Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
its inventor. In 1989, he developed a hypertext language database called 'Enquire',
to facilitate research and the exchange of ideas between scientists. It went 'live' in
1991, and was the forerunner of what we know as the World Wide Web. His first
public message on it was a call for other collaborators to participate. Little could he
have realised just how many would do so (Edwards, 2012).
Task 8.2
Internet and learning
Make a list of the devices you have used today that involve some form of
computing or the Internet, which impact on your study habits. How would you
use this information with children in the classroom?
Whilst the influence of computers appears to be all-pervasive there are still
groups in society whose access to them is limited. The elderly, the poor and
the disenfranchised, both in this country and abroad, are likely to fall into this
category. Even within a school the number of pupils without a computer at home
may be small, but it is still a significant disadvantage to everyone concerned. The
Internet in particular carries knowledge and information, without which it may
be impossible to function fully. The fact that the three primary languages, which
dominate the Internet at the moment are Chinese, English and Spanish exacerbates
the situation. The overall effect has been referred to as 'digital poverty', and the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
regards it as a pernicious issue that needs addressing. There are attempts to deal
with the imbalance through initiatives such as One LapTop Per Child (OLPC), but
it is important in your teaching to point out that infrastructure is as significant
as the devices themselves. Without an uninterrupted source of electricity or an
accessible phone network they are almost useless. It may be useful, in conjunction
with this global perspective, to explore the influence of computers and Computing
in the home, by examining the impact they have had on entertainment. The advent
of the iPlayer and other similar on-demand services means that films, music and
TV can be accessed anytime or anyplace. Games of unheard-of sophistication, with
multiple players in many locations, are similarly available. You could extend any
discussion about this development with pupils to include:
• Life before the PlayStation …
• Changes in play behaviour of the young
• How the young communicate with each other
• E-safety, including bullying and grooming.
Task 8.3
Social and commercial advantages
By far the greatest majority of the one billion PCs available today are found in the
developed countries, such as Japan and Germany (Gartner, 2010). What social
and commercial advantages do these communities gain from this abundance of
resources, and how would you stimulate debate with your pupils about fairness
and equality in this context?
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