Digital Story

http://prezi.com/bs0prryukmp4/the-digital-divide-and-e-waste/

Sources For My Digital Story

http://techcrunch.com/2007/05/06/america-the-growing-digital-divide/

http://www.alternet.org/media/129956

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2007/tc20070315_573361.htm

http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/6/2615518/new-digital-divide-internet-access

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=709

http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol17no3/173tech.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYzRaysLQxc

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/electronics/whatisewaste/

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/PageFiles/58525/toxic-tech-chemicals-in-elec.pdf

http://www.allbestarticles.com/technology/mobile-phone/recovering-precious-metals-from-mobile-phones.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl2j83LCHss

What's in Your Computer

Brominated Flame Retardants

1. They are not mined; they are synthetically made.
2.Some countries regulate the production of it. (European Union in 2006)
3. Accumulates in fatty tissues and travels throughout the body. Affect the neurological and endocrine systems. Most harmful effects are on children and pregnant women.
4. Demanufacturing produces toxic chemicals such as hydrogen bromide. It is released into the atmosphere and is consumed by animals and humans. This causes neurological effects in humans, and some animals have died from it.

eWaste Action

I sent an e-mail to the president of Acer America, asking him to consider the make it safe, make it last, take it back procedure. I explained that most of today's electronics are full of harmful chemicals which are released when the consumer throws them away. These toxins cause cancer, other diseases, and pollute the air we breathe. There are so many electronics thrown away each year because of new designs, new technology, and the fact that it is easier and cheaper to buy a new one than to repair an old one. This results in tons of eWaste building up in landfills or being sent overseas to be processed. This is not safe for the people who have to work with these toxic chemicals, and it is also destroying our environment. I went on to ask him to consider making products last longer so there is not so much eWaste. The waste is building up so fast because people buy new technologies and new electronics when a new idea comes out (about every 18 months). Then I asked them to take back their products from people and to give some sort of incentive to do so. This would cause more people to send their used electronics back for recycling. In turn this would lead to less eWaste, less harmful chemicals being emitted into the atmosphere, and less people getting sick from the harmful chemicals. The companies need to do something to stop all this eWaste.

DS Storyboard

PREZI will be the multimedia source

1. Map of the world
    -show where digital divide is most prevalent
    -use thumb tacks to illustrate
2. Use images to illustrate the divide
    -bridge picture to show "bridging" the divide
    -people
    -digital devices
3. Use quotes and text from sources
4. Use video when possible
    -videos of how people are affected by the divide
    -videos of people speaking about the digital divide
5. Make the presentation rotate and move in certain ways to add emphasis
    -move around a computer
    -move around cell phones
6. Add personal relations to the divide
    -show how it has affected/not affected me
    -computer at my house
    -when my family got a computer
7. Get the word out about the digital divide
    -a lot of people don't know about it
    -I didn't know about it before this class
    -US not affected too much
8. Show the relationship of race in the divide
    -this goes back to the map

Bibliography:

Peters, Meghan. The Evolving Role of Social Media in News Organizations. www.mashable.com. Mashable, Inc. 2005-2011.

Internet Plays Bigger News Role, TV Stays Dominant. www.marketingvox.com. Watershed Publishing. 2003-2011.

Annotated Bibliography

Source 1
http://www.digitaldivide.org/
This source is completely dedicated to addressing the digital divide. It explains what the digital divide is, what can be done to stop the digital divide, and their innovative ways to stop the digital divide. i plan on using this site to help produce my digital story. This site may be a little biased; further research will prove if it is biased or not.

Source 2
http://www.bridgethedigitaldivide.com/
This source will also be a great help to my digital story. It is another website dedicated to bridging the gap between the technological haves and have-nots. They even have a link where you can donate computers to those who are less fortunate.

Source 3
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/digital-divide.html
This source has a lot of great information about the digital divide. It is definately not biased because. It is created by Jakob Neilson; a very smart man with 79 U.S. patents. He is very good at what he does, and he can be a very trustworthy source of information.

