UK outperformed on broadband speeds - The Telegraph - 3 Aug 2010

Romania, Latvia, South Korea and Japan all have faster internet speeds than the UK, according to Akamai, a digital content delivery network.

The UK has slipped down the global rankings for the average internet speed achieved by web users. It dropped from 23rd to 27th in a list of 201 countries, according to a report from Akamai, a digital content delivery network provider. 

Britons can expect to get an average speed of around 3.8 megabits per second, while those in South Korea, the highest ranked country, enjoy average speeds of around 12 megabits per second. 

Hong Kong also offers lightning fast web access, with average speeds of nine megabits per second, with Japanese web users achieving speeds of 7.8 megabits per second, and those in Romania and Latvia enjoying average speeds of around 6.3 megabits per second, according to the Akamai report. 

Akamai also looked at the top 100 fastest cities in the world for internet access, with Masan in South Korean topping the list, while the Swedish city of Umea was singled out as the European city with the fastest average internet connections. No British city featured anywhere in the list. 

The Government has pledged to improve the speed and availability of high-speed internet services in the UK, rolling out universal broadband services, offering at least two megabits per second, by 2015. 

Ofcom, the communications regulator, warned last week that the digital divide was widening in the UK between rural communities with limited or slow internet connections, and metropolitan areas with higher-speed broadband services. 

Many rural properties and businesses are too far from their local telephone exchange to make the roll-out of higher-speed services financially viable. Instead, Ofcom is allowing internet service providers to use BT’s telegraph poles and underground ducts to “pipe” internet services to these locations, rather than forcing them to invest in new infrastructure. 

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/broadband/7923766/UK-outperformed-on-broadband-speeds.html

Her guiding principle when working with at-risk teens: Never, ever give up – CSMonitor – 29 Nov 2010

Through project Roca (Spanish for 'rock') Mary Baldwin reaches out to teenagers in Massachusetts to keep them off the streets and out of jail.

The last thing Mary Baldwin would call herself is a hero. In fact, she doesn't like to talk about herself; she'd rather let others do the talking. Not about her – about their own transformed lives.

Yet so many of those people would tell you that they changed their lives directly because of Ms. Baldwin and her unwavering conviction that "as long as you're living, you have a chance."

Baldwin – or simply "Molly," as everyone knows her – became interested as a teenager in community work and especially in prisons. "I found that our penal system is ineffective, expensive – and dangerous," she says. "I thought, there's got to be a better way."

So almost 23 years ago, when the state of Massachusetts gave her a $134,000 grant to start a program to prevent teen pregnancies, she dived in.

Today Baldwin, and "some fabulous teachers and coaches," have parlayed that first grant into an $8 million project called Roca (Spanish for "rock"). Last year, Roca served more than 700 youths through an educational and training intervention program, as well as another 150 young people through less intensive services.

Roca has become a valued part of the community: a training, counseling, and all-around life-transforming center for some of the most at-risk young people in the eastern Massachusetts cities of Chelsea and Revere, and also in East Boston, as well as in Springfield, in western Massachusetts.

They all are places where gang violence and poverty intersect in a seemingly endless cycle.
Roca may have gone "a little against the stream" to achieve its goal of moving young people out of violence and poverty, Baldwin concedes. But no one can argue with its success rate.

Through its "high-risk intervention model," Roca keeps young people in school; helps those who've dropped out gain life skills (including a GED, the equivalent of a high school diploma); aids youths in finding and keeping jobs; and provides a place to stay off the streets – and out of jail.

Roca also focuses on helping teen parents succeed by encouraging them to stay in school, as well as by providing prenatal and postnatal care (while counseling them to avoid more pregnancies).

Maybe most important, Baldwin has given many forgotten or neglected young people hope for the future.

She attributes her success principally to two things: the many people who have helped and supported her, and the youth workers she sends onto the streets every day to encourage gang members and dropouts to come in and accept help.

Roca youth workers visit teens' homes, take them to and from school, tell them their own stories of how they left gangs, or just provide a place to feel safe.

Sotun Krouch, who came to the United States from Cambodia as an infant, and as a teen wound up on the streets, says tenacious Roca workers brought him around.

"They keep coming after you," he says. Today, Mr. Krouch serves as Roca's evaluation and information technology coordinator.

Perhaps Roca's biggest contribution is that it provides a safe environment. The Chelsea facility includes a gym, where teams compete in basketball tournaments. Roca offers training in framing, cabinetmaking, finish carpentry, jewelrymaking, dance, nutrition, and cooking.

