June 2006 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Breeze Meeting request
by diana＠opendrum.utt.ro 08 Jun '06

08 Jun '06

Dear collegues, A friend of mine Dr. Carmen Taran from Research and Development, AT&T, has sent me this message. Can somebody help her? Many thanks Diana I am presenting at the ED-MEDIA conference in Florida, on June 26th. I am looking to invite a few people via Breeze Meeting to speak for about 4-6 minutes about how online meeting software (e.g. WebEx, Live Meeting or equivalent) is used to deliver distance learning. If you are using any of these tools or something similar for any of your classes and you have some advice and you are available for 10 minutes in the afternoon on the 26th, please let me know and I will give you more details. The topics my students are interested in are related to ensuring student participation when students are at remote sites, scheduling practices, and ideas for other technologies used in synchronous distance learning besides the delivery platform. The students in my workshop would welcome a fresh and experienced voice - so I am looking forward to hearing from those interested. Carmen Taran Research and Development AT&T -- ****************************** Diana Andone School of Computing, Mathematics and Information Sciences University of Brighton W624, Watts Building, Moulsecoomb Brighton BN2 4GJ, UK Phone: (+44) 1273 643513 Email: D.M.Andone(a)brighton.ac.uk ******************************

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Re: [Air-l] air-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 6: OLPC discussion
by Andre Brock 07 Jun '06

07 Jun '06

This has been an incredibly frustrating conversation. conversations about inequality and stratification do little to address the fact that there are millions of Africans who already use ICTs and would welcome the chance to have their own laptop for themselves or for their children. don't assume that because its Africa that the need or capacity to use ICTs is somehow diminished because their utilities lack the stability and reliability of Western networks. After all, the United States has some of the most reliable ICT infrastructure in the world and still has higher rates of illiteracy and ICT-non participation than many smaller, poorer countries. ICT adoption, in a world increasingly inundated with the awareness of information as a tool, rests not simply upon the possession of the material artifact but much more so on the possibility of using information to improve one's life chances. The comment about using a laptop as a shovel? completely out of line and insulting. Would you have made that comment about rural Chinese or Appalachian hill people? Andre -- Andre Brock PhD Candidate - Library and Information Studies Project Athena Fellow POSSE Mentor - UIUC Posse 2 (217.333.4693) University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

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Re: [Air-l] air-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 6: OLPC discussion
by Sara M. Grimes 07 Jun '06

07 Jun '06

At the risk of aligning myself too readily with the potential techno-utopianism of the $100 Laptop project, I'd just like to point to Sugata Mitra's "Hole-in-the-Wall" studies and the surprising success that project had, using "Minimally Invasive Education" (their trademarked term) in increasing (at least some forms of) computer literacy among children in a variety of technologically disadvantaged rural settings: Check it out: http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/findings.html On Wed, 7 Jun 2006 16:38:17 -0400 air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org wrote: > Look, i've used pots and pans for shovels before to dig my way out of > snow drifts before i could afford a shovel. I've also used my old > computer as a stepping stool. if there is a practical use for > something that goes above and beyond its immediate projected > usefulness, you can believe that people will be smart enough to use > it that way. It is pragmatics and common sense. If the use value of > an object is higher in another mode of use for whatever reason in a > particular situation, then it will likely be used that way. if the > use value of information technology is less than that of using it for > a another need, people will tend to use it for the other need. it > is not 'racist' to admit that. I've lived in rural areas in the > u.s. and urban areas and let me tell you, people do not always use > things in ways that I would use them and I don't expect that of > anyone else. Do you? > > The laptop... has built into it a certain ideology and set of western > norms. There is a huge mental and knowledge infrastructure that > goes into giving laptops the 'aura' that they have in our everyday > lives. there is a ton of evidence that has shown that just giving > countries computing infrastructure is not enough to transform them > into learning or knowledge societies, there has to be an education > program to parallel that infrastructure and then there has to be a > plan for sustainability of the infrastructure also. In short, we > have to export the ideology, norms, and knowledges to make things > work the way we think they should work. However, it should be > granted that not everyone thinks that we should pursue the > normalization in parallel to the distribution of technology... > However, then why are we designing the infrastructure according to > our norms. > > my point is that this program has no educational or sustainability > program iin place and thus what will happen to it? what would you > do with the computer when the computer no longer works? or you can't > figure out how to work it for some reason. > > as far as i can tell this whole $100 laptop program is predicated on > the idea that technology can solve problems. Technology is just a > tool, humans solve problems. If you don't give the humans the > knowledge they need to build and sustain their own technological > infrastructure, then in my opinion, you are just creating a larger > digital divide, you have created a divide based on dependency. That > will tend to develop into class divides much as happened in > colonialism, is this project different than a digital colonization? > I'm not sure. > > The project that I really liked in this field was the simputer, it > had a plan for education and sustainability, but costs got out of > hand, much like the costs of the $100 laptop have. > > > > On Jun 7, 2006, at 4:11 PM, Andre Brock wrote: > > > This has been an incredibly frustrating conversation. conversations > > about inequality and stratification do little to address the fact that > > there are millions of Africans who already use ICTs and would welcome > > the chance to have their own laptop for themselves or for their > > children. > > > > don't assume that because its Africa that the need or capacity to use > > ICTs is somehow diminished because their utilities lack the stability > > and reliability of Western networks. After all, the United States has > > some of the most reliable ICT infrastructure in the world and still > > has higher rates of illiteracy and ICT-non participation than many > > smaller, poorer countries. ICT adoption, in a world increasingly > > inundated with the awareness of information as a tool, rests not > > simply upon the possession of the material artifact but much more so > > on the possibility of using information to improve one's life chances. > > > > The comment about using a laptop as a shovel? completely out of line > > and insulting. Would you have made that comment about rural Chinese > > or Appalachian hill people? > > > > Andre > > > > -- > > Andre Brock > > PhD Candidate - Library and Information Studies > > Project Athena Fellow > > POSSE Mentor - UIUC Posse 2 (217.333.4693) > > University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign > > _______________________________________________ > > The air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org > > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http:// > > listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > > > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > > http://www.aoir.org/ > > Jeremy Hunsinger > Center for Digital Discourse and Culture > () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail > /\ - against microsoft attachments > > http://www.aoir.org The Association of Internet Researchers > http://www.stswiki.org/ stswiki > http://cfp.learning-inquiry.info/ LI-the journal > http://transdisciplinarystudies.tmttlt.com/ Transdisciplinary > Studies:the book series > > > _______________________________________________ > The air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: > http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > http://www.aoir.org/ > Sara M. Grimes PhD Candidate/School of Communication Research Assistant/Applied Communication + Technology (ACT) Lab Simon Fraser University

