NEWS AND TOPICS OF INTEREST
April 14, 2009
The comment period for the Obama Administration’s broadband grants program closed yesterday as hundreds of companies, individuals and organizations took advantage of their last opportunity to file comments with the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration regarding the administration of the $7.2 billion in broadband-related grants and loans that have become available courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To date, approximately 1,600 questions and comments have been received by the agency and posted online, since the comment period began on March 10, 2009 For a full review of all comments, please visit: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/comments.cfm
NEWS AND TRIBUNE
Charlestown students learn how to be Digital Connectors as part of
the one-to-one computer initiative
Students get connected
Published: March 25, 2009
By TARA HETTINGER
Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com
The wheels of the new one-to-one computer initiative in Charlestown are starting to move as students receive training this week on how to be Digital Connectors, a type of technology teacher, for the area.
The initiative which involves placing a laptop in each middle and highschool student’s hands in Charlestown hasn’t been easy. Much debate has started on whether the money set aside for technology with the Charlestown High School building project can be used for laptops, let alone for those computers at the middle-school level. Bob McEwen — who is school board president for Greater Clark County Schools as well as redevelopment director for Charlestown — said the funding for the high school part is cleared. He said he believes the middle-school portion also will be allowed. However, if it’s not approved by the school board, he said the project won’t die there. “I believe the community is going to find a way to involve the middle school,” McEwen said, adding that the city and private donations could come together to pay for that part of the project. “I feel confident it’s going to go through,” Charlestown Mayor Bob Hall said of the middle-school project. When the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance was asked earlier this year about whether the funds will be allowed to be used in the middle and high schools, Amanda Stanley, communications specialist for the department, said, “If an expense was included in the original bond order, funds from the bonds can be used for that expense. We reviewed the file containing the information used to develop the bond order and found that the Greater Clark County School did specify that a portion of the bond funds would be used for loose equipment and technical equipment.” Hall said having this program in the middle school is very important, so that children can work on learning the technology and be prepared to use it to acquire knowledge about other subjects later while in high school. But before the computers are handed out to any students this fall, some need to be trained. So, a grant was used to pay for One Economy to come in and teach a group of students how to use the new technology over a span of three days. The students can then pass that knowledge on to classmates, parents and more.
Holly Kalemeris, of One Economy, led the group of 16 students, who gave up a few days of their spring break to learn more about technology. Kalemeris said this same training was done in Greene County, N.C., which is one of the one-to-one areas Greater Clark is basing its program after. Kalemeris said she is working to inform the students not only how to use the technology, but also how to teach the basics to others. Students said they were up for the task awaiting them. “I really like being a leader, and I didn’t want to miss out on this,” 16-year-old Holly Abbott said of giving up her vacation for the training. “I wanted to be able to teach and not be the one being taught.” “I did have plans, but I thought it’d be more productive to do this rather than go out of town,” 17-year-old Randy DeMars said. Some are even looking beyond just using this new knowledge in high school. “I’m going to be way ahead of the competition, so when I graduate high school, I’ll be one step ahead when it comes to jobs,” said Andy Stidham, a Charlestown High School sophomore.
Students said they are happy to see this project become a reality, especially after hearing that funding might be an issue. “It’s really exciting to see it really happening and especially to be a part of it,” 16-year old Aaron Fielding said. “It’s really going to change Charlestown High School and the community as a whole,” 16-year-old Mckenzie Price said, adding that she never thought Charlestown would be picked for a program such as this. “Charlestown has always been talked down before, but when people say, ‘Why Charlestown?’ our motto this week was ‘Why not Charlestown?’” McEwen said this training is just the beginning. He said he hopes to have more sessions like this to train a total of 50 to 100 students before school starts in the fall.
ABOUT DIGITAL CONNECTORS
One Economy’s Digital Connectors program is a best practice, youth-development movement that engages teenagers and young adults, ages 14-21, in leadership development, digital education, life-skills management and community service. By learning and involving themselves in their respective communities, taking field trips to high-tech companies and hearing from emerging leaders, youth are able to hone technical competencies and grasp lifelong principles that inspire educational advancement and work force preparation. Nationally, these young people connect to each other through the Connectors Club Website, a social networking and information portal that gives them the ability to access and share information about college, jobs and life skills.
