Houston Public Library Awarded $3.7 Million Federal Grant To Increase Public Computer Access, Connectivity Digital Inclusion Initiative to benefit from $5.9 million expansion

October 8, 2010 -- The City of Houston is pleased to announce the receipt of a major federal grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to upgrade and expand computing and Internet capabilities in high-need neighborhoods throughout Houston. The $3.7 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant, matched by $2.2 million in funds from respective partnering entities will allow the Houston Public Library (HPL) to provide Houstonians with greater access to broadband internet access and much-needed learning and economic opportunities through the City’s Digital Inclusion Initiative Wireless Empowered Community Access Network (WeCAN), which is managed by HPL.

"In the fast-paced environment of email, online banking and bill pay, and electronic job applications, we tend to forget that many of our residents cannot afford Internet access." said Mayor Annise Parker.  "What many of us may tend to take for granted simply isn't an option for thousands of Houstonians.  These grant dollars will help bridge that digital divide, giving a fighting chance to those who face difficulty competing and staying connected in the era of electronic communication."

"We are especially thrilled to receive this grant award because of the positive impact it will have on people’s lives," says Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson, director of the Houston Public Library. "This grant will allow us to reach many more Houstonians who need reliable computer and broadband Internet access for homework assignments, job searches, online learning and other means of growth and self-improvement.　By expanding the access to community based technology, more people throughout our city can now have access to online opportunities that could mean the difference between struggle and success."

The outreach for the WeCAN program includes numerous community partners from the education, non-profit, social-service, and private sectors. This proposal’s key partners include the Houston Area Library Automated Network, which includes libraries in six surrounding communities, Houston Community College System, the Houston Department of Health & Human Services Department, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. Each partner is allocated a portion of the $3.7 million BTOP grant and will provide their portion of the $2.2 million in matching grants."

Houston Department of Health & Human Services Director Stephen Williams remarked, “This is an important opportunity to bring new computer access to many residents in our city. These computers will help those who do not have a computer at home to search for jobs, find resources, and even do their homework.”

“The Houston Public Library is a great partner and the digital inclusion initiative is a project that we are especially fond of,” said Houston Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner. “Burnett Bayland Park was one of the original pilot sites when the WeCan program began a couple of years ago.  That site has been very successful and well received by the community. We are excited that the BTOP grant will allow us to offer the WeCan program at 15 of our H.P.A.R.D. community centers in the near future.”

Houston Community College Chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler said, “HCC is innovatively finding ways to serve all students across our communities. Through programs such as the Digital Inclusion Initiative, HCC is realizing its vision to become the most relevant community college in the nation. We are fulfilling our mission comprehensively and are extending resources out into the community collaboratively and efficiently as we bring access to learning to greater numbers. Meeting the needs of our students and the community serves to improve the quality of our human resources and, ultimately, our opportunities for economic development and enrichment.”

Houston Community College Trustee Dr. Michael P. Williams said, “The HCC Board of Trustees is proud of this initiative and the partnership of the City of Houston’s Health and Human Services and Parks and Recreation Departments and the Houston Public Library. Through our cooperative efforts we will be able to provide access to materials and resources that many Houston-area residents would not have. The Board supports this program that will bridge the gap between those who have access to technology and those who cannot afford it, making higher education more available to all.”

Houston Community College Trustee Neeta Sane said, “The primary beneficiaries of this program are low-income students who do not have the funds to pay for such high-tech instruments such as a laptop or iPod Touch. These new technologies are revolutionizing our learning processes, allowing access to materials from anywhere to anywhere. The electronic availability of books and materials is reducing the costs associated with higher education. This program will help make higher education more affordable to Houston-area residents.”

About the Grant

The combined $5.9 million in funding will significantly expand the reach of WeCAN in several ways:

• Improve broadband Internet and computer access at 60 existing computer centers across 17 high-need neighborhoods.
• Create 23 new public computer centers.
• Equip the 83 new & existing computer centers with core offerings including: high-capacity wireless broadband connectivity and equipment; free network customer support; free “train the trainer” digital literacy training and workforce readiness job-skills training; and, up to ten new computer workstations per site and/or other broadband devices (i.e. Kindles, iPod Touches, web cams, etc.).
• Obtain more than 1,800 devices and/or computer workstations for the new and expanded computer centers, including more than 400 Netbooks, 200 Kindles, 400 iPod Touches, 750 Macbooks, and ten computer workstations.
• Extend first-time broadband access to 26 existing centers.
• Expand access to technology at 60 conveniently-located public computer centers including Houston Public Library locations, Houston Department of Health & Human Services health centers, Houston Parks and Recreation Department community centers, and Houston Community College library branches.

