Saturday, February 28, 2009

Crossing the Divide Video Reaction

In the video, we observed the effects of technology and the digital divide on 4 young people. There were also several other factors that influenced each of these students chosen paths following their high school graduation. 
Luisa had always been a hard worker, working at a fast food restaurant from the time she was old enough to do so. She saved enough money to finally purchase her own computer, knowing computer skills are extremely important to have in this day and age. While she learned several valuable life skills through her job and in teaching herself how to use a computer, she failed to concentrate on her own education, and did not end up graduating high school on time. Had Luisa not have had to earn her own money from a young age, she may have put her motivated work ethic towards school rather than her fast food job. 
Cedra, on the other hand, received a specialized education focusing on technology, as her school in California was for those who were interested in going into a computer-related field after high school. Cedra was a very bright and motivated student, being the editor of the school newspaper and eventually getting accepted to the prestigious Brown University. Her advanced computer and technology skills gave her the upper hand and proved to be extremely beneficial for her higher education plans.
Travis and Kep were students at New Tech High, which gave students an experience that they would not have been able to get otherwise. Working on small group projects in a business-like environment gave students an excellent real-world experience, but nothing like the typical high school experience. There were no school sports or any fine arts classes. While this doesn't seem typical for high school, it ended up being very helpful for Travis and Kep's education. Travis felt like he wasn't receiving a quality education at his former high school, and after he transferred to New Tech High, he excelled in learning relevant skills needed for today's workforce. Kep also excelled at New Tech High, earning college scholarships after being named valedictorian. This is impressive, considering Kep and his family were immigrants, and he had to learn English as well as learn how to use a computer. Considering his circumstances, technology was the most influential factor to Kep's future, as it helped him better his life and help his family in their adjustment into American society. 

1 comment:

  1. I thought it was pretty pathetic showing for Travis. He came to New Tech as someone already moderately proficient in computers and fluent in english. Kep came with virtually no computer skills and spoke limited english. In the end, Travis barely graduates then doesn't even go to college while Kep earns a scholarship to CalTech to become an electrical engineer!

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