A music lab supports bands that form at Roca. Young people can even produce their own CDs there. A kitchen serves free dinners every night to 75 people in the community.

Rosa Bermudez, a 19-year-old mother, works in the Roca kitchen learning about food preparation and nutrition. Ms. Bermudez's kitchen work helps her to meet the criteria for the Youth Star Program, part of Americorps, a federal training and service program.

She attends college in Swampscott, Mass., and hopes to find work in the medical field upon graduation. Roca provides the child care she desperately needs for her 2-year-old son, Isaiah, while she works to complete her program, she says.

Roca has had a deep and positive impact on Chelsea, says City Manager Jay Ash. Baldwin is the most deeply committed person he's ever seen helping youths, who often have no one else who cares about them, he says.

"She's even challenged me to look inward at myself, and outward at what I want for a greater society," Mr. Ash says. "For the last 15 years, we've been partners in contributing to some remarkable achievements for Roca."

Not all stories at Roca end in success – and even the good endings often don't come about quickly, Baldwin says. Despite some failures, the tough work, and the challenges, her guiding principle remains the same: Never, ever give up on anyone.

Thom Ke, who showed up 17 years ago as a teenage gang member, still is amazed at Baldwin's willingness to go the extra mile. Now a father and owner of two family businesses – and a volunteer community organizer himself – Mr. Ke calls Baldwin "an absolute inspiration.

"She changes lives, one kid at a time. She's my hero," he says.

"She's the real deal."

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/making-a-difference/2010/1129/Her-guiding-principle-when-working-with-at-risk-teens-Never-ever-give-up

Mobile Technology Helping Kids Combat Bullying & Peer Pressure – Yuzzip – 24 Nov 2010

Mobile technology can inspire youth and help transform communities with life coaching tools, common sense reminders and making mentoring programs more efficient and effective.   We know that one bad decision can derail a child’s life forever. Everyday kids face relentless bullying and peer pressure by other children who have a powerful influence over them.

So, how do you change behavior and reach these at-risk kids while providing a positive influence? The answer is through their cell phones. It’s estimated that up to 75% of kids over 9 years old have a cell phone in the US.

The Power Texting Mentor Network uses text messages to connect at risk youth with a team of mentors from all walks of life; professionals, doctors, military, police officers, athletes and more. Mentors use Power Texting as a life-coaching tool to send customized motivational messages and encouragement to combat the destructive influence of others.

We know that in order to reach today’s kids, we must meet them where they are, which is absolutely through their cell phones and mobile technology. According to the Nielson Company, which analyzed mobile phone usage by 13-to 17-year-olds from April to June of 2010. The study found that teenage girls send an average of 4,050 text messages a month, or eight text messages each waking hour. That’s a 443% increase in the monthly data use by teenagers from a year ago, October 2009.

Peer pressure and bullying can be a 24/7 nightmare for children, especially with technology. The goal is to save them from isolation, make them feel a part of a group and surround them with realistic and positive messages specific to their situation. With Power Texting mentors are able to remind kids of their goals, keep them inspired about their education, help them make wise decisions and get through tough times by letting them know they aren’t alone-they have a support team.

Source:  http://yuzzip.com/technology-news/positive-texting-can-help-kids/

Unicef awards 'champions' for children – The Jakarta Post – 23 Nov 2010

Champions for Children is aimed at reaching out to children who have been neglected by Indonesia's society.

Indonesia is seen not only as a growing economy, but also an increasingly affluent country. Many Indonesian children, however, have been left behind in the progress Indonesia has experienced.

These children are not getting a full education, suffer from problems of malnutrition or poor health, and are even neglected by society. Many children are forced to live on the streets to cover their daily basic needs, putting them at great risk of harm and danger.

"These are children we often see but not really recognize," Unicef chief of communication Edward Carwardine told The Jakarta Post on Saturday, on the sidelines of a ceremony to award 10 Pendekar Anak or "Champions for Children".

The award was presented to commemorate the 21st International Children's Day.

Children's vulnerability is growing due to a number of reasons, Cawardine said, such as a lack of education, poor access to healthcare and full family and parental support.

Champions for Children, a Unicef initiative, is aimed at reaching out to children who are invisible despite Indonesia's recent achievements.

Carwardine said "Champions for Children" were valuable allies to help raise awareness in Indonesia about the challenges faced by children.

Lowe Advertising, he said, was an advertising company that had produced - for free - a number of television and newspaper advertisements promoting children's rights.