These improvements of the WeCAN program are expected to increase the number of constituents using public computers and/or receiving other WeCAN program benefits by more than 23 percent. This increase translates into an additional 296,000 Houstonians using WeCAN public computers and training programs.

The impact of the new funding includes the expected creation of more than 55 full- and part-time jobs by staffing the public computer centers with trained “Civic Connectors” who will provide workforce and digital literacy training and help customers access online resources.

The funds are part of a larger grant awarded to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for the statewide Technology Expertise, Access and Learning for All Texans (TEAL) project. The City of Houston’s portion will go toward expansion of the Digital Inclusion Initiative and training, programming or services for the community.

The overall TEAL project provides new or upgraded computer centers at more than 150 locations including 38 public libraries, community colleges, recreation centers and health facilities, as well as three mobile learning labs that will be used to provide computer training wherever it’s needed. The goal is to expand technology expertise and access so all Texans can learn, work and prosper.

For a complete list of project participants, go to http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/news/docs/2010releases/TEALgrants.pdf.

About the Partners – Roles & Information

Houston Public Library (HPL) & Houston Area Library Automated Network (HALAN) – HALAN is a consortium that provides library catalog, public access computing, and other technology services to six public libraries in the greater Houston, Texas area. Member Libraries include Bellaire City Library, Effie and Wilton Hebert Public Library (Port Neches), Houston Public Library, Marion and Ed Hughes Public Library (Nederland), Pasadena Public Library, and Port Arthur Public Library.

HPL will create new and expanded computer and broadband capacity at 47 libraries, including a consortium of libraries in surrounding HALAN partner communities. The primary core of instructors will consist of 14 Houston Public Library training staff that will be responsible for conducting train-the-trainer sessions to public computer center staff. HPL will work in partnership with other key city departments including the Information Technology Department and Department of Public Works and Engineering, as part of the Municipal Broadband Network to provide the broadband connectivity and network support.

Houston Community College System (HCC) – HCC is one of the country’s largest singularly-accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering associate degrees, certificates, career and technology training and lifelong learning opportunities for 70,000 students each semester. HCC is composed of six colleges that serve the Greater Houston Area’s diverse communities by preparing individuals to live and work in today’s increasingly international and technological society. HCC has 14 well-established, fully staffed, and fully functioning libraries and electronic resource centers.

HCC’S Digital Inclusion Initiative partnership with the City of Houston will greatly enhance the accessibility of educational materials via broadband, providing digital resources, including Netbooks, iPod Touches, and Kindles, that will enable students to access e-books, e-audio-books, Open CourseWare, and streaming video. This service will bridge the digital divide and provide resources to all HCC students, especially in underserved neighborhoods. HCC has identified a total of 10 campus locations where broadband digital resources will be made accessible via campus libraries and computer centers.

Houston Department of Health & Human Services (HDHHS) – HDHHS will install new computers with broad band service at their 11 multi-service centers. In addition, HDHHS will provide one PC mentor for each site who will be trained to assist clientele with computer use and online services. The multi-service centers house many neighborhood services and agencies including WIC (Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program), Head Start, day care, after school programs and senior programs.

HDHHS provides core public health services such as air and water quality monitoring; restaurant inspections; lead paint safety; cancer screening and family planning for the uninsured; communicable disease prevention and control; disease surveillance; birth and death certificates; leadership in emergencies such as hurricanes; services to seniors; WIC programs; immunizations; and others.  HDHHS operates 11 multi-service centers, eight health centers, 16 WIC sites, the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, a regional reference laboratory, and multiple health and human service programs.

Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) – The Houston Parks and Recreation Department stewards and manages over 38,992 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston.  It operates 59 community centers across Houston and develops and implements a variety of leisure and recreational programming for citizens of all abilities. A total of 15 new broadband computer and Internet public computer centers will be established in HPARD community centers across targeted neighborhoods.

About the Digital Inclusion Initiative

The Digital Inclusion Initiative began as a part of the City of Houston’s citywide wireless project and is now being implemented by the Houston Public Library. The network build-out includes deployment of 10 neighborhood networks which include broadband connectivity, education, training, equipment, and content development in high-need neighborhoods. The current WeCAN network extends through seven super neighborhoods, with the remaining three expected to be online by December 2010. The network provides Internet access through 16 community access locations in Gulfton, Third Ward and Fifth Ward Super Neighborhoods and includes the establishment of more than 65 WiFi Zones throughout these neighborhoods and also Sunnyside, Second Ward, Magnolia Park, and OST/South Union. WeCAN serves as the public access component of the City’s shared Municipal Broadband Wireless Network which also supports public safety and public services.

Through WeCAN, the Digital Inclusion Initiative provides high-need neighborhoods with free Internet access, local content and opportunities to receive training and equipment to ensure that Houstonians can benefit from the use of technology. These offerings are available in designated community access locations (CALs) including city facilities such as multi-service centers and park community centers, as well as schools and community-based organizations. CALs are identified based on location, accessibility, and services.

WeCAN community access locations receive community broadband access, including high-capacity wireless broadband connection equipment, free network customer support from the City of Houston, and free filtered high-speed Internet service. Technology training is provided, including “train the trainer” sessions, free online digital literacy and educational software from Houston Public Library and Microsoft, and free Houston Public Library services and resources. In addition, future participating locations will have the opportunity to qualify for equipment grants and discounted equipment through established partnerships.

The WeCAN neighborhoods have been selected and prioritized working in conjunction with the Council Committee on Technology Initiatives and Human Services. The current build out for WeCAN includes funding for 10 super neighborhood networks, including up to 150 CALs and 250 WiFi zones, to be established through June 2011.
 

About the Houston Public Library

The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 35 neighborhood libraries, three HPL Express Libraries, a Central Library, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, The African American Library at the Gregory School, and the Parent Resource Library located in the Children’s Museum of Houston. Serving more than 4 million customers per year, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library customers with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7.

For further information, visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832.393.1313.

Source: http://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20101008.html

New technology, programs help disabled employees become more successful

By Heide Brandes
3.22.2010

Ed Abel’s office at the Abel Law Firm is quietly powerful and tactful, much like the man himself. As one of Oklahoma City’s most successful lawyers, he sits behind a deep cherry-red wooden desk, lounging back and speaking clearly.

Yet he doesn’t drive. He doesn’t read. He doesn’t even recognize his clients.

Abel doesn’t see.

As one of thousands of professionals employed in the United States, Abel is blind. But losing his eyesight early in his career didn’t stop him from going on to grow a large, thriving practice. More and more, the disabled are becoming successful business people, thanks to governmental aid programs and, more importantly, technology that makes doing business easier for those who cannot see, hear, move or speak.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, disabled people are nearly twice as likely as the non-disabled to start a business.

Nearly 15% of working disabled people are self-employed, compared to 10% of non-disabled working people. The Disabled Businesspersons Association claims that 40% of home-based businesses are operated by people with disabilities.

“The new technology available today can make it possible for those with disabilities to have fulfilling careers,” says Jody Harlan of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. “Today we have more and more opportunities for people with disabilities to enter the workforce or start their own businesses.”

Abel and willing

In the 1970s, Abel was a budding lawyer with a promising career in personal injury litigation. While driving back from a ski trip in Colorado, he kept swatting at a bug that flew in and out of his field of vision.

“It wasn’t a bug, but I kept seeing this spot in my vision,” he says. “What I was having were small hemorrhages in my eye. I went to the doctor and he said, ‘You’ll be blind in a year.’”

A type 1 diabetic since age 8, Abel knew he had the risk of losing his eyesight, but still, the idea of being blind was a shock.

“It scared me to death,” he says. “I had a family, two little girls to support. I was early in my law career, and I just kept thinking, ‘This can’t be right. What in the world am I going to do?’”

For many adults facing such news, fear and depression easily can set back a promising career. Although successful now, Abel faced that same danger.

“There were two or three things that helped me,” he says. “One was my faith in God. I really feel that during my lifetime, I’ve had several prayers really answered. Secondly, I got good counseling. We guys are supposed to be tough, you know, but I found counseling was extremely helpful. Thirdly, I had excellent medical care, and I didn’t go completely blind in a year.”

Although his vision didn’t disappear completely until a few years ago, the disability made it impossible for him to perform simple, everyday tasks.

“I got to the point where I couldn’t recognize faces, and for some reason, I was very embarrassed by that,” Abel says. “But some of the clients I represented, I learned from.”

One of them was a young man who was burned on more than 80% of his body and horribly disfigured, but more accepting of himself than Abel was at the time.

“I asked him, ‘How do you stand it when you walk in and people stare at you?’ He said he had to get to the point that he realized he was not his neighbor’s greatest concern,” Abel says. “In five minutes, that person who is staring will go back to other worries. That struck a chord in me. I realized I was not my neighbors’ greatest concern.”

