Big Idea 5.2 Digital Divide Reflection

  1. What are the pros and cons on internet blockers at router and lack of admin password on lab machines at schools?

Pros

  • Prevent students from doing off task work or inappropriate things on the computer
  • Helps prevent the computer from searching things the school forbids students to go on or experience
  • Makes students more academically focused in terms of how they use their computers

Cons

  • Can stop students from going on websites that they might need for school projects or homework
  • Refrains students from accessing a lot of information that might be needed
  • Limits students to the amount of outside resources they can use while at school
  • Can be less productive if the websites they are trying to access for school related stuff is blocked
  1. What concerns do you have personally about the digital divide?

The concerns that I have for digital divide is how well society as a whole will adapt to the new. For example, computers is something that not every still has access to or chooses to have access to. Whether we like it or not, I feel that computers is the next generation of ideas and needed to build a better society in the future. However, not every believes that, which puts people in society at different places. I know that some may choose to not use technology, and others will, but that will always be an ongoing problem for anything new to come in this world.

Digital Empowerment Questions

  1. How does someone empower themself in a digital world?

Someone can empower themself in a digital world by learning the ins and outs of technology. When phones first came out, no one knew it was going to become what it is today. Many people that use a phone for the first time would find it very complicated and confusing. But by putting yourself in the situation where you want to learn more about technology, it will allow you to become more familiar with it. The more I use my phone, the more I find out how useful and powerful it is, and in turn makes me hold that power.

  1. How does someone that is empowered help someone that is not empowered? Describe something you could do at Del Norte HS.

To help someone that is not empowered would be to educate them or help them when needed. For example, if someone at Del Norte had never really used a computer for the first time, or was not to familiar with how certain things on the computer work, I could try my best to help them out and teach them if I know the answer to their question. That way I can spread what I have learned about the digital world to others that are not informed about that certain piece.

  1. Is paper or red tape blocking digital empowerment? Are there such barriers at Del Norte? Elsewhere?

I feel that paper isn’t necessarily blocking digital empowerment. We have used pen and paper far before we converted to the digital world. So I wouldn’t say that it is stopping it, however many might prefer to stick to pen and paper. Since majority seems to be converting over to technology, pen and paper is still used for its benefits, but technology and computers is also used for its benefits. We can see this is Del Norte where we will take notes of tests on pen and paper sometimes for the benefits that it entails, but we will also use our computers for homework assignments and other things that might be easier to do on computer than by paper.