The DD in Augusta

The Augusta Chronicle like many online news sources conducts daily polls on subjects ranging from A to Z. I use an RSS reader to subscribe to blogs, news, and tailored Google alerts.

As a military retiree who has moved in and out of Augusta, which coexists with the home of the Signal Corps, Fort Gordon, GA I am perplexed that this is the only city where I see growth in the population as well as the expansion in the digital divide...digital disconnect...digital separation.

I have blogged about living in a digital divide with a daughter who is one among many of the gadget girls growing up digital and a mother who is learning something new every week from listening to podcasts, texting, subscribing to blogs and news, working out with the Wii Fit, and many other learning objectives achieved while learning a new gadget, a new technique, or understanding a technical perspective.

Working with my daughter's high school and reviving BHS PTSA I saw an opportunity to connect teachers, students, parents, and community partners with no budget and created a newsgroup, a blog, website, and a MySpace. Like many parents of high school students I wanted to be involved without being labeled a helicopter parent and improve the negative press and statistics. I also understand that our young people will grow up and into the leaders of our communities, states, and global corporations.

I understand that this image below does not represent all computer users in Augusta. The informal poll demonstrates the participants use of social networking or as Vicki Davis, The Cool Cat Teacher, challenges us to rename it to educational networking. The Augusta Chronicle puts their spin on their media as any media organization does, but on any given day, you can see comments to articles referencing taxes, racial issues and there will be thousands of comments to an article. One positive article and maybe a parent or teacher will post a comment.

I understand that negative press sells but I also believe that inside everyone is the ability to resolve an issue by doing something. So as we reflect on our accomplishments of 2008, what have you done to improve your community? Practiced a random act of kindness? Said a kind word? As Ghandi is quoted, "Be the change you want to see in the world" and Aesop, "No act of kindess, no matter how small is ever wasted". As we all want, "Everything to be fine in 2009", what will you do to be one part of the solution to making things fine in 2009?

I have created a Ning to connect parents, teachers, students, community members as a collaborative web space. So if you would like to join, participate in discussion boards, share knowledge and experience, provide positive information, ask questions just request access to the RCSS Backchannel.

Poll from 11/21/08 Augusta Chronicle.

Digital Divide/Chasm Rut

Sometimes I get stuck in the Digital Divide or Digital Chasm rut. Like many techies...I lead by example, share knowledge with those who want to learn, and get frustrated when someone says, "Can you print that for me...I don't do email".

With the military, you live the motto, "Adapt, Implement, and Overcome" and "Do more with less". As a signal soldier, the motto is, "You can talk about us...but not without us". As a parent, I raised a child not to fear technology but to embrace and explore it. So in her circle, she is like a techy Dr. Phil gadget girl.

As a daughter, I encourage my mother to incorporate technology daily. We weaned her from AOL and hooked her on Google. I challenge her to learn something new every day, from reading a Google Tip of the Day to hitting the F1 key to read some tidbit of a help file. She keeps up with her grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews through MySpace.

With the multiple moves in the military, my daughter has been in and out of schools in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Alaska. The varying degrees of integrated technology for students and parents is frustrating. Now as a college student she is required to function with technology. She does not fear technology. She may not understand how all of it works...yet...but she isn't afraid to point, click, dig below the user interface, and ask questions.

We have worked with her high school and one of the most frustrating experiences is the lack of effective communication at all levels. At times, I feel much like the students...everyone is talking around us, over us, under us...but not to us. I hear..."Its on the website", "I don't have time to do email", or "I don't have time to learn something new technology I have to do ________ (whatever)". But I thought the RCSS mission statement is, "Learning Today...Leading Tomorrow...educating students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens".

So when I get to a certain point of frustration, I do a Wii Fit workout or the Outdoor Challenge, refocus, and do something that can be "one part of the solution". Sometime that means blogging, sometimes it means conducting scholarship and computer workshops at the local library, sometimes it means taking time to know the students, or sometimes it just reading everyone else's blogs, twits, posts, sites, or vids.

I see so much potential and so many learning opportunities through the net, that when I feel the digital divide at the local level it feels like a punch in the gut. I know I am not alone...in the US or on the global level. Like many of the issues in/about education, there is not just one answer, not just one person or group of people to blame or to heal...I will overcome the digital divide rut and get back on a techie high roll.

I will join the Parents as Partners online at the K12 Conference, Monday, October 20, 2008 9:00 PM EDT (GMT-4) with Aurelio Montemayor from the Intercultural Development Research Association at www.edtechtalk.com/live

I did send the K12 online conference information to school board members and through the PTSA Newsgroup to inform anyone who might be interested since our school board has raised taxes again and there is a $13.4 million budget shortfall.

The K12 Online teaser for the 10/20

So I encourage everyone to get involved, whether it is self educating about your local school district, investigating your local school district website, the state department of education websites, or just learning about what the local student councils are doing in the community. Make the connection...whether in the F2F or online environment.

And please for all of the educational bloggers continue doing what you are doing...whether you are an educator, an administrator, an ed techie, a community member who is concerned about education. Your shared knowledge, posts, video clips, experiences, motivational posts, questions, polls, and pictures are reaching people outside of your bubble.

Thank you to everyone who may be on someone else's blog roll, saved in a favorites file, or just out there...your efforts may not always be recognized but you are reaching individuals that you may not impact in a F2F environment.

Remember...the students today are the leaders and decision makers of the future. Who will rock your rocking chair?