The young man went on to become a successful surgeon, and it was a lesson Abel hasn’t forgotten. For 44 years, Abel has successfully practiced law in Oklahoma City.

“I decided this was who I was now,” he says. “I can cry about it or I can get up and make today the best day. I have to figure out how to make today work for me.”

That means hiring a full-time assistant who drives him, reads to him and assists him. Although some privacy and personal freedom are sacrificed, Abel said he’s still able to run a successful business.

Making it work

Being disabled in the workforce is becoming more accommodating, says Harlan. For instance, many governmental programs, such as the Department of Rehabilitation Services, offer incentives and assistance to employers who hire disabled candidates.

“Now, technology really narrows the gap,” Harlan says. “That’s the reason we offer incentives to employers who hire the disabled. The same applications we use to make our lives easier, like DragonDictate, have been used by the disabled for years.”

Technology, training and the growth of telecommuting jobs mean more opportunities for the disabled.

“Telecommuting and flexible scheduling can mean the difference between not working and doing the job just fine,” Harlan says. “In terms of looking for a job, our department offers stimulus money to help employers pay for a person with a disability, for training and necessary startup costs.”

In 2009, the department’s divisions of Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services helped 1,689 people with disabilities start new jobs.

As a result, they reduced the need for disability benefits and social services, and paid taxes on collective earnings of $19.2 million. The divisions also provided career-preparation services to 12,431 Oklahomans.
Both divisions work with employers to match qualified employees with job opportunities, share costs of bringing new employees up to speed, and advise on available tax credits and deductions for hiring workers with disabilities.

“Disabled employees are four to five times more likely to stay on the job,” Harlan says. “They don’t take their jobs lightly. Employing the disabled is also good for the state– it’s good for the person being hired, it’s good for the company hiring and it’s good for the taxpayer.”

Census figures

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s “2007 American Community Survey,” Oklahomans with disabilities were employed at a rate of 37.7% in 2007, compared to 80.4% for nondisabled people in the work-age population.

“Nearly 12% of our staff have disabilities, and we find that they are dedicated and committed to helping others go to work,” says Michael O’Brien, DRS director.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, 49.7 million Americans have a disability, with two-thirds of these having a severe disability. The 2000 Census reported the total number of people with disabilities aged 16-64 is slightly more than 33 million. Of those, the total number employed is nearly 18.6 million.

Of the 18.6 million people aged 16-64 employed with disabilities, 60.1% of men with disabilities are employed, and 51.4% of women with disabilities are employed.

Source: http://www.okc.biz/article/03-22-2010/New_technology_programs_help_disabled_employees_become_more_successful.aspx

European online risk study shows many parents clueless, kids blasé

More than one in eight European children has been upset by online content, a new EU study on Internet risks shows. But the study also showed that most children had had no upsetting experiences with the Internet at all.

 

A large majority of those interviewed for the study EU Kids Online reported no negative experiences at all online, results of the European Union study "Risks and Safety on the Internet" showed. But the study also showed that parents are frequently out of touch with their kids' virtual lives.
The European Union and London School of Economics survey was presented Thursday at the Safer Internet Forum in Luxembourg, and included interviews with thousands of kids across Europe from Ireland to Turkey.
Among its findings, the study showed that an average of 12 percent of European children had been bothered or upset by something they experienced online. These included encountering pornography, sexual or bullying messages, or having their personal data revealed.

Indeed, the study showed that 39 percent of those questioned had had encountered a "risky" behavior - such as communicating with new people not met face-to-face, or seeing user-generated content that is potentially harmful, such as hate, self-harm, or drug-taking content. But only a portion of those asked said they had been upset or bothered by it.
In Germany, the percentage of kids who said they were upset by an online experience was, at eight percent, near the lowest end of the scale. Only Portugal (seven percent) and Italy (six percent) were lower. Topping the percentages of those most bothered or upset were children in Denmark (26 percent), Estonia (25 percent) and Romania and Sweden (21 percent.)


Discrepancy due to 'schoolyard monopoly'
Uwe Hasebrink, a professor at Hamburg's Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research, led the German arm of the study.
In an interview with the Hamburg Abendblatt newspaper, he said that German children "are in less danger" of meeting harmful content because they use the internet "less frequently and with less variety" than kids in other countries.
But Markus Beckedahl, whose blog Netzpolitik.org focuses on the intersection between the Internet and German politics, said he found it hard to understand the response gap between countries like Denmark and Sweden, and Germany.



