Digital divide

Friday November 7th, 2014
Bring It, Together 2014
Andrew Campbell
Thursday, November 6, 14

“The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.”

“The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.”
William Gibson, 1993

A “Digital Native” from Waaay Back

“Edtech is Elitist”

“Edtech is Elitist”
Andrew Campbell, 2014

Compensatory School: A school where
a set of financial, academic, social and
early intervention strategies designed to
address the poverty cycle and improve
academic performance are applied.

•lowest median income for single-parent
families in Ontario

families in Ontario
•highest percentage of single-parent
families in Ontario

families in Ontario
families in Ontario
•10%+ families are below the Low Income
Cut Off

families in Ontario
families in Ontario
Cut Off
•2x Ontario average on Police Crime
Severity Index

families in Ontario
families in Ontario
Cut Off
Severity Index
•Highest vehicle theft rates in Canada

families in Ontario
families in Ontario
Cut Off
Severity Index
•Academic performance suffer

families in Ontario
families in Ontario
Cut Off
Severity Index
•Academic performance suffer
•Lowest test scores in Ontario

One Question...

Where are the computers??

Talk to Students
About Technology

Talk to Students
About Technology
✤ 40% didn’t have a computer at
home with internet access

Talk to Students
About Technology
✤ Only 1 student had ever used
an iPad (belonged to her older
sister)

Talk to Students
About Technology
sister)
✤ Most students had
entertainment/gaming systems

Talk to Students
About Technology
sister)
✤ Most students had
entertainment/gaming systems
✤ Most students were interested
in using technology to create

Canaries in a Coal Mine

Digital Divide
“...the growing gap, or social exclusion, between those who have access to the
new services of the information society, and those who do not.” (C 1996).

“Every child
deserves the chance
to participate in the
information
revolution.”
Bill Clinton, President of The United
States of America
State of The Union Address, 2000

June 2003

“Those from low SES are less likely
to have a computer in their own home”

“Those from low SES are less likely
to have a computer in their own home”
“...little evidence of a compensation for
students from low SES households...”

Second Level Digital Divide
Also referred to as the production gap, describes the gap that separates the consumers of content on
the Internet from the producers of content.

“UWO researchers found education, income, age and
location were all linked with significant disparity in
people’s digital competency”

“UWO researchers found education, income, age and
location were all linked with significant disparity in
people’s digital competency”
“Only 60 per cent of those in the lowest household
income bracket (below $25,000) reported Internet
use in the previous year compared to 95 per cent of
those in the highest ($100,000-plus)”

Horace Mann
Education then, beyond
all other devices of
human origin, is the great
equalizer of the
conditions of men, the
balance-wheel of the
social machinery.

What Is Your Ideal School?
Why Not?

iPad Project
Goal: To provide a class set of Ipads
Problem: HOW???

How Can We Pay For New Tech?

“Students today are growing up in a
world where technology and digital
resources are an integral part of
their everyday lives. We need to tap
into that existing knowledge and
familiarity with technology to make
learning even more compelling, and
allow our students to become the
innovators, entrepreneurs and
leaders of tomorrow.”
Liz Sandals, Minster of Education,
announcing a $150,000,000 Technology
and Learning Fund
September 4th, 2014

Date

“One of the goals of the 1997 Funding Formula was to make education
funding more equitable across the province. (In 2014) the basic structure of
Date
the formula remains”

Fundraising

Technology investments which complement
and do not replace existing school board
allocations (2011, draft)

Technology investments which complement
and do not replace existing school board
allocations (2011, draft)
Removed from Final Document (2012)

High income elementary
schools fundraise at 5X the
rate of low income schools.

Schools in Toronto’s most affluent neighbourhoods
are fundraising 300 times more money per student
than needier schools

Schools in Toronto’s most affluent neighbourhoods
are fundraising 300 times more money per student
than needier schools
...children in affluent neighbourhoods are getting
almost as much as $900 each in educational
extras...schools in lower-income neighbourhoods
raise as little as $3 a student

Partner with a “Not For Profit”:
Kids Can Fly
“...an advocate for children from prenatal to 6 years and parenting. In
addition, it will seek, to ensure early learning and growth
opportunities, to support ALL children in our community.”

Why A Not For Profit?

•Knowledge

•Knowledge
•Network

•Knowledge
•Network
•Technical Support

•Knowledge
•Network
•Legitimacy

•Knowledge
•Network
•Legitimacy
•Visibility

•Knowledge
•Network
•Legitimacy
•Visibility
•Control

Launched Campaign May 2012
•News outlets
•TV & Radio
•Social Media

Fundraising Targets
•Service Clubs (Lions,
Optimists)
•Foundations
•Local Businesses
•Local Government
Grants
•Philanthropists
•Individual Donors

How Did We Do?

How Did We Do?
•No “Big Fish”

How Did We Do?
•Education is a
government issue

How Did We Do?
•Education is a
government issue
•Credit Union Partner

How Did We Do?
•Education is a
government issue
•Two civic grants

How Did We Do?
•Education is a
government issue
•Two civic grants
•Donation Service Clubs

How Did We Do?
•Education is a
government issue
•Two civic grants
•$10,000+

How Did We Do?
•Education is a
government issue
•Two civic grants
•$10,000+
•Class set of iPads

What’s The BIG Picture?
•Tech skills are essential
•Development requires
access
•Access costs $
•Therefore low SES
students need help

Solutions?

Funding
Differential funding (e.g. Alberta)

Support Bridging Programs
RCTO, Library, Tech Clubs

Be Aware
•Preferential Access
•Avoid inequitable practices (BYOD, Flip Class)
•Advocate for change

Thank You
@acampbell99

Digital divide

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Digital divide

More from Andrew Campbell

Recently uploaded

Digital divide