Another "Champion for Children", Kaskus, an online forum, devotes some pages to promoting children's rights.

Apart from large organizations, Unicef also granted the award to several people: batik entrepreneur Daud Wiryo Hadinegoro and businessman Herman Wenas, who travelled the world campaigning for increased awareness of children's rights.

"I just want to motivate the children that small things can deliver extraordinary results," Herman told the Post.

Yenny Zannuba Wahid, the director of the Wahid Institute, joined several medical experts and celebrities to promote the benefits of breastfeeding.

Young people were also awarded. Stephanie Handoyo, a special Olympics athlete, did a lot of work raising awareness for children's rights in Indonesia. Another Champion for Children, 11-year-old Clarissa Tamara, campaigns through her music.

"We want to make sure that people are aware of the challenges faced by children. I think we have done a lot of work to that end.

But there remains a lot more we can still do," Unicef Ambassador Ferry Salim said.

Carwardine said Unicef and the Indonesian government tried to allocate more resources to reach the most vulnerable children. "Every child in Indonesia should get the benefit of the progress this country has enjoyed in the last few years," he added.

Source: http://www.edvantage.com.sg/edvantage/news/news/499820/Unicef_creates_champions_for_children.html

They need mentors like us: ex-gangsters – AsiaOne – 12 Nov 2010

By Veena Bharwani

IT'S outrageous and senseless.

This is how a reformed gangster and drug addict described the recent gang-related attacks at Downtown East and Bukit Panjang.

Pastor Don Wong, 50, said yesterday: "It's really terrible. We spend so much time trying to help youths and we are sad when we read such stories."

The executive director of The New Charis Mission, who counsels youth offenders, said that when he was in a gang in the 1970s, gang members would never go about slashing people for no good reason.

"The gangs today are much worse than the gangs of before," he added.

"Before, we had a code of honour and we had rules. If you had a problem with another gang, you'd arrange to meet to settle the problem.

"Once you tell the rival gang you are sorry, it is over. They won't come after you any more.

"There was no such thing as staring competitions, and whacking and slashing like what's happening today.

"In the old days, if you acted like that, the gang leader would punish you according to the strict code of conduct."

Pastor Wong was 13 when he began taking marijuana and heroin. At 14, he dropped out of school, joined gangs and trafficked in drugs.

When he was 23, his father, who runs a confectionery business, had to bail him out for three days so he could get married.

"Instead, I used the three days to get friends to prepare drugs for me to smuggle into prison," he said.

For 12 years, he was in and out of drug rehabilitation and prison.

A new leaf

He finally turned around in 1993 - after another spell in prison - when a pastor got him to check into The Helping Hand, a Christian halfway house. A sermon at the shelter on his first day changed his life.

"It was then I had my wake-up call," said Pastor Wong, now married to a church worker. They have two primary school-going children. He has a son, 26, from a previous marriage.

He and his team of seven junior counsellors, who are also ex-offenders, work with gang members and youths at risk.

"What they need is a mentor, someone who talks their lingo," he said.

"When we go into the prisons, we tell them about our lives. They can identify with us as we have been through the same thing they have.

"We can't just tell them that what they are doing is bad. They need to have a goal and a plan.

"I tell them if they reform, they can have the chance to help someone else who needs some guidance, which is what I am doing now.

"They need people to believe in them."

Another ex-drug addict and gangster, Mr Glenn Lim, 39, founded Architects of Life (AOL), where former delinquents help young ex-offenders and youth at risk get back on their feet.

He said: "They need someone to care for them even before they turn the corner themselves.

"What they don't need is another intervention programme, or adults treating them as deficits.

"They don't need hardware (or another formal programme). They need 'heartware' - that is a relationship with a trusted mentor like us."

Mr Lim was mentor to David Thorairajan Manickam, the ex-gangster who was featured in The New Paper on Sunday.

Mr Thorairajan, 29, is now about to graduate with a degree in Psychology and Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource at the Singapore Management University.

"I believed in his potential even while he was still in prison struggling with who he was," he said.

Why are youths so violent these days?

Mr Lim said that part of the problem is the lifestyle.

He explained: "Look at the games they play, like World of Warcraft for instance. They just shoot and don't think."

So some end up being violent without thinking about the consequences.

Talking about his own past, he said: "I turned to gangsterism and drugs between the ages of 16 and 23."

Finally, at 23, he was caught at the Woodlands Checkpoint and faced the possibility of life in prison and 24 strokes of the cane for drug trafficking.

But he had someone who believed in him - his father.