"The study said that countries with high Internet usage have more problems," Beckedahl told Deutsche Welle. "But something like 99 percent of German kids have Internet access, and I don't think they have more more Internet usage in Denmark."
One big difference could be the fact that a huge portion of the social-network market for kids and teens in Germany takes place on German-only networks like "SchuelerVZ" ("Student Directory,") German schoolkids' version of Facebook.
"These platforms have a near monopoly on the schoolyard," he added. "Maybe that makes the difference - in Germany, the kids are in closed communities, and in other countries they are just on the Internet."

The age factor

Other poll findings showed children were using the Internet at increasingly young ages: an average of seven in Sweden and eight in several other Northern European countries. Interviewers, who spoke with 23,000 children between the ages of nine and 16, found it was the youngest children who had the hardest time coping with disturbing material online.
In response to this finding, the study recommended targeting spending and advice at younger age groups to reduce risk and enhance the opportunities of the Internet.


Parents were frequently unaware of the risks to which their children had been exposed, the study showed. For example, more than half of parents whose children said they had been bullied online, said they knew nothing of the situation.
Moreover, some 41 percent of parents whose child had seen sexual images online said their child hadn't, and 61 percent of parents whose children had met offline with an online contact, also said their child hadn't.
Beckedahl added that parents should ideally "be aware what their kids are doing, and they should talk to them about what kind of experiences they are having on the Internet."
The study also found that while the overwhelming majority of European kids in the study use the Internet at home (85 percent), many children do have private time to use the Internet.
48 percent use it in their bedroom, and 31 percent via a mobile phone or other handheld device. In some countries, like the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden, over one in five young people use the Internet regularly on a handheld device.

Supporting education - for educators

Beckedahl acknowledged that because of this separation between parents and when their children are online, and their lack of awareness of where their kids go online, it may make things difficult for the parents to keep up.
"Parents often lack literacy in the social networks their children are using," he said. "They have no clue what kind of experiences and user interaction their kids would have, and they don't really know what can happen." 
His suggestion: shifting Germany's ongoing campaigns for media literacy away from children, and toward parents and teachers.
"Peer to peer education exists already - children figure out how these platforms work themselves," he noted. "The problem is, their parents and teachers aren't able to teach them to behave correctly, and prevent risks."
The study's authors plan to publish official conclusions and recommendations in November. But even in thier preliminary findings, they acknowledge that the harmful potential of the internet is counterbalanced - if not easily outweighed - by the medium's benefits.
Plus, they note that a majority of the kids polled said they had not had any harmful experiences with the Internet at all.
For his part, Beckedahl would like to see the German debate on Internet usage lose its negative tone.
"Our debate about the Internet needs to become more positive," he said. "It is one of the greatest tools we ever had. But if we only talk about the risks, people will fear the Internet."

The Digital World of Young Children: Impact on Emergent Literacy

By Jay Blanchard, Terry Moore, Arizona State UniversityCollege of Teacher Education and Leadership, Research Presented by the Pearson Foundation - March 1, 2010

This white paper takes a first look at the everyday world of digital tools and media in the lives of three- to five-year-old children, with a particular focus on non-intentional learning opportunities in developing and least-developed nations. It begins a discussion about how digital media learning opportunities, including non-intentional opportunities such as cell phones and video games, when combined with intentional learning opportunities such as educational television or computers, may be affecting emergent literacy skills development (Anderson & Pempek, 2005). An understanding of this phenomenon is important, because when new digital tools and media, as well as novel combinations of old and new media, become available and commonplace, “the media that children use and create [will be] integral to their growing sense of themselves, of the world, and of how they should interact with it” (Center for Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital, 2008, np).

"...Young children are not only immersed in a sea of digital media—up to two hours per day—they are also using it. Many have computers and can access age-appropriate web sites (e.g., Webkinz Jr., JumpStart World, MyNoggin). Several computers designed for preschoolers are currently available, including PeeWeePC, 2goE10, Disney Netpal by ASUS, Intel Classmate (see Appendix E), and OLPC’s XO (see Appendix F), offering USB ports, wireless capacities, and fully functional operating systems. All are designed to be user-friendly for young children. All but Aspire One have touch screens (for a more comprehensive evaluation, see Children Technology Review, May 2009). Clearly, many young children are developing digital media fluency..."


Download full white paper from here.

Children's Role in home-school relationships and the role of digital technologies

A literature review by Lyndsay Grant, August 2009

Digital technologies are an integral part of many families’ home environments and communication strategies, and are increasingly used by schools to support learning, communicate with parents and provide access to school resources from the home and so may offer opportunities to facilitate communication and the building of relationships between home and school.

