Digital (il)Literacies

Photo by Jeff MyersI came across this the other day while researching some current initiatives for technology in education. Following the partnership between North Carolina Public School and Microsoft (as written about this past fall in a post tited: North Carolina Public Schools Bought by Microsoft), I found myself at the Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum page (at this point I feel that I should put forth the disclaimer that all of my following comments are solely based on the information provided on the Microsoft Digital Literacy web page). At first glance, it doesn’t seem too bad.

Welcome to the Microsoft Digital Literacy Curriculum. The goal of Digital Literacy is to teach and assess basic computer concepts and skills so that people can use computer technology in everyday life to develop new social and economic opportunities for themselves, their families, and their communities.

It continues.

From using the Internet, to sending e-mail, to creating a résumé, the Digital Literacy Curriculum helps you develop the essential skills you need to begin computing with confidence.

Starting to seem a little… plug and play…

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The Revolutionary Problem: What can education learn from the failure of Google Wave? (A Poster Presentation)

Abstract

The concept of revolutionary advances is a popular technological trope and becoming more familiar in education. This past year, the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) called for the revolutionary transformation of the educational system; at the same time, Google Wave was widely praised as a technological revolution. With the potential of revolutionary change in the educational system on the horizon, it is important to consider what caused Wave to be deemed a failure just months after it was released to the public. To better understand where Wave went wrong and identify possible implications for education, Political Economy of Communication can be used as a lens to identify the roles of power and commodity. This poster presentation will examine and map the revolutionary aspects proposed in the NETP and present in Wave, frame the current and proposed educational system and Wave in terms of the political economy of communication, evaluate contributions to the failure of Wave, and make recommendations for responsible educational reform.

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North Carolina Public Schools bought by Microsoft

Photo by Michael SurrOn November 15, NCDPI (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction) announced a partnership with Microsoft. In this partnership, the Microsoft IT Academy will be offered in all public high schools in North Carolina. This state-wide partnership is the first in the country and is currently the largest adoption of the Microsoft IT Academy in the world.

In the NCDPI news release, State Superintendent June Atkinson stated, "The ability to effectively use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access are essential skills in most businesses and offices today. I am pleased that North Carolina can provide this opportunity for teachers to improve their skills and for students to be career-ready."

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