"I gave him so many headaches and still, he believed in me and bailed me out and I made a fresh start," he said.

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20101112-246993.html

How Important is Kindergarten Math – Choose4Me – 25 Nov 2010

A recent study conducted in 2007 shows the heightened importance of early math and reading skills for children getting ready for school.. “We find the single most important factor in predicting later academic achievement is that children begin school with a mastery of early math and literacy concepts,” says Northwestern University research Greg Duncan

But the importance of a solid foundation in early mathematics is. However, the degree to which early math skills play a role is. “The paramount importance of early math skills – of beginning school with a knowledge of numbers, number order and other rudimentary math concepts — is one of the puzzles coming out of the study,” said Duncan.

The data from the six longitudinal studies and over 36,000 children, indicated that early skills in mathematics are a greater predictor of a child’s future academic success than early reading, attention skills, and socioeconmic factors!

So what early math skills are most important? In addition, counting, sorting, and comparing objects up to 30 are considered necessary kindergarten math skills. Read more about. Read more about kindergarten standards in math here.

Technology has made great strides in the past several years in the area of childrens educational software. However many of the technical advances can be overwhelming to children just starting school. Online 3D worlds and virtual pets may be beneficial for older children using the computer to build skills while playing. Websites with 3D graphics and online virtual worlds may be a useful tool for older children looking to build skills while having fun on the computer. Kindergarten and preschool children are easily distracted by the overuse of technology in many of these programs.

Children in preschool and kindergarten should be using computer software created just for them. While it is important for young children to gain familiarity with the use of a computer, it is equally important that they are able to use software designed just for their age group.

In addition, real-time performance reporting is available immediately so parents and caregivers can focus on the most important areas that will help children prepare for success in school. In addition, performance feedback is provided immediately so parents and caregivers can focus on the most important areas that will help children prepare for success in school.

Source:  http://choose4me.com/how-important-is-kindergarten-math/

Kindy surprise – Macs for pre-school Kiwis – NZHerald – 23 Nov 2010

If you've ever looked at pictures of American or European kids playing with fancy high-tech equipment, unless your kids go to St Cuthbert's you probably have the same reaction as I do - not here in NZ, matey!

But that's not true.

The Apple advantage seems clear to some - for example, it's clear to teachers who prefer quality over quantity, ease of learning versus learning curve and who value outcomes above input time.

Case in point is the Auckland Kindergarten Association. A few years ago, the AKA went Apple, and it doesn't appear to be regretting it.

If anything, it's even odder to see preschool children in a New Zealand kindergarten using Apple gear.

A good friend of mine says 'give a learning musician the best instrument possible - it's accomplished musicians who can get a tune out of anything'. I think this may be the guiding principle for the AKA.

I recently visited a Decile 1 kindergarten in Otahuhu in Auckland. A Remmers' kindy would be Decile 10, by comparison.

It's just across from where a large factory used to assemble thousands of cars, including VW Beetles and Datsuns.

Despite proximity to what's now some kind of vehicle transit centre, the Fort Richard Rd Kindergarten has large fields either side. The centre itself is bright, engaging and well equipped.

The same could be said of the staff - three full-timers and some part-timers, catering to 30 kids per session aged 3-5, and from a variety of interesting backgrounds.

Head Teacher Pulusea Seumanu has been here ten years. He gets job offers, but Seumanu likes his work, despite opportunities for better pay. But it's hard to put a monetary value on something you enjoy, and he and staff members obviously put a lot of extra time into this kindergarten.

Seumanu showed me the 'space alcove' they built, where kids can pretend they're in a space ship, complete with lights, visuals and sound effects.

When the Association went Apple, Seumanu embraced it wholeheartedly. The teachers get MacBooks and the centre has an iMac in the office and another in the centre itself.

This one's used for displaying news and information about the kindy - Seumanu says parents like to look at it when they drop kids off or pick them up, and it's a nice visual counterpart of the paper portfolios the kids produce.

"I like to give every child a DVD when they leave, and we hear of them being viewed by proud family in England, the US, in the Pacific and in Australia."

Movies are shot on compact cameras in movie mode and they are then edited by Seumanu, using just iMovie, which comes on all Macs.

Parents are surprised how slick the results look - thanks to both Apple's ease of use and iMovie's professional templates and, no doubt, thanks to Seumanu's time and ability.

Keynote - Apple's answer to Microsoft's PowerPoint and part of the iWork suite - is used to create the news and info presentations, which can also be played on a large flat screen television.

Seumanu likes the fact that the three-year-lease Macs the AKA sends have everything they require, software-wise, out of the box.

Training is undertaken by the AKA's resident IT guy, Ian Newson, from attendance at seminars and at other events. The AKA is New Zealand's largest kindergarten association, and also the largest education provider outside the tertiary sector.

It caters to over 9000 young children attending 107 public kindergartens throughout Auckland every week - that's up to 14,000 in any year. The kindergarten service has been operating for 100 years in Auckland.

AKA teachers are fully qualified teachers with an early childhood teaching diploma as the minimum qualification. They hold current Teacher Registration Practising Certificates and must be involved in professional development to maintain registration. Professional development influences and supports positive learning outcomes for children and leads to guidance through the kindergartens, although they also have some say over what equipment they get and how much, within limits. A couple of the kindergartens even have PCs.

Seumanu actually attended the CreativeTech conference this year at AUT and found Dorothy Burt's talk extremely helpful, and still has the CT mission statement on his office wall for inspiration.

He really enjoyed the GarageBand session by Leon Dahl and the wrap featuring six New Zealanders who use Macs in widely varying fields.

I asked Seumanu what Apple could do for him. He told me he was a bit surprised when the CreativeTech wrap guest Lewis Gregory, a 17-year-old college student, accomplished digital artist and film maker, said, of Apple, he wanted "More. More of everything!" 
"Nothing springs to mind immediately." Wry grin. "Except make the gear more affordable, I guess."

But Fort Richard Rd went a bit further, perhaps, than many centres when it added three iPod touches to the equipment roster a few months ago.

I asked if this resulted in a rush on the devices. "No. The kids pretty much self manage. Ten, 15 or 20 minutes on these, and they want to change to play-dough, or another activity ... or the sun shines, so they head outside."

On the iPods there are apps chosen for their teaching abilities. Currently the kids are learning about France, so there are some language apps installed, too.

I queried both the expense, and if they were strong enough. Turns out they are - they've been constantly handled for over six months with no problems, and the expense is more than justified by the extremely cheap, or free, apps that can be installed.

Seumanu mentioned the ball-bearing roller game Labyrinth. "One dollar-29 cents. Three purchases, $3.87 ... a single, real, wooden labyrinth game would cost $60; they both teach control and hand-eye coordination."

Add ease-of-interface and it was clear the kids at Fort Richard were very happy, and competent, with the iDevices. When I visited, two kids were on two of the three touches while a third was happily using Seumanu's work MacBook Pro. "That's very trusting, isn't it?"

Pulusea laughed. "Not really. The kids are very respectful of equipment."

This kindergarten is part of a continuum, engaged with the backgrounds the kids come from, with the community around the centre and with the school system the kids are destined for.

"We get feedback from the schools that they really like getting our kids, because they're so competent with computers already."

Many other Auckland kindergartens use Macs with children to do stop motion animation, create digital stories, make books, with Skype and more.

The Association says Macintosh is the platform of choice as it stimulates and supports creativity in a simplistic and 'holistic' way. The AKA appreciates how all the programs can 'talk to each other' which is particularly highlighted when using the Macs to integrate iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie and Garage Band to build digital stories.

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10689531

How Overuse of Technology in Daycares and Preschool Affects Children Part 2 – OwnADayCare – 29 Nov 2010

Many daycare providers ask the question: How does access to technology (television, video games, computers, etc.) affect young children in my daycare? What are acceptable limits per day with regard to access to technology? We picked the brain of Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist and sensory specialist with expertise on the impact of technology overuse on child health and academic performance, and CEO of Zone’in Programs Inc. In our interview with Cris Rowen, Rowen describes how technology impacts child development and solutions to its impact.

OwnADaycare: Isn’t technology supposed to make our lives and the lives of our children easier and more efficient?

Cris Rowan: Technology is the single most destructive factor to child health ever witnessed by humankind, and has gravely put the sustainability of our children’s future in peril. Children who are high users of technology may not outlive their parents. Sedentary aspects of technology use, combined with inherent isolation from other human beings, is resulting in a host of physical, mental, social and academic impairments that the health and education systems are just beginning to detect, much less understand.

Connection to technology is disconnecting human relationships.   Preferring devices over time spent in human connection, reflects a society that has lost the significance of the “pack”.  For hundreds of years humans hunted, gathered and farmed in groups.  Work was highly physical, and isolation from the tribe meant certain death.  Survival required members rely on each other, resulting in the formation of close relationships and attachments.