This review provides an overview of the key debates and current practice and research into home-school
relationships, with a particular focus on children’s role and the opportunities offered by digital technologies to
facilitate home-school relationships.

In order to explore children’s role in home-school relationships, the role of parents in home-school relationships will first be discussed, focusing on parental engagement and parent-school partnerships.

The review will then move on from looking at parents relationships with schools to looking more broadly at
connections between learning in the different contexts of home and school. It then goes on to explore how children  themselves make transitions and connections between home and school, focusing on children’s agency in and perspective on this relationship. The use and potential of technologies to support the home-school relationship is discussed within these main sections.

This review is intended to serve as an introduction to the broader context of this topic, discussing key issues raised research and practice, to inform professionals and practitioners with an interest in the field. Relationships between home and school have been the subject of many years’ research, and this review does not intend to provide a comprehensive academic analysis of the entire field, to make claims about the ‘effectiveness’ of different approaches, or to provide recommendations for policymakers or practitioners.

For full report, go to this url - http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/HomeSchool.pdf
 
Source: Future Lab

“Every single lesson without fail” - How iPhones are helping students learn

By Kim Thomas –Future Lab http://www.futurelab.org.uk/

The iPhone is the must-have device for the cool and trendy: a multimedia phone that allows you to make calls, watch videos, search the internet, play music, help you find your way when you’re lost and locate the nearest restaurant. It can do everything, it seems, apart from the washing-up – and it probably won’t be long before someone creates an app for that.

One thing that the iPhone isn’t associated with, however, is education. So the decision last December to give 28 students at Gumley House Convent School an iPhone each for a year and see what happens was pioneering. The trial is being run by Brentford City Learning Centre (CLC), and the aim is to see if the devices help the students, ranging in age from 11-18, to learn more effectively, both inside and outside the classroom.

As expected, the usage of the iPhones has varied depending on the age of the students. The younger students took longer to adapt to the iPhones, approaching them initially with caution, while the year 11 students began looking up revision apps straightaway. Between them, the 28 students have downloaded 620 apps, a mixture of games and educational applications.

Click here to read the full article.

Local govts focus on digital inclusion

By Serene Leow | 11 August 2010

Since January 2004, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China has been carrying out the Cun Cun Tong, or Village Connected Project. As the venture draws to a close, Wang Zhen Jian, Director of the Wenzhou Municipal Bureau of Informatisation, spoke to FutureGov about what’s been achieved so far.

More than three million farmers have benefited from the RMB 200 billion (US$30 million) project and village connectedness has been achieved, said Wang. There is a 29 per cent discrepancy between the internet penetration rates in urban and rural China, and the objective of Cun Cun Tong is to reach out and care for the rural community via internet services.

This has been done through a number of ways.

“By introducing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to the rural community in China, farmers are able to use the internet as a platform to sell their produce. They can advertise their products online and attract buyers in this manner,” he said. The internet has also opened doors to a multitude of information on weather forecasts, market trends and up-to-date pricing data for agricultural products and services.

Through partnerships with companies like China Mobile, which adopted the Village Connected Project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, three types of networks have been set up – the Basic Infrastructure Network, Rural Information Network and Network of Rural Sales Channels.

By establishing Rural Information terminals across the provinces, messages pertaining to crop distribution in Winter, pest control and disaster prevention have also been sent to farmers. The government hopes to build a “New Countryside” with the expansion of network coverage and introduction of modern telecommunications and information services to remote areas.

This goal is being achieved step by step, said Wang. China Mobile’s efforts alone, for example, has improved telecommunications coverage in 99.8 per cent of China’s administrative villages and 93 per cent of natural villages across 27 provinces. In 2009, there was an average of 33,000 calls per day on the Rural Information hotline service and approximately 700,000 hits on the Rural Information Network website set up by China Mobile across the nation.

The next step, said Wang, is to implement the Nong Xing 121 Project, which seeks to build upon the foundation of the Village Connected Project and improve on it. This initiative will focus on two areas, namely communications related to farming and the management of information in villages, he said.

Source: http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/aug/11/china-connects-villages-through-ict/

Indonesia to launch low-cost notebook

By Robin Hicks | 18 October 2010

The government of Indonesia is planning the launch of a low-cost notebook to help bridge the digital divide in the populous archipelago.

Ferry Yahya, Director, Center for Data & Information, Ministry of Industry, told FutureGov that the project was “conceptually already there”, but more work needed to be done to bring the price of the notebook below Rp 2 million (US$224).

