We all talk about broadening engagement.
FCC Chairman Genachowski shared this data with us.He acknowledges the Mobile Divide at a conference at the New America Foundation in January.
Barriers to Use
Affordability: 36 percent of non-adopters, or 28 million adults, said
they do not have home broadband because the monthly fee is too
expensive (15 percent), they cannot afford a computer, the installation
fee is too high (10 percent), or they do not want to enter into a
long-term service contract (9 percent). According to survey
respondents, their average monthly broadband bill is $41.
Digital Literacy: 22 percent of non-adopters, or 17 million adults,
indicated that they do not have home broadband because they lack the
digital skills (12 percent) or they are concerned about potential
hazards of online life, such as exposure to inappropriate content or
security of personal information (10 percent).
Relevance: 19 percent of non-adopters, or 15 million adults, said they
do not have broadband because they say that the Internet is a waste of
time, there is no online content of interest to them or, for dial-up
users, they are content with their current service.
Digital Hopefuls, who make up 22 percent of non-adopters, like the idea
of being online but lack the resources for access.
Few have a computer and, among those who use one, few feel comfortable
with the technology. Some 44 percent cite affordability as a barrier to
adoption and they are also more likely than average to say digital
literacy are a barrier. This group is heavily Hispanic and has a high
share of African-Americans.
Julius Genachowski wants to be the Federal Communications Commission
chairman who brings cheap and fast broadband to a technologically
backward nation — the United States.
Compared to countries like South Korea or Finland the United States has
fallen behind in the broadband rankings like a stock car with a blown
engine. Citizens pay too much for service that’s too slow, or don’t
have access to high speed internet at all.
The Digital Divide and Broadband Adoption
Branding the Digital Divide “the most important civil rights issue of our time,” the Chairman noted that about one-third of Americans have yet to adopt broadband. Further, only 56 percent of African-Americans have adopted broadband in their homes, which includes a 22 percent increase in their adoption rates last year. Equally dismaying is that “less than half of Hispanics, low-income Americans, and rural Americans have adopted broadband,” according to Genachowski. Citing MMTC’s recommendation, he emphasized, “Modernizing the Universal Service Fund from supporting yesterday’s telephone service to tomorrow’s broadband access service is imperative to increasing broadband adoption.” He also touched on ways to tackle digital literacy in education and small businesses.
So in the real world who does outreach, often called EOT to Broaden Engagement, Supercomputing , the Conference does, there is an Education section and a Broadening Engagement section of the communities .
Locally there are the BDPA , and Dr. Jesse Bemley . We work in Southeast Washington to make a difference.
BDPA has regional conferences to interest, engage, involve and support youth and community.
The Venue
Bowie State University
Founded in 1865, Bowie State is the oldest Historically Black College/University in Maryland and one of the ten oldest in the country. It is also a diverse university whose 5,400 students, along with faculty and staff, come from many ethnic backgrounds.
In addition to its 25 undergraduate majors, Bowie State offers 30 master’s, doctoral, and advanced certification programs. Its advanced research facilities include one of the world’s 100 most powerful supercomputers and a satellite operations control center managed in conjunction with NASA.
BDPA
BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates) is a non-profit organization of professionals working in or having an interest in the Computer Science and Information Technology fields. BDPA has a diverse representation of information technology professionals. Included amongst the organization’s members are programmers, analysts, engineers, managers, instructors, and entrepreneurs, to name a few.
There was a JEF FIRST Robotics Showcase and the Patriot also had a Showcase of their Robotices
Students from JEF demonstrated the robots they built and participated with in the Robotic competitions. Mr. Michael White is the coach of the robotic team for the Joint Educational Facilities
TECH Summit & the Advance Program Briefing to Industry Panel BDPA’s Advance Program Briefing to Industry (APBI) panel was very exciting. Panel members shared challenges, best practices, and personal outlooks on what BDPA members can expect from various industry sectors relative to “Information Dominance.”
This bi-directional exchange of ideas and concepts also allowed BDPA chapters, members, and guests to share ideas, concepts, and upcoming community STEM events with industry. Participants were Captain Daniel Lakhani, U.S. Marine Corps; Rear Admiral Michelle Howard, U.S. Navy and 2011 BDPA Regional Technology Conference Keynote Speaker; Lisa Harbour-Carter (seated), Comcast; and Keith Scott of FireEye. They told their personal career stories to the audience and answered questions.It was an exciting presentation.
BDPA Regional IT Showcase Dr. Bemley conducted this showcase. Students from JEF gave presentations on Machine Learning, Virtual Humans, Artificial Life, Embedded Linux Based Mobile Operating System, and Nanotechnology. The participating student were mostly high school students. Two of the students were undergraduates at Bowie State University.
Regional HSCC Champions Crowned The Regional HSCC took place 9:00 to 5:00 at the Computer Science Building . The Regional High School Computer Competition (HSCC) qualifying round was held Saturday, June 18, 2011 in Bowie, Maryland. Students from the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia participated on the “prooving grounds” of Bowie State University.
High School Competition Challenge BDPA-DC Team-1 (in photo) captured the Regional Title for their fifth consecutive year. BDPA New Jersey Team-2 and BDPA-DC Team-2 placed second and third respectively. Bowie State University and BDPA-DC co-host these semi-annual events to help students prepare for the scholarship round during the National HSCC. This year, the National HSCC will be hosted by BDPA Chicago during the National BDPA Technology Conference, August 3-6, 2011,at the Chicago Hilton.
A digital media project to help communities and schools understand and see well crafted ideas about diverse students using technology is from Edutopia.
The Digital Generation Project Edutopia’s in-depth coverage of students from around the country reveals how young people are using new media to learn, communicate, and socialize in new and exciting ways. There is an achievement gap.All of today’s students do not fit the The Lucas Foundation tells ius to sync up with the new generation of http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation |