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For Low-Income Kids, Access to Devices Could Be the Equalizer | MindShift

For Low-Income Kids, Access to Devices Could Be the Equalizer | MindShift

While the race in the hardware industry is perhaps most notable amongst makers of devices such as mobile phones and tablets, a seemingly unforgotten reality remains a stark reality for many: the digital divide.

With ever smarter phones, and other 'always on' devices, the policies that govern state monopolies over broadband play a damning role for the poor who remains unconnected. This reality stared me in the face when I started to engage with my first cohort of Foundation Phase Teacher students who are part of a program to establish the first new university in South Africa since the establishment of a new democratic government in 1994. In South Africa we are faced with numerous problems and inefficiencies for various reasons. Apart from the usual political upheavals and concerns about the future of democracy in the country, none is so real as the digital divide. The cost of broadband is exceptionally high in South Africa, as compared to other developing countries. The use of mobile phones to access the myriad of online services across the Internet seems pivotal, especially for the poor. However, if access to mobile phones is a problem (especially students) then the absence of access to the Internet via any other means is catastrophic.

Children's Toys: Cultural and Societal (mis)representations

Toys are cultural representations and as such carry meaning beyond that which might have been intended by their designers. Or does it? Does a wooden steam engine have the same meaning to a Grade R child in England as it would for a child in a rural area half-way around the globe who has never seen any train before, let alone ride in a steam-driven one? What connection does an African child have with a white Barby doll? Similarly, what sense must a Westerner make of an intricately woven grass bowel or a hollowed out kalabash?

Watching a group of rural-based South African teachers unpacking a large consignment of toys that has been donated to them by the European Union became an experience and eye-opener. In many respects the thrill of receiving, unpacking, and opening the numerous boxes resembled the excitement when receiving presents on one's birthday.

However, as Grade R teachers in a rural area, these numerous toys do not necessarily connect with what they have been doing in their classes with the Grade R learners up until this point. Toy microwaves and play-play electric stoves don't necessarily have real-life equivalents for teachers and pupils' parents alike. Here cooking gets done over an open fire. Electric stoves are not to be played with. Microwave ovens are luxury goods for most. Some toys look a bit flimsy to me, given the sturdiness that is necessary for any manufactured product to survive in a rural African setting.

This beckons the question: how does one introduce toys into a new environment to a group of teachers and their learners to whom some of these toys as culturally-framed objects will pose a real 'first-time' encounter?

Just like the notorious  IT industry and the usual box-dumping in the name of 'upliftment and development', the gesture to bring 'aid' and 'assistance' to Foundation Phase education in a rural area by introducing toys from another part of the world might not have the desired outcomes. For a brief moment I notice the white doll with blue eyes laying in a cozy cot. I wonder who is going to play with her. The reason for my concern is simple: a proper understanding of the environment and culture to which these new things are being introduced seems lacking. Rapport, and a deep understanding of the intended recipients require time.

Time in Africa, especially in rural areas, have a completely different meaning than what people in clock-driven societies have of a 24 hour day. As I assisted unpacking, the "Made in China" on the boxes conjured images of scores of people sitting in long queues along an assembly line working at the speed of light. It is juxtaposed against my numerous observations from the area in which these new toys have find their way via the European Union: the leisurely pace of manual labour being performed by scores of women clearing the sides of the national road of overgrown grass and weeds (in a country like Germany one person will use one machine to maintain probably 100x as much), the goats that lazily cross a national road and all the cars that stop for them (accepting that no alternative exists, for example encampment or fences), children walking leisurely to school despite being late since its already after 08h00, the curbs of walkways that are in need of repair - and have been for years - but will probably remain like that, and of course, the grass that has already been growing for numerous seasons inside a roof's gutter. In fact, considering the architectural history of Africa, gutters are not an integral part of their culture. Does it mean that plastic toy microwave ovens too will have little meaning to the children that will now play with it? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Africa has a different rhythm that must be appreciated and respected, for attempts to introduce anything foreign that clashes with it will in all probability end in frustration, or be assimilated in ways unforeseen by the givers.

Bringing Higher Education to the people

The dawning of the digital era and its exhilaration after the Internet became publicly accessible have had far-reaching global consequences. It has changed society, as well as its various institutions, be it the private sector or public institutions like Education. However, soon after the initial euphoria of the Web with its interlinked hypertext that forms an endless web of rich content, a digital divide became evident. This divide, or exclusion as it is referred to in some circles, is the result of differences in the pace of adoption and the roll-out of required infrastructure. In many instances it is the last mile to the end-user that seems unbridgeable. As with other great 'break throughs' before it, technological advancements such as the Internet exacerbate inequalities, many of which have become the norm ever since the Industrial Revolution. As was the case then, the Digital Divide actually exhilarated the gap exponentially. At the heart of the exclusion of poorer nations is inaccessibility to knowledge and an inability to share in social and economic advancements associated with the Digital Age.