The ‘One notebook, one home’ project, which aims to deliver internet connectivity to all of Indonesia’s 36 million households, will see notebooks manufactured locally using both local and imported technology and expertise, Yayha explained.

“The digital divide is a big problem in Indonesia, a vast country of 13,000 more than islands. The idea is to put a notebook into every home in the country, so that everyone can use the internet,” said Yahya.

The device would cost what the average Indonesian policeman earns in a month (Rp 2 million), and Yahya admitted that the project had a long way to go to make it affordable for all.

The news emerges one month after Indonesia’s archipelagic neighbour, the Philippines, hatched a plan to launch a low-cost tablet computer for use in schools.

This device would be a stripped down version of popularly available tablets, priced at down to around PHP3000 (US$70).

Mobile computers would bring an end to the days of children dragging heavy schoolbooks around, according to Science & Technology Secretary Mario Montejo. “We should really should replace books,” he said.

In the Philippines, internet penetration is around 30 per cent. In Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest internet community, it is around 19 per cent.

Source: http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/oct/18/indonesia-launch-low-cost-notebook/#

Obama signs technology access bill for disabled - Associated Press - 9 October 2010

By Darlene Superville

Blind and deaf people will be able to more easily use smart phones, the Internet and other technologies that are staples of life and work under a bill signed into law on Friday.

Such a step has been a priority of advocates for the millions of people who cannot see or hear.

In the East Room of the White House, where he was flanked on stage by lawmakers and Stevie Wonder, President Barack Obama portrayed the occasion as another step in guaranteeing equal access, opportunity and respect for all Americans.

He recalled celebrating this year's 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, banning workplace discrimination against qualified people with disabilities and requiring improved access to public places and transportation.

"We've come a long way but even today, after all the progress that we've made, too many Americans with disabilities are still measured by what folks think they can't do, instead of what we know they can do," Obama said.

The new law "will make it easier for people who are deaf, blind or live with a visual impairment to do what many of us take for granted," he said, from navigating a TV or DVD menu to sending an e-mail on a smart phone.

"It sets new standards so that Americans with disabilities can take advantage of the technology our economy depends on, and that's especially important in today's economy when every worker needs the necessary skills to compete for the jobs of the future," Obama said.

In one corner of the East Room, sign language interpreters translated Obama's remarks as he spoke. Across the room, his words scrolled on a large video monitor with help from a stenographer who transcribed them.

Under the law, the quality of life will improve for 25 million people who are blind or have difficulty seeing, along with the estimated 36 million people who are deaf or hard of hearing, advocacy groups say.

Nondisabled people stand to benefit, too. They may find the devices and screens easier to use.

The law sets federal guidelines that require the telecommunications industry to:

-Make getting to the Internet easier by improving the user interfaces on smart phones.

-Provide audible descriptions of on-screen action to help the blind more fully enjoy television.

-Add captions to online TV programming to help the deaf.

-Make the equipment used for Internet telephone calls compatible with hearing aids.

-Add a button or other switch to television remote controls for simpler access to closed captioning on television.

Paul Schroeder, a vice president at the American Foundation for the Blind, said many blind or deaf people have had to spend hundreds of dollars on costly accessories or software to make their cell phones and other devices easier to use.

"We hope that companies will start working immediately on making solutions available and affordable for people with disabilities," he said.

Blind since childhood, Schroeder described the bill as "life changing."

"As a person who is blind, it will bring some of the new technologies that are changing the workplace, education and leisure into my hands," he said.

Source: Associated Press, 9 October, 2010
URL:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101008/ap_on_hi_te/us_obama_technology_disabled

Active seniors win award for innovation - The Straits Times - 13 October 2010

By Judith Tan

Tourists on their first visit to Singapore are being approached by friendly senior citizens at the airport, offering directions and telling them where to claim their baggage.

Dressed in black polo tees and red vests, these seniors are part of the Changi Senior Ambassador programme run jointly by RSVP Singapore - a body for senior volunteers - and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

RSVP president Philbert Chin, 81, said being involved this way engages the seniors both mentally and physically, a goal at the heart of RSVP's activities for its members.

This philosophy has won RSVP Singapore this year's Outstanding VWO Award in Innovation, given out by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). VWO stands for voluntary welfare organisation.

Meanwhile, the Outstanding VWO Award in Collaboration was shared by the Alzheimer's Disease Association and the Lions Befrienders Service Association. The two bodies were honoured for working tirelessly with other organisations to raise awareness of their respective causes.