Now, socialization is minimal.  The family dining room table has been replaced by the “big screen” with vibrating cell phones, classrooms are rapidly becoming “virtual” as playgrounds disappear, and workplace cubicles become a haven to increasingly depressed, anxious and compulsive employees. The actual values we used to build the foundations and structures for home, school and work systems are disappearing before our very eyes.  Communication, discipline, caring, playfulness, independence, and exploring nature don’t seem to be important constructs anymore – we simply just don’t have time.

While technology may appear to be making life easy, processing multiple incoming stimuli is overloading the brain and actually reducing overall productivity.  Have we evolved to accommodate this sedentary, yet chaotic existence?  With brains moving faster and faster, and bodies moving slower and slower, the sustainability of the human species is truly in peril.

OwnADaycare: What types of access to technology should daycare providers allow young children? In other words how can they use technology in the preschool or daycare setting to a child’s benefit?

Cris Rowan: None! Children in daycare and preschool settings are there to enhance developmental skills for pre-literacy. Children who are sedentary are not stimulating their sensory and motor systems required for literacy. Movement stimulates the vestibular and proprioceptive sensory systems integral for eventual attainment of core stability, motor coordination, eye tracking and optimal arousal for paying attention.

OwnADaycare: How many hours per day or per week should daycare providers allow children access to technology?

Cris Rowan: None! The overwhelming research showing the detrimental effects of technology on the preschool population indicates that the use of technology in daycares and preschools should be prohibited by licensing bodies.

OwnADaycare: What are some things daycare providers can do to address the impact of technology on child development?

Ensure children receive adequate amounts of the critical factors for child development e.g. movement, touch and human connection. Ensure playgrounds adequately stimulate the vestibular, tactile and proprioceptive sensory systems, while also encouraging social communication. I have a webinar on my website www.zonein.ca on how to create sensational yet safe playgrounds.

How Overuse of Technology in Daycares and Preschool Affects Children Part 1 – OwnADayCare – 24 Nov 2010

Many daycare providers ask the question: How does access to technology (television, video games, computers, etc.) affect young children in my daycare? What are acceptable limits per day with regard to access to technology? We picked the brain of Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist and sensory specialist with expertise on the impact of technology overuse on child health and academic performance, and CEO of Zone’in Programs Inc. In our interview with Cris Rowen, Rowen describes how technology impacts child development and solutions to its impact.

OwnADaycare: What is the impact of technology on child development?

Cris Rowan: Every minute spent in front of technology is detrimental to child health and academic performance. “Growing” a child is like building a house, it’s all about the foundation.  If the foundation isn’t constructed properly, the house will have life-long problems, it might even fall down.  If children don’t engage in critical activities during development, their growth and success at school will be impaired.

To optimize development, children need stimulation to their sensory, motor and attachment systems.  Children need to move a lot, touch and be touched, and connect in meaningful ways with other human beings.

OwnADaycare: What areas of development might be affected by technology overuse?

Cris Rowan: There are four main areas of child development affected by technology overuse:

Physical – technology is a form of restraint, and is replacing play!
30% of children entering the school system are developmentally delayed
20% of children are obese
75% of children have TV’s in their bedrooms causing sleep deprivation

Mental – we are medicating child technology addictions!
14.3% of children have a diagnosed mental illness; anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive, bipolar, addictions to name a few – MANY on poorly researched psychotropic medication
8% have ADHD and 1 in 100 children have Autism
Stress related disorders on the rise due to chronic high adrenalin states

Social – all shooters are gamers!
US has categorized media violence as a Public Health Risk due to causal relationship to child aggression
Parental fears regarding safe outdoor play, have contributed to isolation causing depression and poor social skill development

Academic – technology is entertainment, not educational!
Literacy and academic performance is declining due to the following MYTHS:

§                     Teachers no longer need to teach children to print

§                     Screen reading is the same as book reading; screen reading results in poorer memory, comprehension and ability to think critically

§                     Children can sit still and learn; sedentary lifestyle and obesity prevents learning

Wired for high speed, the new age brain is being reprogrammed to not access frontal lobe, known for executive function, seeing the “big picture”, and impulse control.   How can we teach children when they can’t process information, are unable to envision goals, and have no self regulation or control?

Moving to Learn – Playground most essential component for learning!
Improved cognition: exercise enhances memory and learning through improved neurogenesis in hippocampus and frontal cortex
Decreases ADHD: increases dopamine transmitter, which improves focus and attention.
Increases attention:  releases nerve growth factor to inhibit impulsivity, promoting focus.
Exercise Decreases Impulsivity and Increases Attention!
Impulsivity control is located in the frontal lobes.
Overuse of technology “short circuits” access to frontal lobes.
Exercise increases blood flow to frontal lobes, thereby decreasing damage caused by technology overuse.