For many, visions of a new, equal, easily accessible virtual world in which all can participate, share knowledge, develop, and increase their capacity for a new kind of wealth generator end in disillusionment. For the most part, developing countries  have remained stuck in an industrialised old economic model, unable to become part of and benefit fully from the new economy. In a global economy, these countries provide armies of labourers, but in many instances remain outside the mainstream -- one that is driven by information and knowledge. The world is flat, but flatter in some parts than in others.

The large-scale globalisation that has its roots in Western-style colonisation experienced an unprecedented exhilaration with the introduction of an 'anywhere-anytime' economy, which wheels are oiled by round-the clock trading on a global scale. The 'anywhere, anytime' notion finally morphed into 'everywhere, all the time'. Global supply and consumer chains take 'just-in-time' manufacturing and delivery to new levels. This notion continues to impact every aspect of human society, having created new ways of 'being human' due to our 'always on' state in a highly connected world.

But there are of course parts in the world where previous promises of Utopian existences have resulted in an array of negative and often unwanted long-term consequences. One such corner can be found in South Africa. Here the effects of the Apartheid system (1948-1994) based on its notion of separate development can be found. Like so many other decisions, policies and actions before the notion of separate development was introduced as official state policy after 1948, the lingering effects of failed promises of development and the reality of under-development will be hard to reverse.

A number of events, 'flattened' the world according to Friedman in The World is Flat. With changes in the international arena, such as the end of the Cold War, and the disintegration of the USSR came a new zeitgeist, one that in many respects is intertwined with technological developments associated with the Internet, the Web and an explosion of social media networks since the turn of the 20th Century. These changes also ushered in a new era for South Africa and its people. No longer could the stand-off between the White Regime and the subjugated sections of society along racial lines continue. By 1994 a New South Africa was born, and welcomed into the international arena. However, the world into which it was welcomed had itself changed profoundly. With an end to Apartheid, the homelands that were scattered like bread crumbs all over South Africa were wiped from the map as if by a big hand. The country was once again united and areas like Siyabuswa in Kwa-Ndebele, Venda, and Transkei are part of a united South Africa.

Finally, nearly two decades after the dawning of a new South Africa, a once proud creation of the Apartheid government has been put to new use. The Ndebele College of Education that was meant for 'seperate development' in the once separate homeland of Kwa-Ndebele not too far from Pretoria now houses the new Faculty of Education for the first new university in south Africa since 1994. The campus has aptly been renamed to 'Teacher Education Campus, Siyabuswa'. The academic programme will for four years be the responsibility of the University of Johannesburg. A major sponsor for student fees for the first 100 students is the European Union.

The NEW!

The old

The whole area is characterised by the long-term negative effects of separate '(non-)development' during the years of Apartheid. Under-development and poverty in this typical rural area are exceptionally rife, while the effects of the Digital Divide are evident everywhere, including local schools. However, in the midst of this community a new institution of higher education has been established with the hope of sharing in the spoils of development in a country that is part of a global village. A gate is opening and by becoming part of this global village we too can learn from the locals, many of whom have managed to retain their cultural roots, untouched by a fast-paced modern society.

Traditional Leaders at the official opening

In Siyabuswa children mostly walk to school, laughing, playing and above all talking to each other without the aid of a cellphone!

Perhaps the local community should not be spoiled by the ills of the Digital Era and the artifacts of a consumer-driven society along Western capitalist lines.

A Traditional Leader on a cellphone

But who is to decide, since I am merely an onlooker through the lenses of my numerous digital devices.

Making friends: The hidden structures in social groups

I am privileged in the sense that I am part of the establishment of a new campus - one that will become the new University of Mpumalanga. My gaze, however, is less on the promise of a new university and the voids it will fill, but more on the first intake of students for the Foundation Phase.

We don't know the students, and they don't know us. They don't know each other, either. So, apart from leaving it to themselves to come to know each other, institutions all over the world use all kinds of activities to ensure that individuals settle into their new environment. Above all, the aim of these activities is for people to learn how to start functioning as a group -- as a collective.

