Hello,
I must agree with this, it is our duty as educators to find the students
computers.  Here in Saskatchewan we have what is called computers for
schools.  That is the computers that are taken out of government agencies,
schools, hospitals, etc. are donated to the students, or school classrooms.
These are older refurbished computers, however they are free to our clients.
We run a technology enhanced literacy program for literacy learners, our IT
guys fix them up for us and we send them out to our learners.  Then the only
thing our learners need to do is access internet funds so they may be able
to communicate with their instructor online.  Furthermore these computers
stay in the homes, where there are children (most know way more about the
use of computers then we do) that will help these adult learners with
computer technology.  This builds positive relationships in the Aboriginal
society.

sandra cook
Literacy Coordinator
Northlands College
306-425-4334

-----Original Message-----
From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 8:37 AM
To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Technology 657] Re: Computer literacy as a requirement

Hello Millie,

You raise a good point. Not everyone yet has access to a computer at  
home or work. But I would like to challenge the analogy with a car.  
Yes, if students don't have access to a computer and the Internet at  
home, work, or someplace where they can easily and regularly use it,  
computer literacy may not be very useful, just as driving lessons for  
someone who has no access to a car may not be useful.  There are good  
reasons for not having a car, however, for example when good public  
transportation is available.  Now I'll go further out on a limb.  I  
see no good reason why everyone shouldn't be able to have a computer  
at home or work.

"What?" some would say. "Our students are poor and cannot afford  
one!"  Then I say it's our job to find or create programs which rehab  
donated computers and make them available for under $200.  In many  
parts of the country these computer rehab programs already exist.   
Check out http://ctcnet.org/who/member_directory/index.htm .  There  
are also lease/purchase arrangements where someone can have a new  
computer at under $20/month, maybe less.  And in some cases, programs  
will have to (some already do) lend students computers to use at  
home.  Out on my limb, I am proclaiming that it is now our job -- the  
job of adult literacy education programs -- to see that students have  
every opportunity to have and use computers.  That's a programmatic  
leap, I know.  But it's a leap I think we must take.  We now live in  
a society that requires computer literacy, as much as it requires  
reading, writing and other basic skills.

Some will point out that, even so, not every student wants to be  
computer literate. That may be true for a small number, and we should  
respect that.  We should require computer literacy only for students  
who want it. But the number of students who do not want to be  
computer literate, in most programs, is now very small.  The bigger  
obstacles, I am afraid, are that some teachers are not comfortable in  
using computers, and not comfortable in integrating technology in  
classroom learning, and, of course, there are programs where  
computers are still not accessible to students, and in some cases  
teachers.

When I visited Hamilton City ABLE in 1996, as part of a National  
Institute for Literacy  Literacy Leader fellowship study, I talked  
with students in your program who did not have access to a computer  
at home but who were accessing the World Wide Web at your program.   
Most said that they had never left Ohio, except maybe to go to  
Kentucky, and that one of the most important things the World Wide  
Web did was give them a chance to virtually travel the world.  That  
has stuck with me, Millie.  I thank them for that insight; it was the  
insight that led to my work with virtual field trips, virtual visits,  
and the International Community Virtual Visit project. [ http:// 
alri.org/pubs/learnerfocusgroups.html  and http://alri.org/litlist/ 
webfieldtrips.html ]

Now, a decade later, the digital divide has significantly narrowed,  
but not for everyone.  Not for all students.   I think it's our job  
to help close that gap. We need to own the goal of computer literacy  
-- and access to computers at home or work -- for all our students,  
and not rest until we have the community commitment and resources to  
make that goal a reality.  I see it as a justice and equity issue,  
like reading, writing and numeracy.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net





On Oct 18, 2006, at 9:59 PM, KUTHFAM at aol.com wrote:


> In a message dated 10/18/2006 9:51:19 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  

> djrosen at comcast.net writes:

> Let me step out on a limb here.  I propose that every publicly-funded

> adult literacy education program be required to teach computer

> literacy to those who are not already comfortable and competent in

> using a computer for basic applications like word processing, e-mail,

> and information searching using a search engine.  That includes basic

> literacy and basic ESL/ESOL students. (I would not insist that

> computer literacy be exclusively in English.)

>

> That is, for most adult learners, computer literacy should be a

> requirement.  Reactions?

>

> Teaching and/or requiring computer literacy is one thing. Having a  

> computer, using it and being comfortable with the technology is  

> another. Computer literacy only matters if the student has the  

> resources (i.e. computer, preferably at home) to use the skills.  

> Computers at school and libraries for all practical purposes  

> (children, jobs home/work obligations) aren't available for our  

> students.

>

> What good is it to learn to drive if you don't have a car?

>

> Millie Kuth

> Hamilton City ABLE

> Hamilton OH 45011

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Technology and Literacy mailing list

> Technology at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology






----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Technology and Literacy mailing list
Technology at nifl.gov
To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology