California School Counselor - Summer 2008 - (Page 10)

for full participation in a society’s cultural, political and economic life. When groups do not manifest equal access to technology they fall ever further behind on the information superhighway. This is because, so the argument goes, information and its use and transfer has value in and of itself. Differences between use rates by races across all age categories have reduced in the past decade (NTIA, 2000; Mariott, 2006). However, the best evidence is that a 10 percent difference in use rates remain (Feller, 2006). With schools becoming increasingly wired, black students now have or will have access to computers in greater numbers and will likely encounter the same types of cyberbullying problems as do white students. When the first author worked with children and parents in Harlem during the 1980s, he encountered many aspects of the digital divide between black and white families that reflect institutionalized racism in the United States. One parent related that she purchased a used computer from a pawn shop for her youngster. She said, “This is the only way to get a computer for my child.” The computer was outdated and functioned poorly. Another parent bought a new computer, having saved for over a year and a half. At that time, she needed a powerful modem to make full use of the device by connecting it to the Internet. In reality, she could legitimately ask, “What Internet?” Her building was not wired for access. Connectivity prob- lems continue to exist for contemporary families in poverty. Where, for example, does the money come from to pay the Internet service provider or to purchase equipment for wireless access? Counselors, as part of the school system, should advocate for black students and all those on the “have not” side of the digital divide. Some of the following issues might be considered: • Every reason exists to believe that minority students may encounter the same issues related to aggression as do white students; cyber attacks and the existence of many hate sites will place special burdens on counselors to communicate in culturally sensitive ways about the cyber world. • Media-savvy African-American students will encounter many hate sites online. Counselors must be aware of and sensitive to the debilitating nature of such racism for young people, both black and white (see list of online resources that warn about hate sites on page 20). • Parents could be provided education in computer use. To some extent, the digital divide between white and minority parents consists not only to a lack of access to hardware and software, but to a lack of access to training and support. Given evidence that online access can produce salutary academic eﬀects, school counselors should advocate for access in their communities (Jackson, von Eye, & Biocca, 2007). • Minority parents must be made aware of the economies of computer purchase on the open market. This includes the availability of discount machines available online. • Minority parents should be made aware of the many excellent online sources designed to support learning and that provide models of pride for minority students (positive examples are provided in the list on page 20). Many schools, districts, and organizations oﬀer homework help sites that can be accessed by students and their guardians. Most of these sites are manned by professional teachers or advanced students. The Internet presents counselors and educators with many challenges and opportunities. Obviously, it is a wonderful storehouse of information for students, if they enjoy equal access to it. However, just as is true of any communication link, students may use online media to bully one another. Equal access to the Internet and its resources represents a compelling issue for African-Americans at present, along with the many racist sites that these students will encounter. Finally, few of the studies of cyberbullying disaggregated data by race; better samples that allow such comparisons need to be drawn. Finally, researchers need to address the effects of online hate sites on all young people (Blazak, 2001). ■ Please go to www.schoolcounselor-ca.org for a complete list of references. The best in behavior and classroom management resources. OFFERING HOPE, HEART, STRATEGY, AND STRENGTH TO ALL EDUCATORS. Specializing in three Le Cordon Bleu Programs: Culinary Arts | Pâtisserie and Baking | Hospitality & Restaurant Management 800.733.6786 800.229.CHEF (2433) www.CAculinary.edu 350 Rhode Island Street | San Francisco, CA 94103 © The Le Cordon Bleu logo is a registered trademark of Le Cordon Bleu BV www.solution-tree.com 10 The California School Counselor | summer 2008 http://www.schoolcounselor-ca.org http://www.CAculinary.edu http://www.solution-tree.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of California School Counselor - Summer 2008

California School Counselor - Summer 2008 Contents Presidential Perspectives Jackie’s Jottings Executive Director’s Report Cyberbullying and Equal Access Northern California Conference Highlights Book Review Making a Difference One Family at a Time An AB 1802 Success Story Legislative Update CASC Members Honor Assemblywoman Linda Sanchez Pics, Clicks and Technics Calendar Index to Advertisers

California School Counselor - Summer 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.