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Yahoo web hosting
by J. J. 07 Jun '06

07 Jun '06

It seems to me that Yahoo Web Hosting services have been created for small business owners and nobody else. Have a look: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/ So now, those who do get online with their brand new $100 lap tops, and want to host their own web site, will be led to believe that selling is what makes the world go round? Any other subtle or succinct messages that the $100 lap top is sending to those, who can't afford the vanity of the $3,000 machines? Jarek

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Wiki news sites
by Opgenhaffen Michaël 07 Jun '06

07 Jun '06

Does anybody know interesting news sites that are based on the wiki-technology? Wikinews.org is a great example, but I was wondering if there are other wiki-resources on the www ... Thanks in advance! Michaël Opgenhaffen Master in journalism Lessius Hogeschool Antwerp www.lessius-ho.be/journalistiek

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CFP: Flow Conference 2006 (6/15/06; 10/26-10/29/06)
by Nick Muntean 07 Jun '06

07 Jun '06

The Flow Conference (Oct. 26 -29, 2006; Austin, TX) -- a series of roundtable discussions with topics created by Flow columnists organized around the future of television and media culture -- is now accepting submissions to join a roundtable. Deadline for submission is: June 15, 2006. The goal of the Flow Conference is conversation. There are no plenary sessions, and participants are asked to submit short position papers (not full-length essays). We want to promote discussion amongst scholars, members of the media industries, media activists, fans, and policy-makers over crucial issues related to television and media. The conference program will include the institutional affiliation and paper titles of each participant, and we will provide web space for presenters to circulate position papers and any supplemental research or other supporting materials. For the list of roundtable topics, please visit the conference website at: www.flowconference.org . To join a roundtable, submit a 250 word abstract identifying the roundtable in which you want to participate and detailing your response to the topic statement, and a short bio, to: flowconference(a)utlists.utexas.edu. Roundtable organizers include: Chris Anderson, Tim Anderson, Patricia Aufderheide, Aniko Bodroghkozy, Will Brooker, Faye Ginsburg, Jonathan Gray, Mary Beth Haralovich, John Hartley, James Hay, Heather Hendershot, Henry Jenkins, Douglas Kellner, L.S. Kim, Derek Kompare, Shanti Kumar, Dan Leopard, Daniel Marcus, Vicki Mayer, Allison McCracken, John McMurria, Tara McPherson, Walter Metz, Jason Mittell, Megan Mullen, Horace Newcomb, Laurie Ouellette, Thomas Schatz, Joe Straubhaar, Sharon Strover, Frederick Wasser. For more information, please visit our website, www.flowconference.org, or email us at flowconference(a)utlists.utexas.edu.

