Do you agree with the old saying ‘Knowledge can change destiny.’ In decades, I never doubt this a true purpose for teaching and learn. And believe the internet and technology are the pubic highway will drive knowledge to deliver to everyone even faster. However without ethics and morals as the reels, this vehicle is nothing but a roadblock blocking and disturbing some people pathway in today’s digital age.
From oral to book and today’s digital media, technology has its irreplaceable role support and accelerate knowledge transfer, exchange, and widespread. In the others, it also can be a powerful tool for control, limited and privileged knowledge. The case of the Christian bible is a clear example. from Jesus’s oral teaching for everyone to New Testament, letters and documents shift to knowledgeable people but limited and marginalization of the impoverished people. Even become a game of privileged when Christianity becomes the state religion of Rome (Campbell, H., Garner, S., Dyrness, W., & Johnston, R. 2016 P29-30).
Today, when most kids using their computer and the internet exploring the unknown domain and enjoying their ‘cyber live’ by technology. Around the world, many children still cannot have assessed to the internet or proper digital devices can use, nor a quality digital learning environment. If we expect information is an important resource for people to get a better moral decision (Floridi, L., 2010). The question needs to ask, can society justified children have not equal access right to technology and the internet for searching for information because of family background, it not acceptable.
To create better environments for digital learning (ISTE Standards 4d), I believe the school and home are the most important environments for the development of children learning. However deeply I have doubt ‘good environment’ without ethics and morals support is it still can be good. What are the equal opportunity is absence, can we still consider this is a better environment?
Sadly, in reality, there is an obvious gap between high and low-income households children having a computer at home and access to the internet (Becker, H., 2000). According to Becker’s work in American, only 22% and 16% of children, whose family annual income lower than $20,000 or parents finished high school has a home computer. But 91% of children whose parents have more than one master’s degree and income higher than $75,000 have more than one home computer or digital divide (Becker, H., 2000, P.11). The school has less student from high-income family also reported have lower speed internet network or less computer at school compare school has more wealthy family students (Becker, H., 2000, P.3). Lack of internet connection is one of the reasons for most low-income families don’t use the computer (Becker, H., 2000, P.1). However, as Becker said the most essential is the parent’s race, academically, and income (Becker, H., 2000, P.11).
Even those the group of low-income households children having a computer at home, their main actives on the computers are playing games, music, chat, and emails. Compare with high-income households children, the main actives are the same, but high-income group children have more guidance to learn and try more different new techniques and knowledge from their parents. (Jackson, L., Alexander E., Biocca, F., Barbatsis, G., & et al. 2005 ). All evidence is alleged even a society like American, still has a lot of room for improvement. As we are already at the ‘digital age’ it is not a matter of sample demand and supply, but a righteousness of equal opportunity and not one left behind in the ‘Digital slum’ (Floridi, L., 2010).
During to the Coronavirus pandemic, force everyone school and educators speed up to use electronic education. At the same time, we cannot ignore the shout of help form the needy.
Video about Hong Kong Wealthy family students daily online education During to the Coronavirus pandemic.
References
Floridi, L. (2010). Information a very short introduction (very short introductions). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Campbell, H., & Garner, St. (2016). Networked Theology : Negotiating faith in digital culture (Engaging culture). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Becker, H. J. (2000). Who’s wired and who’s not: Children’s access to and use of computer technology. The Future of Children, 10(2), 44-75.
Jackson, L. A., Alexander, v. E., Biocca, F., Barbatsis, G., & al, e. (2005). How low-income children use the internet at home. Journal of Interactive Learning, Vol. 16, Its. 3.
