Digital futures: are young people a connected generation?
When it comes to digital inclusion - surely all people under 25 are included?
It's a question I put to Sam Ellis, Chair of Trustees of the UK Youth Parliament:
"No. There are a large amount of young people who aren't digitally included. They don't have access, for whatever reason, to computers and the internet, and that's affecting them... they're not going to have the head start that other young people who are digitally included will have."
But, as discussion in the 21st Century Learning Stream of the conference has explored, we need to focus on both ensuring digital inclusion, and ensuring education and society is open to young people's digital engagement.
Included?
Many young people still don't have stable and consistent access to the internet. And for young people in care, or who only have access through local authority or school networks - access to social media sites and spaces can be highly restricted.
But digital inclusion isn't just about access, it's also about having appropriate content available, and having the skills to access and interact with that content and with communities.
Engaged & extended?
Imagine the student with internet access and the skills to use it. When they get to the classroom - is the education system supporting them to use their new skills to engage with learning? Or when they have a civic concern - can they engage using the communication tools they are fluent in? And are they supported to take their fluency in using digital tools, and to turn it into a literacy in operating in a digital world?.
Finding ways forward?
Back to Sam Ellis for some ideas of how we can move forward:
"I think we need to work with young people. Not just national government, but with local government - services like Connexions. We need to get youth workers trained to work with young people to get digitally included. "
Are you under 25? Are you digitally included? What are the challenges for the digital inclusion of young adults and young people?
It's a question I put to Sam Ellis, Chair of Trustees of the UK Youth Parliament:
"No. There are a large amount of young people who aren't digitally included. They don't have access, for whatever reason, to computers and the internet, and that's affecting them... they're not going to have the head start that other young people who are digitally included will have."But, as discussion in the 21st Century Learning Stream of the conference has explored, we need to focus on both ensuring digital inclusion, and ensuring education and society is open to young people's digital engagement.
Included?
Many young people still don't have stable and consistent access to the internet. And for young people in care, or who only have access through local authority or school networks - access to social media sites and spaces can be highly restricted.
But digital inclusion isn't just about access, it's also about having appropriate content available, and having the skills to access and interact with that content and with communities.
Engaged & extended?
Imagine the student with internet access and the skills to use it. When they get to the classroom - is the education system supporting them to use their new skills to engage with learning? Or when they have a civic concern - can they engage using the communication tools they are fluent in? And are they supported to take their fluency in using digital tools, and to turn it into a literacy in operating in a digital world?.
Finding ways forward?
Back to Sam Ellis for some ideas of how we can move forward:
"I think we need to work with young people. Not just national government, but with local government - services like Connexions. We need to get youth workers trained to work with young people to get digitally included. "
Are you under 25? Are you digitally included? What are the challenges for the digital inclusion of young adults and young people?
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Local communities
This provides links to resources elsewhere about social technology for local communities.
Local communities wiki
- Who's who in local communities social tech
Created by David Wilcox Jul 23, 2009 at 3:54pm. Last updated by David Wilcox Jul. 23, 2009.
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Created by David Wilcox Jul 23, 2009 at 3:51pm. Last updated by Dave Briggs Jul. 23, 2009.
© 2010 Created by Dave Briggs.
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