Source 4
http://news.cnet.com/2010-1071-858537.html
This is a trustworthy source to inform people about the digital divide beacuse it is an unbiased news station's website. It has news from the Department of Commerce which is obliged to give the public good, true, and informative infrmation. This site will be of great help in my story about adressing the digital divide.

Source 5
http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm
This is a good source because it is very clear, easy to understand, and has a lot of great information about the digital divide. It has statistics and information about the digital divide. It is reliable because it is a wensite dedicted completely to statistics. It includes information about the divide as well as how to bridge the gap.

Source 6
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-09-05-digital-divide_x.htm
This is a very reliable source because it comes from the USAtoday website. This is definately an unbiased source regarding the divide. It addresses how the divide affects whites and minorities differently. This will be a very useful source for my story.

Weblog 10

A superorganism is combined unit of many individual parts. The definition of a superorganism is very vague and can have many different meanings. I believe that there are many superorganisms today. I believe that Facebook is definitely a superorganism because it is composed up of many individual parts; the users of Facebook in this case. These users work as individuals completing their own goals and interests. If you look at Facebook as a whole, the individuals all contribute something to the group; therefore it is a superorganism. This is not a bad thing that Facebook is a superorganism, though. It is in fact a very good thing; it can lead to many good results such as crisis mapping, flash mobs, and other fun and helpful events.

Weblog 9

An example of emergent behavior that I participated in was last week in the Dolan atrium. The professors had the students grab t-shirts with different colors, numbers, and letters on them. Next, the professors gave us simple tasks to complete: some of these tasks included following someone that is not in your FYS section, creating words with the letters on our shirts, lining up in numerical order, etc. These simple tasks led to other, more complex things being accomplished. For example, when told to follow someone not in your section, all the students eventually created a very long line of students following each other. Another example is when we were told to follow someone in our section; this led to each section forming a circle. There were many more examples of simple tasks leading to more complex tasks being accomplished. This is an example of emergence because it is a direct restatement of the definition of emergence. The definition describes simple tasks being formed into more complex tasks. This exercise was emergence from my perspective and from a global perspective. The exercise was video taped so we could see what it looks like globally. It is obviously going to look a little different from the two points of view, but it is still going to have the same outcome. Overall it was a pretty interesting experience.

Weblog 7 & 8

As we have learned over the past few weeks, there is alot of censorship going on in China. They basically censor everything. I would be surprised if there were not a lot people upset with this, especially those in China. This is ridiculous that their government censors everything. The government claims that it is for the good of society, but they are doing it to have more control over the Chinese people.
Most of this censorship started when the Internet was brought to China in the 90s. The government became very worried, because they didn't know how the people would use the Internet. Would they use it for good, and for education; or would they use it for bad things, or to overthrow the government. This caused the government to set up crazy blocks on many websites, while censoring others. There are even people employed by the Chinese government who are hired to search the Internet for unsafe sites, and/or for people not abiding by the censorship laws.
The censorship in China reminds me a lot of the book 1984, in which "Big Brother is watching you." You have to be very careful of what you say and do because Big Brother can see everything you do. In China, Big Brother is their oppressive government, which is always watching what they do online.
China's government also covers up incidents that they do not want to spread to the general public. For example, there was a fatal crash in which two trains collided with each other, killing and injuring many people. The original death toll was about 35, which then changed to about 48, and then went back down to about 38. This alerted the Chinese people of the government's attempts to cover up the collision and make it not seem as bad as it really was.
I don't think that the United States should get involved in the overseas affairs in China. I don't think that they should put forth public policy that bars overseas sales of items that will eventually be censored. The items that are sold overseas really have nothing to do with the U.S. other than profit. There is not much we can to stop the censorship, and I don't think it is our place to step in. I believe this would just cause many more issues and make both countries very hostile towards each other. The United States wouldn't take very kindly to foreign nations stepping in on our affairs, so why should we do it to other nations? They will eventually figure everything out in China; they will settle all of the disputes hopefully in a peaceful and mature way. I'm sure it will take a while but that is what needs to happen, it is not our time or place to step in on our their affairs. Besides, we are just making more profit by selling these items to them. While these items may cause the Chinese to have less freedoms on the Internet, they still have the Internet which is a step in the right direction. At least they are not part of the digital divide.
The Chinese been very effective in learning to use microblogs and other similar websites. They speak out as much as they possibly can about their government; the things they like and most importantly, the things that they dislike. This can be very risky, even though the microblogs are not censored, I'm sure the government knows about them. China has one of the most sophisticated systems for blocking and censoring Internet content. The Chinese citizens must be very careful not to say the wrong things, which could possibly end them up in prison, or with some other penalties. I believe that the microblogs are very beneficial to the Chinese people though. They can use them to gather groups of people who feel the same way about government and possibly start strikes, or protests, or even riots/ overthrow the government. This would be very hard to do, but some day it may happen. The Chinese need a new system of government and it isn't going to happen any time soon if there are not people willing to stand up for what they believe in.

