Imperial

The Invisible Community – Imperial, One of Many Rural Areas Hit by the Digital Divide

Published Date:

Apr 18 2013

According to a survey by the Imperial County Office of Education, the digital divide in Imperial County is nearly 40%, which is one of the highest in the nation. Fortunately, funders such as CETF and Alliance Healthcare are leading the effort to pay closer attention to these rural and often overlooked parts of the state with direct funding and by learning more about the community they're trying to serve, directly from the members of the community itself.

Family Connections Program Brings Computers to the Home

Published Date:

Feb 4 2011

Source: Imperial Valley Press

Knowing how to use a computer and surf the Internet can be critical skills for families, Family Connections Program Coordinator Mark Peres said.

Computer use and familiarity can help with education, obtaining jobs and even bring families closer together, said Sunne Wright McPeak, California's Emerging Technology Fund president and chief executive officer.

California School Library Association

Classroom Learning 2.0 and Discovering Assistive Technology

The California School Library Association (CSLA) is a non-profit organization of teacher librarians, classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, district and county coordinators of curriculum, media and technology, and others committed to enriching student learning by building a better future for school libraries. CSLA advocates, educates, and collaborates to ensure that all California students and educators are effective users of ideas and information. Project Focus of Program: Learning 2.0 and other introductory technology tutorials Classroom Learning 2.0 is a discovery learning tutorial for educators to explore social networking sites, YouTube, podcasts, image generators, wikis, mashups, and other popular and powerful web 2.0 tools. The California School Library Association takes you step by step through the use of many of these tools. Educators work through the 9-week course while colleagues cheer one another along. Classroom Learning 2.0 is a way to learn together and strengthen a group's collective educational technology savvy. Teachers love it because it qualifies as a 48-hour graduate level course and has a CEU credit option. Start today! Classroom Learning 2.0 is easy to start. There are 23 THINGS or activities to do over nine weeks or weekends. The course is self-contained online, but can include lab time to better assist participants who need more social interaction or assistance. Week 1: Introduction Week 2: Blogging and Avatars Week 3: Photos & Images Week 4: RSS & Newsreaders Week 5: Play Week! Week 6: Tagging, Copyright, & Creative Commons Week 7: Wiki Week Week 8: Online Applications & Productivity Tools Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio - Tweet about it! Classroom Learning 2.0 and Discovering Assistive Technology are professional development courses that can be taken individually or administered through a school, county, or non-profit organization. See http://ClassroomLearning2.csla.net and http://DiscoveringAT.csla.net . The Learning 2.0 tutorial can be modified and "rebranded" for other non-profit organizations. For more information, contact Connie Hamner Williams or Jackie Siminitus at the California School Library Association at CSLA2Team@yahoo.com.

California School Library Association

http://csla.net
950 Glenn Drive, Suite 150
Folsom
95630

Contacts:
Jackie Siminitus
650-341-8761
Connie Williams
916-447-2684 (CSLA office)

Who We Serve

People With Disabilities:	Other (Specify)
Ethnicities:	Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Caucasian or White and Non-Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Native American
Languages:	English
Incomes:	Don't Know/Decline (HUD Definition)
Ages:	25 to 34 (30-49 Pew) 35 to 44 (50-64 Pew) 45 to 54 (65+ Pew) 55 to 64 65 or older
Education Level:	Some College College Graduate College ++
Rural:	Yes
Urban:	Yes

Who We Are

Program Launch Date:

December 31, 1969 - 17:33

Date Founded:

December 31, 1969 - 17:31

Goals:

Education

People Served:

2,000 member organization

Staff:

0 - 15

Staff and Volunteers Involved:

1-10

Number Impacted:

Only track CSLA members

Annual Budget:

$500,000 - $1.5 million

Percent of Total Funding:

Corporations:	25%
Individuals:	70%
Earned Income:	1%
Reserves:	4%

What the Project Does

Objectives

- Objective 1: Introduce educators and other interested adults, middle and high school students to the new tools of the Internet, web 2.0 tools.

- Objective 2: Showcase and encourage use of web 2.0 tools to support the California curriculum. We provide curriculum connections.

- Objective 3: Classroom Learning 2.0 addresses school district goals for Library and Technology Plan training or professional development. (i.e., Administrator training AB 43o Module III, E-RATE.). The course also addresses school goals related to WASC, School Site Improvement, and other educational initiatives. Meets BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) Induction Standards for teacher Clear Credential.

Objective #4: Increase creativity and collaboration among faculty, staff, and potentially parents. Community-building.

Strategies

Strategy #1: Make learning free, fun, and focused on student-learning.
Strategy #2: Encourage a train-the-trainers model, where participants who complete the course then offer it to colleagues and "cheer them along".
Strategy #3: Reach out to educators via listservs, twitter, facebook, articles, presentations.

Accessibility Plan

How do you address accessibility today?
One of our tutorials, "Discovering Assistive Technology" is an introduction to physical and mental disabilities, technologies that help those with disabilities become independent livers beyond school, and award-winning novels for and about young people with disabilities.

Our online tutorials are primarily geared for teachers of any age, but also can be modified for all adults and middle-High school students. We do not provide computers or other equipment, just the online course.

How We Measure Success

Outcomes

Outcome #1: California teacher librarians and staff have become more web 2.0 savvy and visible at their schools, thus strengthening their technology/curriculum leadership.

Outcome #2: California classroom teachers are becoming increasingly more web 2.0 savvy and incorporating these tools into classroom lesson plans.

Outcome #3: In response to several middle school teacher librarians, we have developed a "Learning 2.0 for Teens" course for students.

Metrics for Evaluation Progress:

Registration. Registration for the courses are optional.
Assessment survey at conclusion of Classroom Learning 2.0
# Visits to the course websites.
# 2.0 Partners who have asked for our Management/Users Guide for their own group.

Changes in Outcomes or Metrics Over Time:

We have added a registration link for all courses, to better understand who takes the courses (titles, locations, etc)

We have a "following" or fan group of sorts. Upon completion of the course, the participant becomes an official member of the CSLA 2.0 Team.

How long it takes to secure results:

Classroom Learning 2.0 takes about 9 weeks (48 hours). Some take longer -- a full summer -- or work through it rapidly.

Discovering Assistive Technology can easily be completed in one sitting.

Both are introductory "discovery learning" courses, where participants learn at their own pace, explore sites that interest them, and think creatively how they will incorporate their new knowledge into what and how they teach students -- this is all about student learning.