Moving Toward Closing the Digital Divide: Central American Immigrant Perspectives on Technology

Davina Pruitt-Mentle 2002 NECC San Antonio, Texas June 19, 2002

Outline

June 19, 2002 • Research Questions • Topic Significance • Research Activities and Design • Preliminary Findings • Conclusions NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 2

Central Question

June 19, 2002

How can the behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of young Central American immigrants towards the use of technology be described and interpreted

NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 3

Sub-Questions

• What part does technology play in the lives of these individuals and how does technology relate to their career/educational goals? • What are the conditioning factors influencing the

use

of technology for Central American immigrants who are “successful” in using or applying technology?

• What are the conditioning factors influencing the beliefs or perceptions about the

value

of technology for Central American immigrants who are “successful” in using or applying technology? • What educational setting is perceived as best to advance their technology related skills? June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 4

Significance - US

• Hispanics are the second largest and the fastest growing minority group in the US – By 2005 – will be largest minority – By 2025 – second largest population of Spanish speakers in the world • 44% of US immigrants are from Latin America • 35.7% below 18 • Median age is 26 (Whites is 38) June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 5

Significance -US

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June 19, 2002

Significance – DC/MD Metropolitan Area

• 45,000 Latinos in DC – 81% from Central and Latin America • Maryland has 228,000 Latinos – 68% from Central and Latin America • DC/MD Metro area: – Second largest group of Salvadorans in the US – Third largest community of Central Americans • Langley Park – Latino population increased from 6,956 to 10,294 – Increased from 40% of the population to 63% Source: 2000 US Census Data NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 7

Technology Access

• Nationwide – 1 in 2 Hispanics have access to computer at school – 1 in 8 have access at home • Hispanic Home Access – 12 % Grades 1-8, 14% in grades 9-12 • White Home Access – 40% Grades 1-8, 46% grades 9-12 June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 8

Workforce Preparation

• 68% of the companies surveyed provided some form of employee training – increase worker productivity – improve technical skills • • • 70% of employers reported training 10% or more of their employees annually 26% of employers reported training more than 75% of their workforce annually Training Expenditures – $2,300 new employees – $2,250 for professional employees – $1,375 for non-professional employee.

• For training – More than three-quarters of companies use in-house training – 66% use colleges and universities, – 55% use industry or trade associations – 55% use outside consultants.

• June 19, 2002 Only 13% of the companies surveyed received training assistance, with state training assistance being predominant From 2001 Maryland Business Roundtable Workforce Skills Survey NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 9

Long Term Research

• Cultural Background • US Census Data • Ethnography - via Students • Ethnography - via Teachers • Classroom Technology Studies – Students as design partners – After school computer homework club – Adult computer training • Survey Questionnaire(s) • Observations • Interviews • Oral Histories June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 10

Ongoing Research

Observations:

Active Participant Privileged Observer Limited Observer Questionnaire

Dissertation Research

Classroom Technology Studies

Qualitative Ethnographic Historical/political/economic

Oral History Board of Ed. Records Newspapers Census Data-immigration Study Implementation Projects & Effectiveness

Interviews

in school formal informal Out of school formal informal

Quantitative

National Survey of Time Use

Measuring attitude

interpersonal culture *thematic apperception tool, problem situation test, sentence completion test attitude toward technology,-computer attitude scale Records, standardized tests: state/school

Demographic

census data: ex. income, family size

June 19, 2002

Themes

• • Social Aspects • Practice Time

Educational Pedagogy

• Language • Maintain Culture • • “Do Better”

Connection to Work

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Social Aspects

• Importance of social aspects of life brought to the US from their home country • Family connections • Limited social time in US • Like to work with a partner or in groups • Adults come to class in pairs or “small groups” • Learning often includes interaction among students, even in adult classes June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 13

Quotes about Socializing

• “In our country, we come home, do homework, and then go outside and play… with all the other people who live close. Everyone knows everyone.” • “Here you can’t go outside. Mom thinks its unsafe and no one is around.” • • Like working with group - or someone else.”

“What if they don’t know computers either?”

“Doesn’t matter, it helps just having a second person.” • “I like to talk and work. We get our work done, but like talking.” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 14

Practice Time

•

After School/Training

– Don’t have time • Work • Take Care of Siblings • Need child care – Not allowed or times do not fit schedule – No help – Home computer too slow – Home computer “looks” different •

In School/Training

– Not enough time in class – Classes too structured – Don’t like to use social time to make up work – Lab time inconvenient – Need more “open” time Internet there, but we can not use it – No one to help – teacher/monitor unable to help with questions June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 15

Quotes About Practice

• “Don’t have no computer.” • “[I] Had internet, then dad got mad because they started charging a lot.” • “Can’t understand. Looks different than at school. This [menu bar is] not the same at home.” • “I can’t [go to friends to work on computers] after school. I take care of my brother.” • My uncle got it for us. But he doesn’t know it either.” • “Mom and dad can’t understand the book. They’re just learning English, well they know, but not a lot of those [computer] words.” • “Would like to practice …but need to buy a computer.” • “The things we use [in classes/in training] I do not have at home.” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 16