Digital Story

Before this class I never really thought about the topic of social justice. So far in this course i have learned much about social justice and the digital divide. It is a pretty interesting topic. I always knew that there were people without Internet access, access to computers, limited access, or no access at all. It really struck me that this was actually a pretty big problem in our society today. I guess you could say I was a little naive about the subject. I have always seen people with computers, laptops, smart phones, etc. I don't live in a secluded suburb or small town in the country either; I am from inner city Cleveland, which is where one might expect the largest digital divide according to the reading we have read so far. The inner city tends to have more minorities than suburbs, lower class citizens than suburbs, and so on. Also the study done by Facebook showed that minorities were less likely to have a Facebook account than whites. I am certainly not ragging on the inner city, minorities, or lower class citizens. I am merely stating that the inner city would be the most likely place for a digital divide and lack of broadband access. Not many people think of the digital divide in their day to day lives. This is a worldwide issue that needs to be addressed now. Technology keeps advancing every single day. There are constantly new phones, new laptops,desktops, new gaming systems, video cameras, etc. Technology is a great thing if it used correctly. Not only that, but we need to work as a society to bring technology to all parts of the world, all societies, all people. This may not be completely possible; for example, poverty is always going to be around us no matter what we do we cannot completely end poverty; I believe that we cannot completely bridge the gap of the technological haves and have-nots. It is possible to narrow the gap between these groups though. There are many ways this can be done, many steps that can be taken, but in the end, the result would ideally be a narrowing of the gap. To narrow the gap not only means getting access to computers and broadband, but also knowing how to use the computer and Internet. This can be the trickiest part; how do you teach a whole society of technologically illiterate people to use the Internet? Would you have classes for them to attend? Would you force them to go to school to learn the basics? A lot of people can learn things on their own. The extent of their knowledge definitely would not be to as high a level as it would be if someone taught them. but playing around and figuring out things is a very important skill, if you will, to learning how to use computers. I remember when my family got its first computer at home. We had dial-up Internet connection, which was very slow, and you could not use the telephone while on the Internet. My dad taught me a lot of things about the computer, and he had never taken classes on how to use it. He read the instructions and taught himself everything he knows about the computer. I taught myself a lot of what I know about computers also. I did take a class in high school on how to use many Microsoft programs, but I taught myself most of what I know. I don't think it very hard to learn the basics of computers. For my digital story I plan to address the digital divide, the aspects of race, and some social media sites. I have already learned a lot about these so far in this class. i plan to learn a lot more through my research. I plan on describing the digital divide from a number of perspectives through many facts.

Source 1
http://www.digitaldivide.org/
This source is completely dedicated to addressing the digital divide. It explains what the digital divide is, what can be done to stop the digital divide, and their innovative ways to stop the digital divide. i plan on using this site to help produce my digital story.

