moving toward closing the digital divide: central american immigrant perspectives on technology...

Moving Toward Closing the Digital Divide: Moving Toward Closing the Digital Divide: Central American Immigrant Perspectives Central American Immigrant Perspectives

on Technologyon Technology

Davina Pruitt-Mentle

2002 NECC

San Antonio, Texas

June 19, 2002

June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 2

OutlineOutline

• Research Questions

• Topic Significance

• Research Activities and Design

• Preliminary Findings

• Conclusions


Central QuestionCentral Question

How can the behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of young Central American immigrants towards the use of technology be described and interpreted


Sub-QuestionsSub-Questions

• What part does technology play in the lives of these individuals and how does technology relate to their career/educational goals?

• What are the conditioning factors influencing the use of technology for Central American immigrants who are “successful” in using or applying technology?

• What are the conditioning factors influencing the beliefs or perceptions about the value of technology for Central American immigrants who are “successful” in using or applying technology?

• What educational setting is perceived as best to advance their technology related skills?


Significance - USSignificance - US

• Hispanics are the second largest and the fastest-growing minority group in the US– By 2005 – will be largest minority– By 2025 – second largest population of Spanish

speakers in the world

• 44% of US immigrants are from Latin America

• 35.7% below 18

• Median age is 26 (Whites is 38)


Significance -USSignificance -US


Significance – DC/MD Significance – DC/MD Metropolitan AreaMetropolitan Area

• 45,000 Latinos in DC – 81% from Central and Latin America

• Maryland has 228,000 Latinos– 68% from Central and Latin America

• DC/MD Metro area:– Second largest group of Salvadorans in the US

– Third largest community of Central Americans

• Langley Park– Latino population increased from 6,956 to 10,294

– Increased from 40% of the population to 63%

Source: 2000 US Census Data


Technology AccessTechnology Access

• Nationwide – 1 in 2 Hispanics have access to computer at school

– 1 in 8 have access at home

• Hispanic Home Access – 12 % Grades 1-8, 14% in grades 9-12

• White Home Access – 40% Grades 1-8, 46% grades 9-12


Workforce PreparationWorkforce Preparation

• 68% of the companies surveyed provided some form of employee training – increase worker productivity

– improve technical skills

• 70% of employers reported training 10% or more of their employees annually

• 26% of employers reported training more than 75% of their workforce annually

• Training Expenditures– $2,300 new employees

– $2,250 for professional employees

– $1,375 for non-professional employee.

• For training– More than three-quarters of companies use in-house training

– 66% use colleges and universities,

– 55% use industry or trade associations

– 55% use outside consultants.

• Only 13% of the companies surveyed received training assistance, with state training assistance being predominant From 2001 Maryland Business Roundtable Workforce Skills Survey


Long Term ResearchLong Term Research

• Cultural Background

• US Census Data

• Ethnography - via Students

• Ethnography - via Teachers

• Classroom Technology Studies– Students as design partners

– After school computer homework club

– Adult computer training

• Survey Questionnaire(s)

• Observations

• Interviews

• Oral Histories

Ongoing

Research

QualitativeEthnographic

Questionnaire

Observations:Active ParticipantPrivileged ObserverLimited Observer

Interviewsin school formalinformalOut of schoolformalinformal

Quantitative

Historical/political/economic

Oral HistoryBoard of Ed. RecordsNewspapersCensus Data-immigration

Dissertation Research

Dissertation Research

National Survey of Time UseNational Survey of Time Use

Records, standardized tests: state/schoolRecords, standardized tests: state/school

Demographic census data: ex. income, family size

Demographic census data: ex. income, family size

Measuring attitudeinterpersonal culture*thematic apperception tool, problem situation test, sentence completion testattitude toward technology,-computer attitude scale

Measuring attitudeinterpersonal culture*thematic apperception tool, problem situation test, sentence completion testattitude toward technology,-computer attitude scale

Classroom Technology Studies

Study ImplementationProjects & Effectiveness


ThemesThemes

• Social Aspects

• Practice Time

• Educational Pedagogy

• Language

• Maintain Culture

• “Do Better”

• Connection to Work


Social AspectsSocial Aspects

• Importance of social aspects of life brought to the US from their home country

• Family connections • Limited social time in US• Like to work with a partner or in groups• Adults come to class in pairs or “small groups”• Learning often includes interaction among students,

even in adult classes


Quotes about SocializingQuotes about Socializing

• “In our country, we come home, do homework, and then go outside and play… with all the other people who live close. Everyone knows everyone.”

• “Here you can’t go outside. Mom thinks its unsafe and no one is around.”

• Like working with group - or someone else.”• “What if they don’t know computers either?”

“Doesn’t matter, it helps just having a second person.”• “I like to talk and work. We get our work done, but

like talking.”


Practice TimePractice Time

• After School/Training

– Don’t have time

• Work

• Take Care of Siblings

• Need child care

– Not allowed or times do not fit schedule

– No help

– Home computer too slow

– Home computer “looks” different

• In School/Training

– Not enough time in class

– Classes too structured

– Don’t like to use social time to make up work

– Lab time inconvenient

– Need more “open” time - Internet there, but we can not use it

– No one to help – teacher/monitor unable to help with questions


Quotes About PracticeQuotes About Practice

• “Don’t have no computer.”

• “[I] Had internet, then dad got mad because they started charging a lot.”

• “Can’t understand. Looks different than at school. This [menu bar is] not the same at home.”

• “I can’t [go to friends to work on computers] after school. I take care of my brother.”

