26 September 2007

Unanswered emails

I am having a hard time finding a place to do my Service Learning project. I have emailed several centers and libraries but haven't received any word back. I have done about 5 hours so far at the school I work for, but I really wanted to go to work with senior citizens. I love working with them, they have such great stories.

I will get back to the "uniqueness" of the need for ICT later. Right now I have to go and make brownies for my Student worker meeting tomorrow.

18 September 2007

Still looking

I am still looking for an opportunity in my area. There really isn't anything within a 45 min. distance of travel. I have looked into a couple of places and sent some emails but haven't yet heard back from anyone. You would think living this close to Philly there would be more volunteering that had to do with computers and technology. I was a shift supervisor at a crisis pregnancy center for 5 years before Grad school, but due to changing shifts at work and changing discussions times for class, I haven't been able to participate with them.

I would love to work with them again, but due to money problems they don't have the facilities to support a class. In a lot of ways it is a digital divide. Other than the main computer that houses all of the client files there are no other computers. The people in the community are poor, many of the girls we see go to a special school so they can finish their classes while they are pregnant. But due to funding they still come over to use our 1 computer to learn computer skills.

I obviously grew up as a technical "have". My parents purchased our first computer when I was 5. It was an Apple computer that was still amazingly portable for it's time. I would take it to school with me in 2nd grade so my teacher and fellow classmates could use it. I still remember explaining how to use this computer to my teacher, she had never personally used one before. I was amazingly lucky to have a computer in the late 80's, early 90's. But there are still a great many people that cannot imagine the possibility of owning a computer or at least having a new, internet accessible computer.

However we live in a time of change. I am really enjoying the Inequality.com book. It is amazing to think that when Alexander Graham Bell first invented his telephone, it was not just novel, but practically useless due to the fact that no one else had one. It took many years before telephones became standard in a house. We could be in for the same changes in internet accessibility. You no longer need to own a computer to access the internet, there are PDAs, iPhones, and even the iTouch. As long as you have access to a computer you can download music and other items to your phone or device. You don't necessarily need one of your own.

There are possibilities, but they all are all centered on the next administration's policies. We will have to wait to see our future.

07 September 2007

It's a new day

I spent over an hour looking for open opportunities dealing with this classes topic. I found one, but the timing doesn't work with my work schedule. They need someone while I am still at work. So now I am contacting various community centers and senior centers. I know there used to be a program similar to this at my ministry (crisis pregnancy center), but it has been years since something like this has been done there. Mostly due to the lack of access to computers with internet.

And I have to say, my schedule spoiled me this Summer. I am so busy this semester that it reminds me of our first semester Summer course. I wonder how many of the hours I can use in my library. Even my student workers who have grown up in the digital age haven't the foggiest idea about databases, government documents, and business dealings they have access to on the web. Then I have the graduate students who are returning to school after 25-40 years. They are stunned that there is no card catalog. They are only truly aware of email. Anything else is beyond them.

There are plenty of opportunies, it is just figuring out where to move with it.

04 September 2007

Resurrecting an old blog

I have re-set up this blog for my new class Digital Citizenship. I haven't used it since my first semester with Dr. Tomer. Therefore let me say, Thank you back everyone.

Laura