Source 2
http://www.bridgethedigitaldivide.com/
This source will also be a great help to my digital story. It is another website dedicated to bridging the gap between the technological haves and have-nots. They even have a link where you can donate computers to those who are less fortunate.

Weblog 6

I do not have a very good twitter literacy level. I have never used twitter before because I don't see the point to it. I know a lot of people that use twitter. I constantly hear people talking about twitter and hash tags and followers. I can understand a little bit of what they are talking about, but i don't understand all of it. My twitter literacy level is evolving by hearing other people talk about twitter. I still don't have much interest in getting a twitter account. I don't see what is so cool about reading everything that people say all day long. Twenty first literacy skills are different from what literacy originally meant. Twenty first century literature involves literacy and how well people use the technology in front of them. It involves being informed on how to use computers, cell phones, digital devices, etc. Originally literacy meant knowing how to read and write. That definition has completely changed in the twenty first century. Someone acquires these skills by being taught and/or teaching themselves. The more that one uses an electronic device, the more familiar you become with it. There are also classes that you can take to become more familiar and efficient with these devices. Some schools teach these twenty first century literacy skills, while others do not. More schools need to start teaching these skills so there are more twenty first century literate people. The relationship between technology, participatory culture, and twenty first century literacy is that they are all related in some way. Twenty first century literacy involves technology, and technology involves participation. However, there is a digital divide that limits the participation because a lot of people don't have access to computers and broadband.

Weblog 5

Weblog 5

Weblog 5

Weblog 5

I have been fortunate enough to have been able to use the internet for a number of things. I have had a computer for a while. I remember the first computer that my family bought. I used to take a computer class in elementary school, when i was pretty young. I remember learning how to use Microsoft Office, floppy disks, and other programs. I recently took a computer class in high school also which taught me a lot about computers and the internet. I am mostly a consumer of internet materials. I have never created much on the internet except on social media sites. I have never created my own website or anything like that. The internet is a great resource that I have had the privilege to use over and over again. It helps a great deal with school work, learning, and keeping in touch with people. I could not imagine living without internet access. This is a real thing though; there is a digital divide, and some people live with minimal access to the internet, while others have no access at all. This can lead to problems because more and more things are being done online from e-mails, to research, to finding jobs. The digital divide is a not only about internet access, but also about how well people are able to use it. For example, some people may have internet access, but have no idea how to use it efficiently. This is a problem that needs to be addressed in the near future.

Weblog 4

Weblog 4

Government policies have made it easier for some Americans to live in good neighborhoods, while others are forced into bad neighborhoods , and even poverty. The government used to allow discrimination and segregation in local communities. This was  not the worst part though. The minority's neighborhoods were appraised at lower income levels than the neighborhoods of the whites. This eventually led to the decay of neighborhoods, low income society, low property values, and poverty. The poor became poorer, while the rich became richer. This was a continuous cycle, that never ended. When these minorities would move into white neighborhoods, the whites would move out, property values would drop, then these neighborhoods would slowly decline. It was not about who was moving in, it was more about who was moving out of these neighborhoods. The government didn't do much to accommodate to the needs of the minorities. They would often give whites great loans, and minorities would be given cheap loans, if any at all. This allowed the whites to progress and have security for retirement, while minorities were forced to retire with very little security money. This cycle still continues to this day.