• My uncle got it for us. But he doesn’t know it either.”

• “Mom and dad can’t understand the book. They’re just learning English, well they know, but not a lot of those [computer] words.”

• “Would like to practice …but need to buy a computer.”

• “The things we use [in classes/in training] I do not have at home.”


Pedagogy***Pedagogy***

• Software used irrelevant outside of classroom• Teachers/instructors limit activities

– Bookmark sites

– Little searching activities (preset searching)

– Not allowed to “do extra”

• Activities low level and/or drill and practice• Software and websites should be

– More practical

– Culturally AND gender diverse


Quotations About PedagogyQuotations About Pedagogy

• “They never let us explore other things …we can only do the assignments they want…even if we could add something to make it better.”

• They [the teachers] are behind the times. They have us edit things and exchange disks…or use the computer to write an assignment but then print it out for edits…why can’t we use the editing thing?”


Quotations about Pedagogy Quotations about Pedagogy

(continued)(continued)

• “One of the hardest things is finding something [on the Internet] but they never let us do that—they always bookmark it or have us type it [URL] in.”

• “When are we ever going to use Inspiration?”

• “The things we use are good …but we don’t have them at home.”


Quotations About Pedagogy Quotations About Pedagogy (continued)(continued)

• “They [the schools] need to teach things we need to know for work.”

• “We took a whole semester learning how to do a business letter…why couldn’t we have used these templates?” [templates in word and downloadable templates-template Gallery]


LanguageLanguage

• Don’t like to speak in class (ask questions)

• Like to work in groups or with a partner

• Like to use spell check

• Need to use the Spanish version

• Need to teach Spanish symbols

• Like the translator [i.e., Google]


Quotations about LanguageQuotations about Language

• “Most [new Latino immigrants] don’t like to ask questions because people laugh. We feel like we are different.”

• “One time I said the bad word for beach - you know, the bad word [bitch].”

• “Teachers are the worst. They always ask you to repeat. What? Can you say it again? I can’t understand? Makes you feel bad.”

• “You can just sit there and they [teachers] will come around and see you not doing anything or are far behind and they will squat down to help you.” Re: why she likes using the computers instead of classroom

• “I wish they [teachers] would let us use the Internet so that I could use the translator.”


Quotations about LanguageQuotations about Language

• “I like knowing how to open several windows….that way I can always use the translator”

• “…it [translator] isn’t great - but it answers my questions.”

• “There needs to be more Spanish sites…that way I could show my parents”


Maintain CultureMaintain Culture

• Switch back and forth in class

– Spanish English

– Portuguese English

• Maintain language at home and accent

• “My Country”

• “Back in my country.”

• “In my country we …”

• Reminiscing

• Checking news from “back home”

• Checking sports web pages


Cultural QuotationsCultural Quotations

• “I like looking up news…see what’s going on back home.”

• “I always check the sports page first”

• “No, they don’t use it [parents]…but they like me to show them the news stuff…like this [website].”

• “I always check the travel site, the pictures of back home.”


““Success” – “Doing Better”Success” – “Doing Better”

• Formal and informal education is a path to success

• Technology knowledge - a means to get a job

• Technology type job “pays well” even without going to college


Quotes about Doing BetterQuotes about Doing Better

• “My mom always says, Diane, I want you to do something more than just wash other people’s bathrooms like me. And to do this, you must have a good education.”

• “They sacrificed a lot for us.”

• “Want me to finish school” [unlike parents]

• “Want me to go to college” [unlike parents, first in the family]

• “You need to know technology to get a job.”

• “…all the jobs now ask if you have had experience with computers before.”


Connections to WorkConnections to Work

• Use software not applicable outside of school setting

• Need to make use of activities and applications that can be practiced later (at school, library, home)

• Need to teach content but within framework of activities that apply to work skills


Work Related QuotationsWork Related Quotations

• “I’m taking this class for work.”- does house cleaning and wants to learn more about invoices, brochures etc…

• “I’d like a job at the bank…a bank teller…but my friend [works there] says I need to have some basic computer skills.”

• “This is great [Mapquest] why didn’t they teach this before?” She uses it to map out directions for house cleaning service and can now use it for more accurate mileage logs


ConclusionsConclusions

• Need more time to practice on computers

– Limited time after school (work/day care)

– Do not expect them to give up “social time” for computer time

– In schools always limited time in labs

– Adult training – little “free time” and short courses only 5-6 weeks

• Teachers need to be open to socialization

– Flexible makeup

– Increased group work



• Use tools to help bridge the language barrier

– Translation software or Internet versions

– Allows students to work at their own pace

– Risk Taking/One on One/Group Dialogue

• Technology can be path to success - but need more access

– At school

– At home

• Must teach technology work related skills within the curriculum

• Select software that can be used outside the educational (formal and informal) setting

• Ask participants for input and ideas



• We are too busy teaching our students and not allowing them to learn

• We need to reconsider the meaning of technology integration.


Moving Toward Closing the Digital Divide: Moving Toward Closing the Digital Divide: Central American Immigrant Perspectives Central American Immigrant Perspectives

on Technologyon Technology

Davina Pruitt-Mentle

Educational Technology Outreach

2127 Tawes

College of Education

University of Maryland

301 405 8202

[email protected]

www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu

moving toward closing the digital divide: central american immigrant perspectives on technology...

Documents

use of technology

value of technology

technology play

interpreted slide

us immigrants

technology related skills

us census data slide

inhouse training