digital literacy
The media prophets report no future for capacity building of Community Media
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 13, 2011
Contact: Belinda Rawlins, (617) 287-7371, belinda@transmissionproject.org
Where did you get that bright and shiny digital literacy?
Recent policy papers call for the support of community digital literacy providers, including community-based organizations, but there is little appreciation for the variety and richness of these organizations’ work. The Aspen Institute and Knight Foundation’s “Digital Literacy: A Plan of Action” admits there is “little awareness of programs and services in digital and media literacy education,” and recommends the mapping of community digital and media literacy resources.
CTEP another example of service in support of digital literacy
TECHdotMIN published an article about the Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
CTC Assistance
Organization:
Boston Adult Literacy Resource Institute VISTA Name:
Larry Syms
Program Start:
9/2000
Program End:
9/2001
Project Description:
Our long-range goals are to enable a significant number of adult learners to feel comfortable and skilled in using computers and to learn where they can purchase low-cost (recycled or new) computers for family use.
VISTA members will perform the following taks:
- Enabling adult students to feel comfortable and skilled in finding useful information on the web;
- Assisting in learning projects such as helping adult learners to word process and desktop publish school newspapers and student magazines;
- With small groups of adult students designing and making web-based Virtual Visits of workplaces and community organizations of interest to adult learners and their families;
- Providing access to online and CD-ROM-based adult instruction in English language and other basic skills learning
- Adding to the Boston E-Square web pages
Computer Distribution Coordinator
VISTA Name:
Wilson Bull
Program Start:
8/2008
Program End:
8/2009
Project Description:
The TechREACH Alliance Project (TAP) is a partnership between the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (PSCTLT), Wilderness Technology Alliance and the TEConnections program to increase technology access and literacy in underserved communities located in Eastern Washington and Western Washington. TAP will provide technology literacy training and a refurbished computer with Internet access to people from low-income households via established partnerships with schools, DSHS, community colleges, and/or community centers.
The TechREACH VISTA will be involved in a broad range of work from administrative details to program design and implementation.
Specific responsibilities include:
• Coordinate a Train the Trainer workshop for teachers and student leaders
• Offer Technical Assistance Workshops to low-income families focused on building technology skills and awareness of resources to help families improve self-sufficiency and workplace skills
• Support after school clubs for middle and high school students in which students refurbish computers for deployment into low-income communities
• Develop partnerships with businesses, colleges and community-based organizations to support program goals and sustainability
• Assist in the development of a student-led telephone and technical support system
• Monitor and provide technical assistance to sites
• Develop and research resources to support program initiative
• Plan events in which project participants will share project results and impact
Project Outcome:
As the coordinator for the TechREACH Alliance Project, Will worked extensively on coordination, assisting with training, distributing computers, and capacity building. To begin his year of service he helped to coordinate and lead a Train the Trainer workshop for teachers and student leaders. At this workshop he also provided some new curriculum to the club leaders which provided more details about taking apart computers and troubleshooting.
After this event which kicked off the second year of the project he spent more time on supporting the after-school clubs. Checking in with club leaders to share and learn best practices was an important aspect of his work. As the year progressed he began to assist in distributing the refurbished computers at each of the ten clubs.
All in all, we’ve had nine clubs out of ten distribute computers and Will helped club leaders distribute at least 100 computers out to families. The distributions also required a lot of research and awareness of community resources such as training opportunities and internet services providers. His research in compiling these resources highlighted the need for training opportunities and internet access in Washington State. As well as utilizing partnerships with the Wilderness Technology Alliance and TEConnections to get the computers out to clubs, he created new ones with the Bridges Project of Central Washington University and Genext Communications. He worked with the Bridges Project to provide training in a rural area that does not have any local computer training options. Genext helped to provide internet access to areas not covered by our other ISP partner, Webband. The TechREACH Director and other TechREACH staff supported our VISTA in his work.
Will testified multiple times in front of Washington State legislators about the importance of broadband access and education. In addition, he helped advocate for a critical fix to the E-Waste legislation in Washington that would have prevented thousands of computers from being refurbished for distribution to low-income families.
Impact Quote:
“Will’s enthusiasm and energy was felt across the organization. The work that he did will inform a future proposal that the Communities Connect Network is submitting to support community technology and increase demand for broadband access in our state. In addition, the curriculum he helped to develop will be disseminated widely.”
- Karen Manuel
Technology Capacity Coordinator
Organization:
Appalshop VISTA Name:
Stewart Blair
Program Start:
8/2007
Program End:
8/2008
Project Description:
As the Digital Presenting Coordinator, our VISTA member will work with the Media Archive and Web Team to improve the Appalshop’s capacity to digitally present its history, work, and issue-based campaigns to diverse internet audiences. Presentations will consist of text, visuals, audio, and video files. Specific tasks include:
- Devising a method and/or template for creating web-based digital media
presentations
- Training Appalshop staff, community members, and youth to make digital
presentations of their own work
- Developing a plan and infrastructure for uploading presentations to web and
distributing presentations to multiple,diverse audiences; plan/infrastructure
should emphasize use of new networking/technology tools like YouTube and MySpace
- Creating an introductory webpage for Appalshop’s Film Division that includes
articles, interviews, and audio and video pieces about Appalshop Films’ history
and current work
- Using work from Appalshop’s Media Archive to create issue- or topic-specific web
presentations and distributing them to key, yet diverse, web audiences
All web presentations will support Appalshop’s mission to involve the people of Appalachia in the representation of their culture, traditions, and stories.
