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A recent article in Investor’s Business Daily revealed a startling bias against the potential benefits of broadband, particularly for low-income and minority students.

According to Norm Alster, the article’s author,

[T]he latest research suggests that dumping technology on people actually widens the gap between haves and have-nots.  Kids who are given computers and high-speed Internet begin to slip in math, reading and English.  The impact is worst among the poor students who were supposed to gain the most…

While the study Alster references provides a troubling view about the impact of computers and broadband on our culture, it does not tell the whole story.  As John Horrigan, FCC Consumer Research Director, Omnimus Broadband Initiative noted:

[T]his finding was not as earth-shattering as some may have assumed.  In fact, it is consistent with the findings in the National Broadband Plan: connectivity and hardware matter, but computers and broadband access cannot replace parents, teachers and broader social support as critical inputs into student achievement.  Laptops in the home are not a silver bullet–digital literacy training for parents and teachers, appropriate content for online learning systems, and broader community digital literacy efforts are necessary to ensure children benefit from technology…instructional gains come about only if schools undertake new instructional approaches tethered to technology and if they adopt new practices to support the technology.

So there you have it.  There is no silver bullet.  And while a student may be given access to the implements of a modern economy, absent new methods of learning that compliment these tools, we cannot expect substantial educational gains to result from the mere presence of technology in the home.

What Alster fails to realize, however, is that the Internet is a part of almost every aspect of our lives, from healthcare to education and job creation and everything in between.  Anyone who looks around for a second knows this.   The people who are falling behind in all of these areas — typically minorities and people subsisting in the lowest income brackets — have either chosen not to, or are unable to, adopt broadband into their homes.

We live in an increasingly digital economy, and despite the result of the study described by Alster, broadbad is the single most viable option we have toward increasing positive economic impacts for people of color and for those who have been historically marginalized and underserved.  Were it not such a vital infrastructure for our nation’s recovery, success and prosperity, the Obama Administration likely would not have encouraged Congress to include $7 billion in broadband stimulus in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the FCC would not have gone to such great pains to create our country’s first National Broadband Plan.

While Alster may be personally biased against the substantial investments being made into broadband expansion and use in this country, his is not an attitude we can afford to adopt.  And in fact, it runs counter to the overwhelming evidence that broadband can and must be the critical infrastructure in an information economy – our increasingly digital society.

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In the NY times article it states:

“the fact that a greater percentage of African-Americans say lack of broadband access is a disadvantage. particularly for obtaining career information, “speaks to a recognition within the African-American community that digital connectivity is essential, even — and perhaps especially — during hard economic times.”

This recognition needs to be spread even further within the African American and Hispanic communities.  The current increase can not lead to complacency. The value  proposition in the areas of Job creation, education and Healthcare information can continue to bring more minorities online if we make sure it’s communicated. So the next time you hear or read something about the growth of broadband adoption among minorities just  say ” That’s great but there is still a ways to go!”

That’s how I feel after reading this report on Blackweb 2.0 that says only 1 percent of web start-ups are from African Americans. “Overall, African Americans are still underrepresented in both the tech and entrepreneurial sectors,” the story notes.   The research advised that “burgeoning black techpreneurs” might find a greater reception and investors for their ideas in New York’s Silicon Alley.  I have wrapped my career — and it has become my passion — around the hope that more young blacks will be motivated and inspired to take the leap.  Our tech landscape needs their talents, ideas and voices.

Motivated to do something about it?  More than ever. Stay tuned !!!

First, the explosion of tablet personal computers has Apple, Microsoft, Google and others trying to grow or protect market share — and that translates into more options, greater ease of use, more applications, and better pricing for consumers around the globe.   As this story, Tablet PCs: The coming Revolution, in Smart Data Collective points out, it has reached a point where tablets developed by the government of India are being sold there for only $35, and their hope is to bring that down to $10.   We haven’t hit that price point in the U.S. yet, but the immersion of tablets into the global mainstream bodes well for those who want to increase access to un-served and underserved households.

At the same time, you may have noticed the infusion of federal dollars to provide computers and internet access for thousands of people in Chicago, one of my favorite cities. Check out the story, Chicago gets $16 million to bridge digital divide.   Mayor Daley points out that it is all about opportunity and jobs.  Today, people preparing for the workforce who don’t know how to unleash the power of the PC and the internet will be left behind.   And our families, cities and nation cannot afford that.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/dont-block-mobile-path-onto-internet/1113659

There have been some studies that have shown the rapid adoption of mobile broadband by minorities.  While the hope is that they adopt wire-line broadband as well it is encouraging to see that mobile technology has allowed  them to get exposure to the benefits of broadband access. The article questions whether  the FCC recognizes this growth and how their current proposed net nuetrality rules could stifle this growth. The article drives home the point that i have been making for while , that the FCC should focus on fostering growth and adoption instead of bogging things down with regulations. Take a read and let me know your thoughts

There have been reports recently touting the growth in the use of the mobile web by African Americans and English–speaking Latinos. Research by Pew Internet & American Life Project found African-Americans and English-speaking Latinos continue to be among the most active users of the mobile web.

