Dear colleagues,
I have just returned from the International Association of School
Librarianship (IASL) conference in Hong Kong and heard a most inspiring
keynote speaker, Stephen Heppell. His ideas may relate to your conference.
His focus is research-based eLearning, the design of learning and technology
spaces (for instance, he said that a row of computers on desks does not
optimise learning!) and a primary focus on people. He led us to think about
strategies for providing library and information services to schools in our
21st century context.
A project he designed called Notschool, for learners alienated from school,
had great success-
http://www.apple.com/uk/education/articles/stephenheppell/ and
http://www.notschool.net/ns3/ . He spearheaded Ultralab and has now begun to
work in Ireland - http://www.learn3k.org/. For anyone interested to read
more his home page is at http://rubble.heppell.net .
This was one of the most interesting, stimulating and engaging keynotes I
have heard. As his focus is ICTs in relation to learning, I think there is
much we can learn from him and his colleagues in making sound decisions
relating to the digital divide.
Kind regards,
Elizabeth Greef
IASL Regional Director for Oceania
Head Librarian
St Andrew's Cathedral School
474 Kent St
SYDNEY
NSW 2000
AUSTRALIA
PH: +61 2 9267 6491
FAX: +61 2 9261 8748
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Nadia Kutscher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "The Digital Divide Network discussion group"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 7:18 PM
Subject: [DDN] international conference
> We would like to invite you to the following international conference:
>
> Cyberworld unlimited?
> Digital Inequality and New Spaces of Informal Education for Young People
>
> International Conference
> February 9th -11th 2006
> Bielefeld, Germany
>
> Today, the internet is regarded as the central resource for knowledge and
> information. Associated with this is the idea that everyone is able and
even
> expected to serve himself or herself according to his or her own needs via
> this medium. Since more and more services (banks, universities, schools,
> public administration etc.) are delivered online the internet seems to
allow
> its users to enjoy specific advantages in dealing with their everyday
life.
> However, using the internet is based on a range of preconditions. New
> results of empirical and theoretical research indicate the rise of a
social
> divide in this context. Within the internet, differences in ways of use
can
> be identified alongside social inequalities. They mirror boundaries of the
> "real life" in the virtual space e.g. in terms of forms of communification
> and spaces for appropriation (in a sense of self-formation processes of
> social actors). These are not only shaped by invidual preferences but
> particularly by social structures and processes. This appears in two
> dimensions: by processes of social closure and by service structures which
> only reach special target groups - prevalently in contrary to their own
> intention.
> In the context of the broader debate on education it is stated that formal
> educational structures are to be urgently completed by arrangements which
> are structured in informal resp. nonformal ways. Particularly the internet
> is suggested to play a special role in this respect. However, the
phenomenon
> of digital inequality points to limitations consolidated by effects of
> cultural, social and material resources: Economical resources affect
> opportunities of access, priorities of everyday life shape respective
> intentions of internet use, social relationships have an impact on the
> support structures available and ways of appropriation reproduce a
specific
> understanding of informal education ("Bildung"). This produces an early
> stratification of opportunities especially for the subsequent generation
and
> may lead to extensive inequalities regarding the distribution of
advantages
> in terms of education.
>
> Thus the capacity of the virtual space in terms of participatory
> opportunities and democratic potentials raises concerns of major relevance
> with respect to social and educational policy. From the perspective of
> different disciplines involved in these issues it is essential to clarify
> this issue in empirical as well as theoretical ways and to make it
> utilizable for a future-orientied practice. In particular, the following
> questions are central for the analysis:
> What are the impacts of technical equipment and social sites of access
with
> respect to online participation?
> How do social preconditions influence differences in using the internet
and
> which are the consequences for young people's ways of use?
> What forms of communification and specific media cultures can be observed
on
> the internet and how do they affect informal processes of education?
> In which ways are aspects of the "real life" and the "virtual space"
related
> regarding the facilitation of different ways of appropriation?
> Which preconditions are required for opening up new spaces of education
for
> young people via the informal structure of the internet?
>
> For further questions please take at look at the conference website
> http://www.kib-bielefeld.de/tagung/engl/ or contact me.
>
> Best regards
>
> Nadia Kutscher
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Dr. Nadia Kutscher
> Project Co-Ordinator
> Center of Competence for Informal Education (CCIE)
> Faculty of Educational Sciences
> University of Bielefeld
> Postfach 10 01 31
> D-33501 Bielefeld
> Germany
> Tel.:++49-(0)521-106 3297
> Fax: ++49-(0)521-106 8047
> Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> KIB/CCIE: http://www.kib-bielefeld.de/engl/
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>
>
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