Pedagogy***

June 19, 2002 • Software used irrelevant outside of classroom • Teachers/instructors limit activities – Bookmark sites – Little searching activities (preset searching) – Not allowed to “do extra” • Activities low level and/or drill and practice • Software and websites should be – More practical – Culturally AND gender diverse NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 17

Quotations About Pedagogy

• “They never let us explore other things …we can only do the assignments they want…even if we could add something to make it better.” • They [the teachers] are behind the times. They have us edit things and exchange disks…or use the computer to write an assignment but then print it out for edits…why can’t we use the editing thing?” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 18

Quotations about Pedagogy (continued)

• “One of the hardest things is finding something [on the Internet] but they never let us do that— they always bookmark it or have us type it [URL] in.” • “When are we ever going to use Inspiration?” • “The things we use are good …but we don’t have them at home.” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 19

Quotations About Pedagogy (continued)

• “They [the schools] need to teach things we need to know for work.” • “We took a whole semester learning how to do a business letter…why couldn’t we have used these templates?” [templates in word and downloadable templates-template Gallery] June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 20

Language

• Don’t like to speak in class (ask questions) • Like to work in groups or with a partner • Like to use spell check • Need to use the Spanish version • Need to teach Spanish symbols • Like the translator [i.e., Google] June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 21

Quotations about Language

• “Most [new Latino immigrants] don’t like to ask questions because people laugh. We feel like we are different.” • “One time I said the bad word for beach - you know, the bad word [bitch].” • “Teachers are the worst. They always ask you to repeat. What? Can you say it again? I can’t understand? Makes you feel bad.” • “You can just sit there and they [teachers] will come around and see you not doing anything or are far behind and they will squat down to help you.” Re: why she likes using the computers instead of classroom • “I wish they [teachers] would let us use the Internet so that I could use the translator.” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 22

Quotations about Language

• “I like knowing how to open several windows….that way I can always use the translator” • “…it [translator] isn’t great - but it answers my questions.” • “There needs to be more Spanish sites…that way I could show my parents” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 23

June 19, 2002

Maintain Culture

• Switch back and forth in class – Spanish  English – Portuguese  English • Maintain language at home and accent • “My Country” • “Back in my country.” • “In my country we …” • Reminiscing • Checking news from “back home” • Checking sports web pages NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 24

Cultural Quotations

• “I like looking up news…see what’s going on back home.” • “I always check the sports page first” • “No, they don’t use it [parents]…but they like me to show them the news stuff…like this [website].” • “I always check the travel site, the pictures of back home.” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 25

“Success” – “Doing Better”

• Formal and informal education is a path to success • Technology knowledge - a means to get a job • Technology type job “pays well” even without going to college June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 26

Quotes about Doing Better

• “My mom always says, Diane, I want you to do something more than just wash other people’s bathrooms like me. And to do this, you must have a good education.” • “They sacrificed a lot for us.” • “Want me to finish school” [unlike parents] • “Want me to go to college” [unlike parents, first in the family] • “You need to know technology to get a job.” • “…all the jobs now ask if you have had experience with computers before.” June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 27

Connections to Work

• Use software not applicable outside of school setting • Need to make use of activities and applications that can be practiced later (at school, library, home) • Need to teach content but within framework of activities that apply to work skills June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 28

Work Related Quotations

• “I’m taking this class for work.”- does house cleaning and wants to learn more about invoices, brochures etc… • “I’d like a job at the bank…a bank teller…but my friend [works there] says I need to have some basic computer skills.” • “This is great [Mapquest] why didn’t they teach this before?” She uses it to map out directions for house cleaning service and can now use it for more accurate mileage logs June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 29

Conclusions

• Need

more time

to practice on computers – Limited time after school (work/day care) – Do not expect them to give up “social time” for computer time – In schools always limited time in labs – Adult training – little “free time” and short courses only 5-6 weeks • Teachers need to be

open to socialization

– Flexible makeup – Increased group work June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 30

Conclusions

• Use tools to help bridge the

language barrier

– Translation software or Internet versions – Allows students to work at their own pace – Risk Taking/One on One/Group Dialogue • Technology can be path to success - but need

more access

– At school – At home • Must teach technology

work related skills

within the curriculum • Select software that can be

used outside

the educational (formal and informal) setting • Ask

participants

for

input

and ideas June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 31

Conclusions

• We are too busy teaching our students and not allowing them to learn • We need to reconsider the meaning of technology integration. June 19, 2002 NECC 2002: Davina Pruitt-Mentle 32

June 19, 2002 Moving Toward Closing the Digital Divide: Central American Immigrant Perspectives on Technology

Davina Pruitt-Mentle

Educational Technology Outreach 2127 Tawes College of Education University of Maryland 301 405 8202

[email protected]

www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu

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