My gaze remains fixed on the actions - the individuals who stop participating and choose to become onlookers; the energy and the rhythm of the games - traditional games that I guess many city dwellers have forgotten about. I was surely reminded of a few games I use to play when I was small. That's another bonus for Foundation Phase. It is our job to play since in Grade R to 3 children learn predominantly through play.

This brings me back to networks: the groups we form, the associations we make, the ties we form all serve a purpose. And another point. At some point in school, we stop playing and learning becomes boring, tedious, and difficult. Why not focus more on edutainment? And what about the workplace. If we learn new things when we get challenged and need to solve a problem -- why not play more? Solutions are crafted when minds are challenged and what better way to do it than through play.

... so, when making new friends, or forming alliances... finally energy resides in the network; behavior will shape the network as much as the network will shape individuals and their behavior. Luckily we have Social Network Analysis to unearth the characteristics of networks, which aids with our understanding of dysfunctionalities within groups. It also shows who holds power and influence... Can't wait to start charting the ties between nodes.

The essence of being

It took considerable courage for me to put down everything, block out the noise and pick up the book. It's overcast outside, the kind of weather one would expect to encounter in London NOT Johannesburg in early summer. It's Saturday and I don't need to be at work. Exhausted after a week of traveling to the school where I try my best to teach students for whom school seems an unnecessary stumbling block, staying in bed a bit longer than usual was especially welcome.

I recently received five copies of Ghost Boy by Martin Pistorius. Reading Ghost Boy was not going to be easy. Martin Pistorius's life story is a moving one, since he fell ill as a child and became trapped in an unresponsive body. Yet, once he came out of his coma no-one actually knew that he was  awake and completely aware of his surroundings. In fact, he could follow conversations. Being placed in front of a TV for long periods meant that he was "re-schooled". While other stimuli like the radio also sometimes filled his days, it only became apparent much later that there was a real boy inside the awkward-looking body. However, Martin couldn't react and communicate - it was as if he didn't exist. Few people would actually look at him or speak to him directly, apart from his parents and of course a few care-takers that assisted him medically.

In Ghost Boy, Martin describes his journey from falling ill and the slow progress in getting his body to come alive again. The frustration of learning how to communicate makes for compelling reading. Martin's progress in this regard is closely linked with the development of artificial communication made possible by progress in computer technology and work at the University of Pretoria, amongst others.

Its a story of a life as a ghost boy that nearly became trapped in a permanent state of lock-down. It is, however, also a story of the triumph of the human spirit in the wake of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Being locked down in an unresponsive body and a seemingly inability to escape from this captive state underlines the one thing that sets humans apart from other beings: we communicate not only what is real, but also what we imagine. Martin's vivid descriptions reminded me once again of this distinguishing factor. However, what could have easily become a heavy script is often well-balanced with a light-heartedness stemming from Martin's long intelligent 'observer status' unknown to the people who came into contact with him or merely passed through his immediate environment. In his book Martin manages to reflect upon his experiences in a way that is both inspiring and gripping. He does this in a style that is undramatic without diminishing the real horror of his condition, especially revealing the truth about the abuse he suffered at the hands of some of the caretakers.

Thank you Martin for not giving up.

Tertiary Education in South Africa - Some developments

Following the developments of Education in South Africa

Education in South Africa - Info SA

I am fortunate enough to be part of a new development in tertiary education. Efforts to establish a new university in Mpumalanga has brought together a number of roleplayers and stakeholders which has resulted in the launch of the Teacher Education Campus in Marble Hall.

The University of Johannesburg provides the academic program -- one that is unique in the sense that it involves a teaching school. Initially introduced at the Soweto Campus, this approach to Teacher Training proves to be successful. Similar in principal to an academic hospital for trainee doctors, the teaching school offers teachers-to-be the opportunity to observe a fully functional, real-world school.

The establishment of a new university in the Mpumalanga province is an opportunity to be based in a rural part of South Africa. The aim with this multi-stakeholder initiative is to train students from rural areas in the hope that they will return to schools in rural areas. The first program is at the Foundation Phase, Grade R to Grade 3. Often, once students from the countryside go to urban-based universities where they also experience the Big City, they are loathe to return to the country-side. It is here, in fact, where South Africa needs young, new-generation, inspiring teachers the most.

Other stakeholders in the Teacher Education Campus at Siyabuswa include the National Institute of Higher Education (Mpumalanga), the National Department of Higher Education and Training and the Mpumalanga Department of Education. In time staff, including myself, will use the University of Johannesburg's offical Social Media Channels. However, I will also share experiences and my personal views on my personal blog, thereby building an online artifact.