Each of the two categories comes with a prize of $20,000, with the latter two associations splitting their prize equally. The winners also received plaques from Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Yu-Foo Yee Shoon at the NCSS Members Conference 2010 at the NTUC Centre yesterday.

Dr Chin told reporters that, aside from being friendly faces and helping hands to lost tourists at the airport, RSVP members run Learning Journey, an outdoor interactive programme for school children and senior groups.

Acting as tour guides, RSVP volunteers take their charges to places such as the Marina Barrage, the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the Old Ford Factory to show them what makes Singapore tick.

'It is like a sort of national service we seniors do and enjoy doing,' Dr Chin said. He described RSVP as a 'bottom-up driven' organisation which gives its members a say in the kind of programmes it runs.

Besides the awards presentation, the NCSS Members Conference 2010 brought together 500 members to address key issues in the social service sector.

Speakers yesterday were Professor Andrew Scharlach, a specialist in elder care, and Mr Ho Kwon Ping, the executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, a developer and manager of premium hotels, spas and resorts.

At the event, a website which VWOs can use to promote their products and services was launched. Items sold include batik coasters and cushion covers by the Metta Welfare Association, and door hangers and magnets by the Centre for Adults at the Association for Persons with Special Needs.

An NCSS spokesman said a single website would provide a centralised platform for its members to showcase their products: 'Previously, these products and services were hosted on the VWOs' own sites, making it quite difficult for the public to go from one to the other.'

Source: The Stratis Times, 13th October 2010
URL: http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_589922.html

MP to launch social enterprise programme - Oct 13

By S Ramesh

Among the constituencies, the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng ward under the Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency has the largest number of rental homes - nearly 4,500 - and half of its residents are 50 years and older.

And its MP, Dr Lily Neo describes the task of finding jobs for these elderly residents as a challenge, on top of helping the hardship cases that she encounters during the meet-the-people sessions.

Said Dr Neo: "Some even ask for milk powder funding, and some just say, 'Can I have some money to sustain me for the next week?' It sounds strange in Singapore... (but) yes, I am meeting these problems here."

To help these residents, the ward has set up a social enterprise programme which pays participants $5 an hour to undergo training in craftmanship. The final products are sold on the market. Currently, 30 residents are on the programme, which will be officially launched next Sunday during a ministerial community visit by Law Minister K Shanmugam.

The ward also has a meal and grocery programme targeted at the elderly and needy, which involves nearly 200 hawkers, sundry shops and supermarkets in the area.

Under this programme, which was started in September 2007, vouchers in denominations of $2 are redeemable at neighbourhood stalls. So far, $223,638 worth of vouchers have been distributed to about 200 needy residents.

With the next General Election due by February 2012, Dr Neo, who entered politics in 1996, was asked whether she would be contesting it.

Adding that the decision lies with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Neo said: "(I) feel fulfilled in my work here as I have been able to work with so many needy people. It's great that I have been able to make a difference to them."

Source: Today Online - 13th October, 2010
URL: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC101013-0000084/MP-to-launch-social-enterprise-programme

NCSS launches new online initiative for VWOs - Oct 13, 2010

By Mustafa Shafawi

A new online initiative has been launched for volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) to promote their social enterprises.

A dedicated webpage hosted on the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) corporate website has been set aside for them.

The NCSS says this would give the VWOs higher visibility and better accessibility of their products and services.

Members of the public will find links to eight VWOs' webpages. These include Metta Welfare Association, which will showcase craft items such as batik coasters, and the Association for Persons with Special Needs' Centre for Adults, offering door hangers and magnets.

Last year, the NCSS website received more than 310,000 visits.

At its members' conference yesterday, NCSS also gave out awards to outstanding VWOs.The Outstanding VWO Award in Innovation was presented to RSVP Singapore - The Organisation of Senior Volunteers.

The NCSS said RSVP's talent at germinating an impressive range and variety of ideas has resulted in significant social impact.

This is exemplified in its creative Changi Senior Ambassador, Learning Journey and Senior Guiding Programmes.

Reaching out to a vast spectrum of society from tourists to school-going children, the programmes benefit the seniors who get to interact with the young.

The NCSS Outstanding VWO Award in Collaboration was presented to the Alzheimer's Disease Association and the Lions Befrienders Service Association.

It said the partnerships they have fostered with a wide range of partners have resulted in considerable reach and expansion of their services to the less fortunate.


Source -
Today Online - 13th Octber, 2010
URL: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC101013-0000070/NCSS-launches-new-online-initiative-for-VWOs