The current digital era touches children since they are in the womb; this is, by the use of 3D/4D baby ultrasound. In the vast majority of population in the world parents have at least one technological device at home. Children from very early ages are exposed to these apparatus to which they do not take much time in knowing how to handle and even better than adults. This example is a call for parents to learn to know and operate most of the applications of the technological devices they have at home to which their sons are exposed to.
Traditionally, it is said that the first school is at home, where good manners, good habits and strong values are learned by the orientation and example of the parents, in addition to this I would say that the responsible use of first technological devices used by kids in part must be well taught in the house. This will give children some foundations for further appropriate use of more digital elements as members of any community (school, neighborhood, etc).
The next stage for the children in their formation process is in the school. In the public sector, Institutions of Education must be supported by governmental projects promoting the use and access to new technologies not only in terms of coverage figures but also in the implementation of programs that lead schools to help the reduction of the Digital Divide in the classrooms. Policies and directives based on research studies related to the responsible use of Online Social Networking Sites through new technologies should be implemented by the government as national standards in order to give more importance in this respect; obviously this kind of initiatives require a strong effort in terms of monetary budget, infrastructure, educating and training.
While resources are allocated, the development of the new technologies evolves rapidly. Thus, it is assumed that the heads of the Institutions of Education must take the next step for promoting and incorporating the use of resources that allow the reduction of the gap between the school community and the Digital Era. That is to say that school principals have to carefully manage, plan, organize and look for external contribution to provide all necessary support (monetary budget, infrastructure, educating and training) with the intention of incentive the application of new technologies for educational purposes.
Subsequently, teachers are responsible for most of the pedagogical practice. Once teachers receive training and education in technological matters (hardware and software) and shake the fears of digital era off, must preoccupy for the design of pedagogical strategies and the use of didactic aids that facilitate the use of the resources available in the search of a better learning/teaching process. For example, the use of Facebook that is an Online Social Networking Site. How did an oriented activity integrate the school community in a third grade class through the use of Facebook? Children in the third grade class start the formal writing process. The activity consisted on drawing a tree family and describing each member. Students started to learn how to compose short sentences to describe a person. Then, they cut pictures and brought photos that represented their relatives. Next, was to agree a meeting with their parents in which the assistance of the psychologist and the ICT teacher were required in order to teach them how to expose in a responsible and safety way their children to Online Social Networking Sites. Finally, all students and some parents learned how to scan and edit a picture, open a facebook account activating security settings, upload media files and to build community through social sites.
As a conclusion it can be said that the willingness of the government authorities, the leadership and management of the school principals, the unconditional support of the school community and the readiness of teachers towards the reduction the digital divide will gradually build the use of the Online Social Networking Sites and many technological applications as a natural teaching/learning process in the classroom where academic purposes will be the main distractions for the students.
References
Vie, S. (2008). Digital divide 2.0: “Generation M” and online social networking sites in the composition classroom. Computers and Composition. 25, 9–23.