Source: http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/how-overuse-of-technology-in-daycares-and-preschools-affects-children-part-1

Comcast Celebrates Digital Connectors Program’s Success – Thaindian News – 30 Nov 2010

By Madhuri Dey

Nov 30, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Comcast along with One Economy is celebrating the success of a significant technology learning and service project that deals with teaching youngsters about the broadband Internet technologies and the ways to implement their expertise while catering the Philadelphia community. The initiative named Comcast Digital Connectors started at 2009 at People’s Emergency Center and Project H.O.M.E. Now it is held after school hours all over the year. In this program, 43 high school students hailing from diverse low income category backgrounds work at Philadelphia’s Comcast Technology Labs and Honickman Learning Center of Project H.O.M.E. They learn the basics of digital literacy skills. They try spreading awareness about digital technology even in their neighborhoods.

Some U.S. politicians have lauded the effort. Comcast Corporation’s Executive Vice President David L. Cohen said that it is a really challenging and unique initiative that has been undertaken by the company. One Economy’s mission is enhancing the potential of technology in urban areas across the United States. So far, 35000 young people got involved in this initiative. The Comcast One Economy partnership is aimed at doubling this number and the hour of service they can put in. The Digital Connectors program as well as curriculum was set up by One Economy in the year 2003.

Digital Connectors is meant for empowering needy students and enabling them to use technology to lead a better life. People’s Emergency Center’s President and CEO Farah M. Jimenez said that PED is happy to collaborate with Comcast and One Economy “to bring Digital Connectors to our West Philadelphia community.” The students get to learn ways to connect computer labs, create video documentaries and connect to wireless access points in this project.

Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/tech-news/comcast-celebrates-digital-connectors-programs-success_100467524.html

NTUC Share-A-Textbook Project – edvantage.com – 26 Nov 2010

Needy families requesting for textbooks increased by over 50% from 11,500 to 17,500.

NTUC FairPrice's Share-A-Textbook Project, which has been around for the past 27 years continues to meet the demands of needy families and students.

This year the demand from needy families has increased by over 50% from 11,500 students in 2009 to some 17,500 students.

The closing date for collection is on November 30 2010.

Despite collecting 150,000 textbooks and it is still short of its target of collecting more than 200,000 textbooks to help more students in need save on textbook expenses.

The organisation and its volunteers are seeking help from the public to donate Primary and Secondary textbooks before the closing date.

To ensure that the books collected will reach the needy various unions, welfare organisations and schools were earlier invited to nominate suitable students to collect the books under the project's Priority Scheme where they will collect their textbooks ahead of the public.

Though the project hopes to continue to benefit from the public's generosity it also hopes that the public will donate textbooks of the relevant levels and not university textbooks and assessment books or textbooks with missing pages and or defaced textbooks.

The organisation thanks the public in advance for their generosity and hopes to continue aiding the youths to continue their educational pursuits.

Source:  http://www.edvantage.com.sg/edvantage/news/news/501582/Share_A_Textbook_Project.html

Google Gives $250,000 to Tech Education for Needy Communities – Mashable – 30 Nov 2010

Google has just pledged $250,000 to iGotITtoo, an organization that brings technology training and other tools to underserved communities, that will allow the charity to expand across New York City.

The organization was founded in 2007, and its name stands for “I’ve got information technology, too.” It currently operates in Brooklyn, where community members were attempting to make sure everyone in the area had access to technological tools — tools that can sometimes make a huge difference in access to services and quality of life.

The two iGotITtoo co-founders began teaching community center computer classes to address this need; their efforts were met by a growing demand, and iGotITtoo now boasts a staff of 30 volunteers teaching two to three classes and labs per week at each of the organization’s three locations in Brooklyn.

CEO Santana Kenner said in a statement on Tuesday, “It is our mission to end digital inequality by building communities’ capacities to leverage technology to improve educational and economic opportunities — a pattern which affects social capital in both the physical and digital domains.” iGotITtoo is planning a citywide launch in 2011.

Do you think more cities and neighborhoods could use programs like this one? Let us know what you think of Google’s grant and of iGotITtoo’s programs in the comments.