About 64 percent of African-Americans access the Internet from a laptop or mobile phone, a seven-point increase in just one year. Cell phone ownership is higher among African-Americans and Latinos than among whites (87 percent vs. 80 percent) and minority cell phone owners take advantage of a much greater range of features compared with white users.

You can read the report here. Many have eluded that this show the digital divide is closing. I’m not so sure I can start celebrating yet. Don’t get me wrong I am always happy to see increased usage of technologies by minorities but at the same time I always push to make sure that any group understands the real ways that access to Internet can benefit them. Are they checking for vital health care info they otherwise had no access to or are they checking the latest celebrity gossip. Did they gain access to all the free education information available or download some music?

Yes, the Internet is a great new medium for entertainment but in order it to truly empower us and for the digital divide to truly close, it has to be a means of improving and equalizing access to education, health, and career advancement. Don’t let reports like this give you a false sense of satisfaction. We must continue to educate and push for adoption. And once we reach those goals we then must push for people to use this access to really improve their lives and the lives of the people around them. So as we LOL, ROFL, OMG and BRB to our friends. Let’s also push people for the right level of awareness of what’s available to them so they can GTD in the right areas.

The point here is that states are looking for ways to cut budgets and are willing to jettison almost anything to get there.  I’m pretty sure that in most of these budget debates no one has really looked into how technology and broadband access can create cost savings. I know from experience it can, but am always looking for proof. I came across a story today about how the state of Oregon  has moved  to using Google Apps in every classroom in the state.  For those unfamiliar with Google Apps is it “offers simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools for any size business – all hosted by Google to streamline setup, minimize maintenance, and reduce IT costs.

Google Apps includes Gmail for business, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Sites, and more for $50 per user per year.” For  companies of 50 employees or less there is a free version.  So think of it as a version of Microsoft office products  that operate totally through your web browser.

The one key things is that Oregon will save 1.5 million a year  once they make the move for teachers and students, but honestly that is only one part of the value proposition. This will change the way students interact with each other, with teachers and how work is done and shared. Here are a  few examples

• All documents are stored in the cloud (over the internet) so that they are stored in a central location and available. (so the dog will never be able to eat your homework)
• Real time collaboration of documents allows to students to work on one document together real time from multiple locations ( THIS IS HUGE)
• Google Marketplace gives you access to other apps that can extend features even more. (expect an education marketplace soon)

There is a great except from the article that speaks to this

“If all goes smoothly, Casap wrote on the official Google blog, the Oregon experiment has the power to reshape the classroom experience. Students, for instance, will be able to access a range of documents from home; teachers will be able to provide feedback remotely; projects that once required hours in the library can be organized and executed via the cloud.

“It blows my mind to think about how far technology in the classroom has come since I was in school, and how far we still have to go to make sure kids in classrooms everywhere have access to these tech resources,” Casap wrote. “Cloud computing tools like Google Apps are one way teachers, schools – and now a whole state – are addressing the issue.”

Of course, Oregon students can already access the cloud, provided they have a working laptop and an Internet connection. The difference in Oregon is that the cloud itself will become institutionalized – a buzzing, whirring extension of the classroom”
So my question is why aren’t urban centers making changes like this. It gives them the dual value by saving money and also give the students access to a new suite of tools that allow them to collaborate and learn more effectively. Actually I believe in most cases there are school systems who can’t afford to give access to desktop computer tools to the entire school body now due to software licensing costs, etc.. So imagine the immediate benefits in those cases. And ALL IT TAKES IS AN INTERNET CONNECTION AND A COMPUTER, So instead of cutting teachers and cutting programs that make our younger generation more well rounded and in some cases keep them out of negative lifestyle choices let’s look at how technology and broadband access to can cut costs and improve the education experience at the same time. Let’s just take a cue from Oregon. Maybe I’ll give Governor Christie a call or better yet send him an email with the Google apps link in it. Maybe we can get some of our programs back.

You can follow me @navarrowwright on Twitter, hear my audio casts at http://www.cinchcast.com/navarrowwright

• Free Education: My Iphone development example is only one of many. Itunes has a whole Itunes U section with hours of free content available in almost any subject from some of the top universities in the country. Other sources of free and low costs content are just a Google search away.  Just Think about the new skills people can acquire to create new employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for themselves.
• Online Degrees: I remember when people thought online degree programs were  scams and had no real value but that is no longer the case. These programs allow students access to scholars from any part of the world as well as access to  an enriching education experience that they otherwise would not be able to take advantage of. These degrees are recognized in the same way traditional degrees are and programs are popping up at institutions all over the country. Imagine a person who never thought that getting a degree was a reality for them who is now be able to achieve that goal with the help on a internet connection. An article I came across talks specifically about how the National Broadband Plan is aiming to help ensure that these opportunities are available to everyone. You can read about it here http://www.dotoni.com/online-education/earning-your-degree-online-growing-among-students

I truly hope that the FCC follows through our their promise of broadband access and adoption for all.  Without it the ones who already are missing out on these education will continue to fall behind and the education gap will widen even more.