. Digital technology is available and is used by all age groups from small children through to the elderly, in fact more schools are using computers and
more of the elderly are using the internet than ever before, the so called "silver surfers".
It’s becoming very important in the present economic climate to be able to offer an employer all the skills they want when you go for one of the ever decreasing jobs, even when you try and hold on to the one you already have. There are very few jobs left that don't include any digital technology in one form or another, even dustbin collection involves using bar code readers to check bin weights. The usage may involve the simple usage of a few buttons or of a basic scanner but they still involve digital technology in some form.
With Internet technology meaning the net can be found on phones and gaming systems as well as computers the access to the web means it’s always easy to use and it’s easy to find what you need from it. There is basically access to anything and everything you could wish to find, many use it to find music they can’t afford to buy in shops, to shop for items they can’t afford in shops and for entertainment they can’t afford to go out for. A simple computer and internet can give you so much that its often used as an alternative to going out as often or to replace even more then the above list. If you want to make contact with friends or family, particularly those a long way away, use the Internet. You can see the people you want to see in real time and can talk to them as if they were in the next room. This is obviously a lot easier and cheaper then travelling.
It’s becoming almost impossible to avoid digital technology and trying to could be detrimental. Your television watching will need digital receivers only, your telephone calls are digital, your car has or will have computers controlling many aspects and all entertainment systems will have digital technology in them soon if they haven't already. Price reductions and simplifications mean the digital divide will shrink to such a stage that everyone will use it every day, whether they realize or not.
Measures to narrow the divide
There have been many organisations to help narrow the divide, these organisations help British citizens to understand how to use ICT and let them learn their ICT skill
for future reference. In the UK there are 10 organisations which do this:
UK Online – Is a major government project, started in 2001, to give computer access to people in the community and to help them learn new ICT skills, There are now over 6000 UK Online Centres, located in libraries, schools and community centres.
University for Industry (Ufi) – Is a partnership between the government and private industry aimed at improving job prospects for individuals and boosting
competitiveness for businesses through the use if Learn Direct centres. Working as a public-private partnership in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Ufi aims to put
individuals in a better position to get jobs, improve their career prospects and boost business competitiveness’.
Learn Direct – Is aimed at teaching adults how to use ICT, in schools, libraries and colleges.
British Educational Communication and Technology Association (BECTA) – Was set up to help education professionals, including teachers, make the most of ICT.
Computers within Reach – Was a £15 million initiative aimed at helping learning on benefits by enhancing their employment prospects and learning opportunities
through providing access to computers.
Get Started campaign – Was a six – week campaign up to the end of June 2003 aimed at giving a kick start to access for the elderly, the unemployed, the disabled and other disadvantaged groups, to show them the benefits they could get from
accessing IT.
Community Access to Lifelong Learning (CALL) – Is a massive (£200m) programme to enable schools, libraries and other lifelong learning institutions to become
connected to the internet and provide access to all groups within society, with the hope of providing particular benefits to socially excluded people who otherwise have
less access to online learning opportunities.
People’s Network Project (Hertfordshire) – This is a local initiative designed to give free access to more than 400 computers withy internet connection, Microsoft Office software, desktop publishing, photo editing and a variety of information resources in
libraries in Hertfordshire smallest of our libraries has a least one computer for people to use’.
BT Internet Rangers – Is a British Telecom project to help overcome the barriers to using the internet for technically illiterate parents and grandparents – using their
children and grandchildren to help and encourage them.
Benefits and drawbacks
The benefits of narrowing the gap in the UK include:
It reduces poverty and can improve standard of living Opens new job opportunities, and can cause promotions and/or increases in
salary Freedom of speech (online petitions)
Better democracy
Globally the benefits are that it:
Increases business trade
Improves prosperity
Helps give a better understanding of different cultures
Better literacy skills overall as people need to literate in a main language for the internet to be any use
Drawbacks of narrowing the divide could be:
The internet isn't always used effectively; is playing games online really going to help feed those hungry in Africa?
Censorships and online monitoring allow governments to control the content available to their citizens
There is a lot of cost as computers require a continued investment in resources maintenance and education
The benefits of narrowing the gap in the UK include:
It reduces poverty and can improve standard of living Opens new job opportunities, and can cause promotions and/or increases in
salary Freedom of speech (online petitions)
Better democracy
Globally the benefits are that it:
Increases business trade Improves prosperity
Helps give a better understanding of different cultures
Better literacy skills overall as people need to literate in a main language for the internet to be any use
Drawbacks of narrowing the divide could be:
The internet isn't always used effectively; is playing games online really going to help feed those hungry in Africa?
Censorships and online monitoring allow governments to control the content available to their citizens
There is a lot of cost as computers require a continued investment in resources maintenance and education