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Re: [Air-l] One Laptop Per Child
by Sam Ladner 07 Jun '06

07 Jun '06

Hello all, I'm not a frequent contributor to this list but I feel I must weigh in here. I agree with the notion that inequality is, by default, wrong. Stratification, however, is a function of human social organization. Inequality, by contrast, results from the inevitable political struggles of stratification. Those with power try desperately to hold onto power in a variety of ways - why even Dr. Seuss's star-bellied sneeches attempted to "distinguish" (read: Bourdieu) themselves by *removing* their stars. One can imagine that no Western child would be caught *dead* with one of these laptops (too down-market). So what's going on here with this laptop issue? Well I believe it is rather ham-fisted to suggest that it is inequality-driving. Neither technology nor political economy is determinant here. Directional, yes, absolutely, but simply because a child in Senegal receives a $100 laptop does not mean she will experience increased inequality. That said, however, Jocelyn's point is important: all too often "technology transfer" is not at all knowledge transfer, thereby exacerbating the digital divide. Knowledge about technology is critical in regional innovation; it cannot be exploited locally without such knowledge. So my long-winded argument here is to suggest a more nuanced notion of this idea that such laptops result in inequality. Laptops-in-themselves do not create inequality; yet, they have a way of "revealing" (read: Heidegger) the world to that girl in Senegal that will render her experience inferior, unintelligible and likely, unequal. Sam Ladner Ph.D. (c), Sociology, York University Senior Analyst, Critical Mass, Toronto > -----Original Message----- > From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On > Behalf Of Jocelyn Williams > Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 11:34 PM > To: ellis.godard(a)csun.edu; air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > Subject: Re: [Air-l] One Laptop Per Child > > I'm commenting on the questions posed by Ellis Godard: > > Jocelyn Williams > Senior Lecturer, Communication > Programme Director, Bachelor of International Communication > School of Communication > Unitec New Zealand > Private Bag 92025 > Auckland, NEW ZEALAND > Ph + 64 (09) 815 4321 ex 8829 > Fax + 64 (09) 815 4330 > www.unitec.ac.nz > > > > > >>> ellis.godard(a)csun.edu 07/06/2006 10:49:55 >>> > > How does diffusing technology across a divide which already exists, enhance > rather than diminish it? How does giving them computers inhibit their > "technological progress", or have any deliterious effect on their > technological standards? > > As argued in "Knowledge Gap Hypothesis" literature, the outcome of providing > information (or in the case of the Digital Divide, information technologies) to a social > system tends to be, ironically, to exacerbate the existing gap (divide) because of > the inherent ability of the more (technologically) literate or educated to take up the > information and the advantages and broader worldview that goes along with it. I > have suggested "the Computer Clubhouse concept (Resnick, Rusk & Cooke, 1998) > articulates the need for "technological fluency * not only knowing how to use > technological tools, but also knowing how to construct things of significance with > those tools" (p. 2)" ** is one tactic in responding strategically to the issue that > merely providing the PCs is no solution to the digital divide at all. > > The more critical point implied by Fuchs is "global divide in technological progress > and standards > > will emerge that separates advanced Western technology users > > from users of less-advanced technologies in the Third World" - it's not so much > that $100 laptops are not doing anything to address the digital divide, but that the > concept may generate a new dimension of disadvantage relative to advantage - as > long as those without computers are given first world castoffs, for those with the > less advanced technologies there will always be a moving target before them, ever > out of reach. This is a slightly reframed, shifting gap. > > Godard again: > > The implication that inequality and stratification are necessarily wrong, > much less demonstrably eliminatable, is very very close to absurd. > > I don't suppose anyone is arguing that inequality is "eliminatable" necessarily, but > the thing is that inequalities related to differential ICT access tend to go along with > a whole raft of other problems, often expensive ones, and laptop schemes etc are > at least attempting to provide tools for communities with which they may seek a > measure of self-determination. > > Jocelyn Williams > > ** http://ci-journal.net/viewarticle.php?id=77&layout=html > > _______________________________________________ > The air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l- > aoir.org > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > http://www.aoir.org/ The information contained in this message is confidential. It is intended to be read only by the individual or entity named above or their designee. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any distribution of this message, in any form, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete or destroy any copy of this message.

