Dan Sutch's blog
Whether it be global tech businesses being grilled by the Public Accounts Committee; the launch of 4G networks or the adverts vying for pre-Christmas attention, digital technologies: computers, mobile phones, the internet, have been in the public eye quite a lot recently.
Bran Ferren (somewhat) famously said that technology is ‘stuff that doesn’t work yet’ – we don’t think of biros or belts as ‘technologies’ (that is purposefully designed and made tools), because they’re woven into everyday life and work as we’d expect. But how about ‘digital technologies’ – when will they stop being ‘technologies’ and start, simply, being the internet, apps or micro-processors? The answer, is when they become more trivial, when we recognise the implicit value in them and understand how they are constructed and work.
You don’t have to look far to find repeated stories of the problems facing people in later life, from access to adequate care, health and well-being and of course financial challenges.
There are now more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 16. With increased life expectancy, those we categorise as ‘older’ can span an age group that stretches from 55 years of age to 95 and above. ‘Old age’ though can describe people in good health or poor health, active, sedentary, lonely or the leaders of their communities.
With over 40 years of difference between the lower and upper ends of this age-span, this presents significant implications for not only the quality of life older people can and should expect, but for the economy at large.
In this brief series, Terry Waller talks with four leading researchers to gain some personal perspectives on the role of technology in the education of vulnerable young people. The interviews aimed to provide an insight into existing practice, research gaps and potential future areas of investigation, highlighting the challenges and opportunities provided by the internet.
This final article presents the views of Dr Chris Abbot, Reader in E-inclusion, Kings College London.
In this brief series, Terry Waller talks with four leading researchers to gain some personal perspectives on the role of technology in the education of vulnerable young people. The interviews aimed to provide an insight into existing practice, research gaps and potential future areas of investigation, highlighting the challenges and opportunities provided by the internet.
This third article presents the views of Stephen Carrick-Davies, Independent E-safety Consulatant.
In this brief series, Terry Waller talks with four leading researchers to gain some personal perspectives on the role of technology in the education of vulnerable young people. The interviews aimed to provide an insight into existing practice, research gaps and potential future areas of investigation, highlighting the challenges and opportunities provided by the internet.
This second article presents the views of Jean Johnson, Chief Executive of the Inclusion Trust.
In this brief series, Terry Waller talks with four leading researchers to gain some personal perspectives on the role of technology in the education of vulnerable young people. The interviews aimed to provide an insight into existing practice, research gaps and potential future areas of investigation, highlighting the challenges and opportunities provided by the internet.
This first article presents the views of Don Passey, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University.
The Hay Festival is always a great calendar entry: wonderful setting, fascinating talks, and an interested, thoughtful audience ready to discuss key issues. The festival also provided the opportunity for us to launch Nominet Trust’s new £2m social investment programme to fund new ideas for using digital technology to improve young people’s economic and social participation.
As part of the Digital Makers programme that we’re developing with Nesta, Mozilla and a range of other partners, I was able to share some of the challenges that this programme is navigating and looking to address at an event at Ravensbourne College on Friday 25th May.
Tom Keynon, from Nesta did a great job in providing some of the practical activities within the programme and set the broad context for the work [I will add a link to his presentation when available). I followed to set out some of the challenges underpinning that. I’ve numbered the following paragraphs in case you want to click through the slidedeck that I shared.
This isn’t a question of bribery or looking for under-handed ways to support your applications for Nominet Trust funding – it’s a genuine question about exchange and the value of ‘giving’.
I was reminded recently of Malcom McLuhan’s phrase that ‘the medium is the message’ through another excellent
RSA podcast –
this one a lecture by
TimeBanking founder Edgar Cahn. The context of Cahn’s use was that the way in which we give, offer support, or help others, can damage the confidence of the ‘beneficiary’ to grow from the experience. That within the medium of giving, according to Cahn, we are showing our value as provider and demarcating the beneficiary’s value only as a receiver. As soon as they have received, we head to another needy person. The value of that person to us, is their need. Once that need is sated, their value to us diminishes.
I’m changing my ‘default position’ for continuing discussions beyond email. My default will become to continue conversations online, rather than to start with the default of arranging to meet up.
Part of this is that I’m attempting to cut down the amount I travel (pick your favourite justification from saving time/money/environment, sheer laziness/lack of dedication to the cause/providing a shining example of how the internet can be used within daily routines...)
Great to see @OurDigiPlanet back on the road. It's in #Wigan until Wed before moving onto #Leigh town centre. Fab effort by @johnpopham
7 hours 29 min
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