Digital Literacy and Digital Divide
Friends,
This blog is about digital literacy and digital divide. As the recipient of the 2006 Global Digital Literacy Champion Award given to the person making the most contributions globally to digital literacy in 2006, and as the author of the acclaimed book, “From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity,” and as one whose contributions to digital and IT education spans 20 years from advising the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on making India an IT power, to currently helping Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam transform Mauritius into an IT-focused nation by providing digital literacy and IT education to 400,000 Mauritians, to providing digital education to thousands of disadvantaged school students and teachers in the U.S. and India, I do feel a strong obligation to speak out in support of bringing digital literacy to people all over the World. This is my mission and my passion!
While millions around the World are digitally literate, there are billions who haven’t even touched a computer! Digital literacy is essential for most jobs requiring technology applications, and technology drives economies in the 21st Century knowledge-based global economy. Hence, nations around the World are scrambling to spread digital literacy to their people.
Most national digital literacy programs are piecemeal solutions. For nations to rise in digital literacy, they must have visionary leaders who are willing to implement holistic solutions. Also, they must take advantage of their national strengths.
Case in point – the Prime Minister of Mauritius invited me earlier this year to help Mauritius to become an IT-focused nation. I went to Mauritius in March. First trained a team of Mauritian leaders in Management By Systems (MBS), a practical holistic systems approach I developed in the 60’s and applied successfully to improve socio-economic systems in many countries. We even used MBS to develop three World tennis champions, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Jim Courier. During three weeks in March, the Mauritius team came up with a universal ICT plan that will train 400,000 people in IC3, the globally recognized digital literacy certification, and then train many of them in internationally accepted IT certifications in Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle etc. Such an ICT workforce will attract potential employers to Mauritius and help make Mauritius an ICT bridge between IT power India and Africa, as well as India and French-speaking countries, thus taking advantage of the twin strengths of Mauritius, namely location and bilingualism.
The Mauritius project will be launched officially on September 4, 2006 at a cost of less than $70 per student with substantial grants from us (CyberLearning) for courseware and certification. Since the trainees will pay the fee, the cost to the Mauritius Government is minimal. This is an example of using all available resources effectively to meet the specified objectives and goals, as prescribed by the MBS strategy.
To bridge the serious digital divide in India, we are launching a national scholarship program to train a million Indian teachers in poor areas with the support of the President of India.
In the U.S., we are establishing CyberLearning IT Academies in disadvantaged school districts to bridge the digital divide, with launches in Florida, Texas, New York and Virginia scheduled for the 2006-07 school year. The participating school districts receive 95% matching grants from us.
During the last 12 years, the non-profit CyberLearning has evolved from an education foundation I started with my own funds to the World non-profit leader in bridging the digital divide. Those of us who have “made it” in life have a moral obligation to help the millions who are yearning for opportunities to improve their lives. What better way to help make a difference in their lives than giving them an opportunity for digital literacy education so that they can participate in the digital economy! This will make the world safer and better!
As Mahatma Gandhi, who inspired me in my youth said, happiness comes to those who help the needy. Everyone of us CAN make a difference! I exhort you all to start spreading digital education in your families, neighborhoods, communities and schools. We would be glad to provide up to 95% grants to help you do so. Let me know how we can help you. I wish you godspeed in this noble cause! I would love to hear your comments.
This blog is about digital literacy and digital divide. As the recipient of the 2006 Global Digital Literacy Champion Award given to the person making the most contributions globally to digital literacy in 2006, and as the author of the acclaimed book, “From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity,” and as one whose contributions to digital and IT education spans 20 years from advising the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on making India an IT power, to currently helping Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam transform Mauritius into an IT-focused nation by providing digital literacy and IT education to 400,000 Mauritians, to providing digital education to thousands of disadvantaged school students and teachers in the U.S. and India, I do feel a strong obligation to speak out in support of bringing digital literacy to people all over the World. This is my mission and my passion!
While millions around the World are digitally literate, there are billions who haven’t even touched a computer! Digital literacy is essential for most jobs requiring technology applications, and technology drives economies in the 21st Century knowledge-based global economy. Hence, nations around the World are scrambling to spread digital literacy to their people.
Most national digital literacy programs are piecemeal solutions. For nations to rise in digital literacy, they must have visionary leaders who are willing to implement holistic solutions. Also, they must take advantage of their national strengths.
Case in point – the Prime Minister of Mauritius invited me earlier this year to help Mauritius to become an IT-focused nation. I went to Mauritius in March. First trained a team of Mauritian leaders in Management By Systems (MBS), a practical holistic systems approach I developed in the 60’s and applied successfully to improve socio-economic systems in many countries. We even used MBS to develop three World tennis champions, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Jim Courier. During three weeks in March, the Mauritius team came up with a universal ICT plan that will train 400,000 people in IC3, the globally recognized digital literacy certification, and then train many of them in internationally accepted IT certifications in Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle etc. Such an ICT workforce will attract potential employers to Mauritius and help make Mauritius an ICT bridge between IT power India and Africa, as well as India and French-speaking countries, thus taking advantage of the twin strengths of Mauritius, namely location and bilingualism.
The Mauritius project will be launched officially on September 4, 2006 at a cost of less than $70 per student with substantial grants from us (CyberLearning) for courseware and certification. Since the trainees will pay the fee, the cost to the Mauritius Government is minimal. This is an example of using all available resources effectively to meet the specified objectives and goals, as prescribed by the MBS strategy.
To bridge the serious digital divide in India, we are launching a national scholarship program to train a million Indian teachers in poor areas with the support of the President of India.
In the U.S., we are establishing CyberLearning IT Academies in disadvantaged school districts to bridge the digital divide, with launches in Florida, Texas, New York and Virginia scheduled for the 2006-07 school year. The participating school districts receive 95% matching grants from us.
During the last 12 years, the non-profit CyberLearning has evolved from an education foundation I started with my own funds to the World non-profit leader in bridging the digital divide. Those of us who have “made it” in life have a moral obligation to help the millions who are yearning for opportunities to improve their lives. What better way to help make a difference in their lives than giving them an opportunity for digital literacy education so that they can participate in the digital economy! This will make the world safer and better!
As Mahatma Gandhi, who inspired me in my youth said, happiness comes to those who help the needy. Everyone of us CAN make a difference! I exhort you all to start spreading digital education in your families, neighborhoods, communities and schools. We would be glad to provide up to 95% grants to help you do so. Let me know how we can help you. I wish you godspeed in this noble cause! I would love to hear your comments.
posted by Digital Literacy Solutions at 12:10 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home