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Re: [Air-l] One Laptop Per Child
by Jocelyn Williams 07 Jun '06

07 Jun '06

I'm commenting on the questions posed by Ellis Godard: Jocelyn Williams Senior Lecturer, Communication Programme Director, Bachelor of International Communication School of Communication Unitec New Zealand Private Bag 92025 Auckland, NEW ZEALAND Ph + 64 (09) 815 4321 ex 8829 Fax + 64 (09) 815 4330 www.unitec.ac.nz >>> ellis.godard(a)csun.edu 07/06/2006 10:49:55 >>> How does diffusing technology across a divide which already exists, enhance rather than diminish it? How does giving them computers inhibit their "technological progress", or have any deliterious effect on their technological standards? As argued in "Knowledge Gap Hypothesis" literature, the outcome of providing information (or in the case of the Digital Divide, information technologies) to a social system tends to be, ironically, to exacerbate the existing gap (divide) because of the inherent ability of the more (technologically) literate or educated to take up the information and the advantages and broader worldview that goes along with it. I have suggested "the Computer Clubhouse concept (Resnick, Rusk & Cooke, 1998) articulates the need for "technological fluency * not only knowing how to use technological tools, but also knowing how to construct things of significance with those tools" (p. 2)" ** is one tactic in responding strategically to the issue that merely providing the PCs is no solution to the digital divide at all. The more critical point implied by Fuchs is "global divide in technological progress and standards > will emerge that separates advanced Western technology users > from users of less-advanced technologies in the Third World" - it's not so much that $100 laptops are not doing anything to address the digital divide, but that the concept may generate a new dimension of disadvantage relative to advantage - as long as those without computers are given first world castoffs, for those with the less advanced technologies there will always be a moving target before them, ever out of reach. This is a slightly reframed, shifting gap. Godard again: The implication that inequality and stratification are necessarily wrong, much less demonstrably eliminatable, is very very close to absurd. I don't suppose anyone is arguing that inequality is "eliminatable" necessarily, but the thing is that inequalities related to differential ICT access tend to go along with a whole raft of other problems, often expensive ones, and laptop schemes etc are at least attempting to provide tools for communities with which they may seek a measure of self-determination. Jocelyn Williams ** http://ci-journal.net/viewarticle.php?id=77&layout=html

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Re: [Air-l] air-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 4
by Rodino, Michelle (rodinoml) 05 Jun '06

05 Jun '06

Ellis: Check out indymedia.org (as in Independent Media Centers or indymedia, whose slogan is "be the media," which blossomed in response to the WTO meeting/demonstration in 1999). Also see Victor Pickard's excellent analysis of IMC's use of wikis in his recent article in _Critical Studies in Media Communication_ (March 2006). --Michelle Michelle Rodino-Colocino, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Communication University of Cincinnati 601 B Teacher's College PO Box 210184 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0184 Tel: (513) 556-4387 Fax: (513) 556-0899 michelle.rodino(a)uc.edu -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org on behalf of air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org Sent: Sun 6/4/2006 3:02 PM To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: air-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 4 Send air-l mailing list submissions to air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org You can reach the person managing the list at air-l-owner(a)listserv.aoir.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of air-l digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: Wiki news sites (Ellis Godard) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 16:01:02 -0700 From: "Ellis Godard" <egodard(a)csun.edu> Subject: Re: [Air-l] Wiki news sites To: <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> Message-ID: <003501c68761$97377790$6401a8c0@Mobel> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Not news per se, but news related: www.wikithepresidency.com -eg > -----Original Message----- > From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org > [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of > Opgenhaffen Micha?l > Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 8:26 AM > To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > Subject: [Air-l] Wiki news sites > > > Does anybody know interesting news sites that are based on > the wiki-technology? > Wikinews.org is a great example, but I was wondering if there > are other wiki-resources on the www ... > > Thanks in advance! > > Micha?l Opgenhaffen > Master in journalism > Lessius Hogeschool Antwerp > www.lessius-ho.be/journalistiek > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > The air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers > http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: > http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > http://www.aoir.org/ > ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ The air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ End of air-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 4 ************************************

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Attitudes scale towards school and laptops
by adelina moura 04 Jun '06

04 Jun '06

Hi all, I'm a portuguese teacher and in this moment I develop a Pilot Study about "Laptop one to one" in a Professional School. I search for some studies and surveys about "A Laptop attitudes scale". If somebody know some studies or questionnaires about "Attitudes towards school and towards laptops", I appreciate that. I would like to discuss this subject too, if someone is interested in the results tell me. Best regards. -- Adelina Moura "Nosce te ipsum" Research area: mLearning Tecnologias móveis www.adelinamouravitae.com.sapo.pt http://linade.podomatic.com http://www.iep.uminho.pt/encontro.webquest

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