The Digital Connectors program was launched in 2001 in Washington, D.C., with less than 25 youth from one of the city’s most distressed neighborhoods. Today, the program is active with partners from more than 20 rural and urban areas across the country. Thousands of Digital Connectors have provided tens of thousands of service hours in communities from New York to San Francisco. Digital Connectors are going to college, working in the city youth employment programs and finding careers in 21st century industries. — One Economy
March 23, 2009
In case you never saw Radio One’s New Media Report, part of its Black in America study conducted last year, we thought now would be a good time to bring some of their findings to your attention, particularly because of all the buzz about minorities and new media. The full report can be found at http://www.blackamericastudy.com/.
Here are some highlights:
Black America Today
NEW MEDIA
General Highlights
Consumption of the Internet
- Among African Americans age 13-74, 68% are online
- Among African Americans age 13-74, 68% are online
- Among Black teens, over 90% are online
- Spend 31 hours a week using the Internet, including e-mail
Black Websites:
- 39% visit a Black website in a typical month
Technology Use and Intent to Purchase:
- 59% own a desktop, 22% more are likely to buy one in the next year
- 32% own a laptop, 22% more are likely to buy one in the next year
- 55% have high speed Internet connection at home
- 43% more are likely to get high speed Internet in the next year
- 22% download music weekly
- 61% own a cell phone with a monthly plan
- 27% like to get the newest technology products as soon as they come out
Media Use and Purchases:
- 47% use TV and computer/Internet at the same time at least weekly
Internet Activities:
- Blacks in America shop online an average of three times a month
- They research products and services before purchasing four times a month
- They visit social networking sites six times a month, read blogs three times a month, and read or send emails fifteen times a month
New Media
Segmentation Highlights
Connected Black Teens
- Spend 26 hours a week on the Internet
- Half of those who are online visit Black websites at least weekly
- Most likely to want to try new technologies and more likely to use an iPod, do a host of social and/or entertainment activities on the Internet
Digital Networkers
- Spend 53 hours a week on the Internet
- Heavy users of social networking sites and instant messaging, highest score for visiting social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook of all segments
Black Onliners
- Spend 50 hours a week on the Internet
- Nearly 8 in 10 have shopped online in the past month
- Most frequent users of a range of Internet services and sites such as blogs, evites, looking for dates, chat rooms, instant messaging, and online newsletters
- Most likely to listen to a local radio station online and heaviest consumer of satellite radio
Stretched Black Straddlers
- Spend 50 hours a week on the Internet
- Most likely to have high speed Internet at home (89%), but also most likely to have gotten it in the last year New Middle Class
- Spend 55 hours a week on the Internet
- 100% use the Internet and they have the highest weekly usage of the Internet
- While they have the highest consumption of Internet and magazines, they have the lowest consumption of TV, watching 35 hours a week
Family Struggles
- Spend 37 hours a week on the Internet
- 70% are online, and they use Internet most often for email and to enter contests Lower than average interest in technology
Black is Better
- Spend 23 hours a week on the Internet
- More likely than average to visit Black websites, about 5-6 times per week
Sick and Stressed
- Spend 43 hours a week on the Internet
- Above average consumption of TV and Internet, but below average consumption of Black TV and Black websites
Faith Fulfills
- Spends 26 hours a week on the Internet
- Below average consumption of TV and Internet
- Least likely segment to be interested in the latest technology and least likely to buy DVDs
- Spend less than one hour a week on the Internet
- Highest consumption of broadcast media
- Only 4% of this segment are online
- Spend 41 hours a week on the Internet
- Despite being the oldest segment, 90% are online
- Highest ownership/usage of desktop computers and above average ownership/usage of Plasma/LCD TVs, DVRs, home theater systems, and high speed Internet at home
Broadcast Blacks
Boomer Blacks