Project Outcome:
Stewart Machlyn Blair was successful in integrating web 2.0 strategies into Appalshop’s training programs and building advanced technology learning opportunities for advanced youth so they could continue to contribute to Appalshop’s overall work as a non-profit media arts and education center. Blair also was successful in initiating and testing digital delivery services, contributing to building the databases necessary to implement digital delivery.
One of the difficulties Blair faced was organizing his time among different responsibilities. This challenge was recognized early in his service and we developed more pro-active mentorship that seemed to help.
Impact Quote:
“Blair greatly increased our capacity to provide technology and media education training and access in an area where there are few opportunities for young people or adults to gain media/technology literacy, and use these new tools to participate in their communities.”
- Rebecca O’Doherty, supervisor
Media Literacy Critical in Today’s Schools
John Urkevich, Executive Director of Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis, Inc. discusses the need for media literacy training in schools:
Outreach and Development Coordination
Organization:
Playing to Win (PTW) VISTA Name:
Kristen Wernicke
Program Start:
6/2003
Program End:
6/2004
Project Description:
In the fall of 2003, the Playing2Win organization welcomed the assistance of two Vista- Fellows: Mr. Max Benitez, Youth Technology Instructor, and Ms. Kristin Wernicke, Outreach and Development Coordinator. During the course of their tenure, Mr. Benitez and Ms. Wernicke served the center in several component capacities.
As Outreach and Development Coordinator, Ms. Wernicke’s responsibilities included the following:
•Researched, coordinated, wrote, and edited general operation and program-specific grants including those to AOL, Ford Foundation, C. Virginia Fields Borough Needs, Home Depot, and William T Grant Foundation.
•Developed and maintained relationships with youth, media, non-profit, and public interest organizations on the local and national levels, including the above mentioned Harlem organizations as well as the Global Action Project, Educational Video Center, Reel Youth, Camp Interactive, Manhattan Community Boards 10 and 11, and community websites east-harlem.org, mibarrio.org.
•Created local resource list for community technology center issues and similar organizations.
•Worked on building an infrastructure for outreach (i.e., managing and creating databases) that is accessible to youth and other staff.
•Developed and maintained outreach database
•Expanded and intensified program partnerships in New York City and the US
•Developed programs and assisted with planning for future outlook of the community technology center
•Researched and wrote both general operation and specific program grants
Project Outcome:
Vista Fellows were involved with the following:
• The development of research instruments and conduct of an on-going survey of 100 participants and adult and youth programs to better serve our community.
• The development of volunteer support program for the ongoing support of 10 volunteers and recruitment of 10 others.
• Oversaw teacher support assessments and provided ongoing support for 4 teachers in youth and adult programs.
• Provided technical support for our center to keep the 50 machines and network running smoothly
• Assisted with the development of 5-10 proposals to raise approximately $100,000
• Assisted in the development of our Job Training Program recruitment and development.
Impact Quote:
As the purpose of the AmeriCorps*VISTA program is to provide useful outreach to local communities, our participants echoed their sentiment through visible outreach and service projects. One example I am reminded of was the special PBS viewing of “Every Mother’s Son,” coordinated by Mr. Bentinez. The event called for local law enforcement agents and community members to come together in support of the idea of social change, justice and a forum for communication and healing. This project used the power of media and the passion of human nature to discuss the realities of police brutality in New York City. This event is also an example of a sustainable solution effort and the ability of change.
- Shawna BuShell, Executive Director
Youth Technology Instruction
Organization:
Playing to Win (PTW) VISTA Name:
Max Benitez
Program Start:
8/2003
Program End:
8/2004
Project Description:
In the fall of 2003, the Playing2Win organization welcomed the assistance of Mr. Max Benitez as Youth Technology Instructor. As Youth Technology Coordinator/Instructor, Mr. Bentinez’s responsibilities included:
•Assistant Instructor of Media Literacy and Video Editing to the Middle School Youth After-School Program
•Assistant Instructor of iMovie video editing workshop for Playing 2 Win’s adult members
•Assisted with the Development of science/ technology curriculum
•Consulted the P2W’s development team in creating a youth hip hop entrepreneurship program
•Collaborated with Teachers College Columbia University students and faculty in the creation of an online iMovie video editing tutorial for summer technology camp 2004.
•Edited a video promoting a Harlem Renaissance Economic Development Corporation annual event “Art at the Park”
•Represented P2W on the Studio Museum in Harlem Community Advisory Board
•Created Virtual Reality images of Playing 2 Win facilities for the new website
•Created a TV commercial for Harlem Renaissance Economic Development Corporation’s Art at the Park Event
•Developed a series of Public Service Announcements about Playing 2 Win’s offerings
•Provided consultant support for the development team on program concepts and equipment needs
Project Outcome:
Vista Fellows were involved with the following:
• The development of research instruments and conduct of an on-going survey of 100 participants and adult and youth programs to better serve our community.
• The development of volunteer support program for the ongoing support of 10 volunteers and recruitment of 10 others.
• Oversaw teacher support assessments and provided ongoing support for 4 teachers in youth and adult programs.
• Provided technical support for our center to keep the 50 machines and network running smoothly
• Assisted with the development of 5-10 proposals to raise approximately $100,000
• Assisted in the development of our Job Training Program recruitment and development.
Impact Quote:
As the purpose of the AmeriCorps*VISTA program is to provide useful outreach to local communities, our participants echoed their sentiment through visible outreach and service projects. One example I am reminded of was the special PBS viewing of “Every Mother’s Son,” coordinated by Mr. Bentinez. The event called for local law enforcement agents and community members to come together in support of the idea of social change, justice and a forum for communication and healing. This project used the power of media and the passion of human nature to discuss the realities of police brutality in New York City. This event is also an example of a sustainable solution effort and the ability of change.
- Shawna BuShell, Executive Director