Source: http://mashable.com/2010/11/30/google-igotittoo/

Think of the iPad for your Elderly Parents, Boomers – TechAndBoomers – 10 Nov 2010

I know that many Baby Boomers are still in the sandwich generation, caring for loved ones who now are elderly. It's been interesting to me to find out that some of us are using technology to enhance the quality of life of older people whose minds might be shining as brightly as ever, but who have some physical limitation that keeps them tethered to home or even in a nursing home.

In the past, it was difficult to envision packing mom or dad's expensive and fairly heavy laptop with them to go to assisted living, and impossible to figure out how to get Internet access for the laptop. However, with the advent of the iPad older people are bringing their connections to the outside world inside with them.

I recently watched a YouTube video and a news report showing a 99 year old woman with glaucoma rediscovering her love of reading and writing poetry using an iPad which lets her see the letters because of the contrasting screen. I also had been following some posts on the Boomer social networking site eons (www.eons.com) by a devoted daughter, screen named Techie44, who wanted to keep in touch with her 94 year-old mom even though the daughter would be spending the winter many miles away. I contacted Techie44 and asked if I could share her story and she graciously agreed.

In the beginning, Techie44 wasn't sure if the iPad would work for her mom, but she thought that her mother, who has rheumatoid arthritis and is in a nursing home, might be able to master it. I read through Techie44's posts as she weighed the pros and cons of getting what was then a brand new device for her mom. One thing was telling, however. Her mom was already familiar with email and wanted to have her email with her in the nursing home.

After showing her mother the family's iPad and how it worked, Techie44 ordered one for her with Wi-fi and 3G and set up her mother's email accounts to sync with the iPad. She also sent her mom some email so she could practice replying. Thinking about what would make her mom happy, she also loaded the iPad with the Christmas and classical music that her mother loves and put in pictures of the family, as well as some photos of the family camping vacations, since that's what her mom used to love to do.

Significantly, Techie44 signed up for Apple's MobileMe, an application that keeps mobile devices in sync. This was suggested to her by one of the othereons posters and it turned out to be very important. The iPad is the kind of device that can be picked up easily and just "walk out the door" of a nursing home. MobileMe has a feature called "Find my iPhone/iPad" and if someone walked away with the device, it could let Techie44 know where it is.

In an email, Techie44 told me she put a sticker on the outside of the iPad notifying everyone that it could be tracked and that she demonstrated how she could track the device to the people at the nurses station. She also told them that she would prosecute if the device were stolen.  Although she didn't tell me this, I expect she was hoping word of mouth would spread, and anyone thinking of walking away with the device would be forewarned. She also took the added precaution of selecting a pass code her mom could remember, so no one else could borrow the device.

Now I've always contended that MobileMe should be free, and not the $99/year product it is, but I'm willing to say that in this case it's worth the money. An added benefit of  MobileMe is that Techie44 can link her mom up to a "cloud" photo gallery, and the family can update and add pictures to it  from wherever they are, without having to load them directly onto the device. This was also pointed out by another eons poster.

So how is it going? Techie44's mom has arthritis, so hitting all the right icons and keys on the iPad is somewhat of a challenge, but she is managing, and enjoying the device. She does most of her typing herself but an aide helps her type long letters.  She's listened to her music on the device, but had a bit of a problem figuring out how to shut it off. Thinking ahead, Techie44 showed someone at the nursing home the ins and outs of the iPad so they could help her.

In addition, Techie44 signed her mom up for the Facebook app, so now "Granny" can follow her grand nieces and nephews on the social networking site. She also downloaded an app called iFish Pond that will help her mom pretend she is sitting by a pond when the weather gets cold.

Techie44 says that she made the right choice in getting her mom an iPad. A computer would  have had to sit on a table and her mother would have had to deliberately go to it. The iPad is easy for her mom to carry with her, and the 3G wireless solves the problem of getting Internet access in a nursing home, something that could prove to be nearly impossible. 

One last thing: Techie44 says that the iPad has made a tremendous difference in the quality of her mother's life. She is connected to relatives she hadn't heard from for years and looks forward to receiving her email and photos from her family.  You can't find a more ringing endorsement than that.

I know the post above makes it look like I endorse the iPad or that I'm employed by Apple, but I assure you I am not. I simply believe that this genre of tablet has opened up a new era of computing and is beneficial for society. Many, many tablets are coming into the market soon, but right now Apple essentially stands alone. If the upcoming Linux Android tablets are as easy to use as the iPad, as this author predicts, they too will gain traction with the elderly and will add to the societal goal of helping them stay connected.

Source: http://techandboomers.blogspot.com/2010/11/think-of-ipad-for-your-elderly-parents.html