Weblog 3

     Miller believes that social justice is an object that can be distributed among the people of a community. He believes that we should all share in the "goods" of society. He believes that we should also share in the parts of society that are not so glorious, such as taxes and military service. Miller is an activist for the state stepping in to deem things socially just or unjust. He believes that it is the role of the state to enforce social justice. Miller's arguments relate to my two contrasting theories from Weblog 2 because his argument supports one of my theories of social justice and contradicts the other.
     First, Miller's arguments supports my theory that it is wrong to leave the child locked in the room, for the happiness of the community. Miller states that the goods of society should be shred equally among all the citizens. If this is true, then the child in Omelas should be able to be a part of the community, and not have to be locked up. Also, Miller states that the community must share in the "bad" parts of society also. If the city of Omelas has to sacrifice some of their happiness for the child to be set free, then they should do that. even if nobody wants to set the child free, it is the right thing to do. a good example of this is taxes. Nobody likes to pay taxes, but we must do it for the good of the whole community, and we all share in an experience that might not be so pleasant.
     Second, Miller's arguments contradict my theory of social justice for the parents of Omelas. They teach their children that it is right to leave the child in the dark, cold, dirty room. This is not just because, as Miller states, justice should be distributed evenly to the people of society. The child is not receiving any benefits or any happiness because he is locked in a room. How is justice being distributed here? Miller also believes that the state should intervene when necessary and enforce social justice. This does not happen at all in Omelas, their is either no authority, or the state does not step in to create justice.
     Miller makes some very good points that include sharing the "goods" of society, enforcement of justice from the state, sharing the "bads" of society, etc. My two contradicting theories both agree and contradict Miller's idea of social justice.

Weblog 2

     Social justice means treating everyone fairly, and not discriminating. There are two contrasting themes of social justice in "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas." These are evident in the contrasting views of the children and the adults.
     There is a child locked in a dark, cold, dirty, small room in the basement of one of the buildings of Omelas. The child sits in its own excrement, gets beat, and is naked. The people of Omelas won't let the child out of the room because it is said that the child would ruin all their happiness.
     Most of the the people that come to see the child are young citizens of Omelas. The children don't understand why the child is locked in the dark room. They get disgusted thinking about the child living in the dark room. They want to do something to help the child, but they know that the city of Omelas will suffer pain if the child is set free. The young citizens know that this child is not getting treated justly. They believe that it is unjust to make one person miserable for the happiness of many.
     The parents and older citizens of Omelas on the other hand, believe that it is just to leave the child in the room. They believe that happiness for the community is more important than the happiness of the child. They teach everyone that the child must remain locked up in the room, or the city of Omelas will fall to evil and guilt. The older citizens of Omelas don't believe this to be cruel or unjust, they see it as a necessary thing for the city to be happy.
     These aspects of the theories are explicitly defined by Le Guin. However, there are some aspects of the theories of social justice that are not explicitly defined. It is implied that the children are more thoughtful of others. They know that they wouldn't like to be locked up, so they don't want the child to be locked up. The adults on the other hand, only think about themselves, they don't want to feel pain,sorrow, or guilt. They don't care that the child is not happy. They would rather help themselves, than help others in need. The children know that it is right and just to help the child in need, even though he might be gross and smelly. I think Le Guin is implying that we should help people in need, such as the homeless and less fortunate than us. We should not always think of ourselves. I also think that Le Guin is implying that we should try to put ourselves in other people's shoes, and treat them how we would like to be treated. I believe this because the youth of Omelas feel bad for the child, but the adults do not. Therefore, the young children can imagine themselves in the dark room, but the adults cannot because they are much older.

Weblog 1

Personal Information:

1. Ryan Ferra, Cleveland, Ohio, rferra15@jcu.edu
2. Ryan
4. I play baseball and basketball.  I went to all-guys high school.

Learning Style and More:

5. Respect, trust, and confidence must be present for me to take intellectual and creative risks in class.

Technology Section:

6. I believe the most important technological invention was the
7. I believe these technologies to be essential in my life:
      a. Computer
      b. Cell Phone
8. Experience with:
      a. Computers: I would say that my computer knowledge is average. I don't know everything about them, but I can figure a lot of things out even if I don't have prior experience.
      b. Digital Media: I would say that my digital media experience is average also. I know a fair amount about different electronics such as computers, cell phones, video games, televisions, etc. I would say that I am the most proficient with cell phones.
      c: Social Media: I would say that my social media experience is average. I don't know much about social media, besides Facebook.
      d. My Technical Proficiency: 6

About Dr. Shutkin:

9. a. Where are you originally from?
    b. What is your favorite food?