GLEF Blast Newsletter: July 10, 2002
The Digital Divide continues to be a term that attracts much debate in
this country. While progress has been made in providing access and
training, more must be done to bring the benefits of educational
technology to all students, teachers, schools, and communities. This
issue of the Blast points to an inspiring success story on the GLEF Web
site of Latino high school students from a low-income
area of Los Angeles using multimedia technology to find their voice.
Other resources on Digital Divide issues are also provided.
- What's Working in K-12 Schools
- New Research Summary: Reports on the Digital Divide
- Featured Video: San Fernando Education Technology Team
- Expert Interviews: Marco Torres, Teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator.
- GLEF Books and Videos
- Reports, Resources, and Grants
- What's Working in K-12 Schools
- Students Find Their Voice Through Multimedia
Ninety-six percent of the predominantly Latino student body at San
Fernando High School (Los Angeles USD) have no access to computers at
home, and 83 percent perform below grade level. However, the students of
the San Fernando Education Technology Team are learning to produce
documentaries, music, and Web content on pressing social issues. They are
also learning advocacy skills and going on to college at impressive
rates. Teacher Marco Torres believes that all students must have access
to educational technologies. "I see kids that don't traditionally do well
in school succeed because this was another way for them to express
themselves. ... Working in this program has completely changed the
students' outlooks, their lives," says Torres.
http://glef.org/sanfernandotechteam.html
- Community Technology Centers: A National Movement to Close the Digital Divide
A 2000 report from the Children's Partnership concluded, "It is as
important to create useful content on the Internet -- material and
applications that serve the needs and interest of millions of low-income
users and underserved Internet users -- as it is to provide computers and
Internet connections." This article offers examples of how Community
Technology Centers (CTCs) are providing young people in underserved
communities with both technology access and the skills to become their
own content creators.
http://glef.org/ctc.html
- New Research Summary: Reports on the Digital Divide
-
Four recent reports explore the nation's successes in bridging the
Digital Divide as well as the challenges in determining next steps.
http://glef.org/ddreports.html
- Featured Video: San Fernando Education Technology Team
-
This 7-1/2 minute film clip takes you inside the San Fernando Education
Technology Team led by teacher Marco Torres, including film footage shot
by students themselves. Torres believes that the program engages students
by focusing on learning by doing and speaks to their fascination with
using technology to tell their stories.
http://glef.org
- Expert Interview
-
"I have a student. ... She did a project for my economics class. ... She
wanted to talk about some of the consequences of the world economy and
the world market and the protests that were happening in Washington and
Seattle around the World Trade Organization. So she decided to focus on
sweatshops. ... She took this documentary and posted it on the web. ...
The women's human rights conference in Paris saw it and asked her
permission to show it. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, asked to show, if he
can show the project to about 10,000 educators."
Marco Torres, Teacher, San Fernando High School (LA) and Apple Distinguished Educator
Marco Torres, a social studies teacher and technology director at San
Fernando High School, explores how the creation of multimedia projects
empowers his students, as well as others who participate in the San
Fernando Education Technology Team.
http://glef.org
- GLEF Books and Videos
- Edutopia: Success Stories for Learning in the Digital Age - $19.95
This new book is filled with more than 40 articles, full-color photos,
and a useful list of books, Web sites, and organizations. It comes with a
unique CD-ROM that contains more than 70 minutes of video footage from
inside the featured classrooms. Covering a range of topics from
assessment to technology integration, Edutopia is perfect as a course
textbook or reader in both teacher preparation courses and inservice
institutes. It also is written in a readable style that will appeal to
parents, policymakers, business leaders, and anyone else interested in
education in the 21st century.
- Teaching in the Digital Age videocassette series
School Leadership (60 minutes) - $10
Emotional Intelligence (75 minutes) - $12
Teacher Preparation (75 minutes) - $15
Project-Based Learning and Assessment (120 minutes) - $15
Our online shopping cart is available at http://glef.org/products.html
or call 1.888.GLEF.ORG (1.888.453.3674).
All our products are available online. We offer Free Shipping for orders
sent Ground within the continental United States.
- Reports, Resources, and Grant Opportunities
The George Lucas Educational Foundation is a nonprofit operating
foundation and does not give grants. However, we encourage visitors
seeking grants or grant information to check the resource list on our Web site.
http://glef.org/grant.html
- Connecting Kids to Technology: Challenges and Opportunities
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released the June 2002 Snapshot from
its KidsCount project, which examines the demographics of the Digital
Divide, discusses some implications of current trends, and highlights
some of the efforts to level the playing field for all children. The
report is co-authored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Benton
Foundation.
http://www.aecf.org/publications/pdfs/snapshot_june2002.pdf
- Public Library Internet Services and the Digital Divide
This 2002 report by the School of Information Studies at Florida State
University investigates the impact on the Digital Divide of federal
funding and the introduction of the Internet into public libraries.
http://slis-two.lis.fsu.edu/~jcbertot/DDFinal03_01_02.pdf
- TechSoup.org
A Web site rich in resources and information to help nonprofits develop
effective technology plans, research funding sources, and obtain
discounted or donated hardware and software.
http://www.techsoup.org
- Community Technology Center Start-Up Manual - Community Technology Center's Network (CTCNet)
This 192-page resource, developed by CTCNet, provides cities with a
step-by-step guide on starting a community technology center. The manual
is being updated by CTCNet to reflect new CTC experiences and needs. An
Operations Toolkit, including a wider array of templates, best practices,
and forms, is also under development.
http://www.ctcnet.org/toc.htm
- 3Com Urban Challenge
The Urban Challenge program grants $100,000 worth of 3Com technology to
U.S. cities to incorporate new uses for information technology into the
fabric of their communities. Schools can use the grant to tailor a
networking solution that meets their community's needs.
Deadline: Grants are awarded on a rolling basis with the next application
due on November 1, 2002.
http://www.3com.com/solutions/en_US/scenario.jsp?solutiontype=1000004&groupid=11060&solutionid=5960
- Schools for a New Millennium
This program of the National Endowment for the Humanities offers K-12
educators an opportunity to improve the teaching of a humanities subject
throughout the entire school. Funded projects will engage teachers,
administrators, students, scholars, and others in two years of intensive
collaborative work. The project will emphasize professional and
curricular development and the use of new technology. Any U.S. nonprofit,
IRS tax-exempt organization is eligible to apply. State and local
governments are also eligible. Grants provide up to $100,000 for a
project lasting up to two years.
Deadline: October 2, 2002
http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/milschools.html
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