TechMission Corps

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TechMission Corps

• Best Practices from the Field
• Brittany Coulbert, Shanica Charles, Robert
  Badgett, Jin Min Lee, Jamal Collins

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Agenda

• TechMission Corps
• After School Programs
• Teen Programs
• Technology Programs

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What is TechMission Corps?

• TMC is an AmeriCorps National Direct program
  managed by TechMission Inc.
• TMC places AmeriCorps members in faith-based
  organizations using technology to serve
  under-resourced communities
• 2004-2005 Cohort of TMC
• 20 members 14 women, 6 men
• Widely different backgrounds, ages and
  experiences
• 15 Sites in greater Boston and Los Angeles areas
• 3 in Los Angeles, 12 in Boston
• 4 teen programs, 2 tech programs, and 9 after
  school programs

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After School Programs

• Models for Technology Use

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Travel Around the World Project

• Purpose to introduce students to other parts of
  the world and other cultures as they learn
  geography
• Students explored their own culture and city
• Students learned about other countries

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Using Tech to Create Lesson Plans

• Online lesson plans blogs www.greenwoodtravel.blo
  gspot.com

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Using Tech to Create Lesson Plans

• Online lesson plans blogs www.greenwoodtravel.blo
  gspot.com
• Choose cities to visit
• Write a letter from Boston
• Color a flag from another country
• Off-computer lesson plans Word Internet
• My Culture questionnaires

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Using the Internet for Academic Learning

• World Geography
• Online resources Interactive map of world
• Geography game www.nationalgeographic.com/geospy
• Local Geography, History, and Language
• Boston tourist sites
• Boston slang

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Using Tech to Enhance Non-tech Learning

• Producing books that students write
• Student portraits in picture frames
• Decorated digital portraits as refrigerator
  magnets
• Having a variety of equipment creates many
  possibilities (digital camera, camcorder,
  scanner, color printer, comb binder, laminator,
  microphone, software, etc)
• Key to using tech There are great grants out
  there for tech equipment!

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Using Tech to Teach Tech Skills

• Photo editing and more
• Typing tutorials (free demos available)
• Garfields Typing Pal www.garfield.typingpal.com/i
  ndex.asp
• Type 2 Learn www.store.sunburst.com
• Tux Type (Game-like Typing for Kids)
• http//tuxtype.sourceforge.net/
• Reviews of different kids programshttp//typingso
  ft.com/all_typing_tutors.htm

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Tech for Off-Computer Tutor Resources

• Arts Crafts (origami, Mothers Day gifts,
  coloring pages, etc)
• Enchanted Learning www.enchantedlearning.com
• Activity Village www.activityvillage.co.uk
• Educational Tools
• Houghton Mifflin resources www.eduplace.com/kids/m
  hm/index.html

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After School Programs

• Case Study and Project Ideas

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Boys and Girls Club

• One-on-one interactions with kids (8-14)
• Behavior
• Respect and manners
• Stress management and family counseling
• Parent meetings
• Recreational outings, field trips, etc.
• Group talks
• Poetry Project

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Poetry Project

• Make flash cards that kids could rhyme to
• Play three games using flash cards
• Flash a card and have the kids say as many words
  they can think of that rhyme with it
• Each child takes a flash card. He/she makes one
  sentence ending with the word on the flash card
  and a second sentence that rhymes with the
  first.
• Three children (each with two rhyming words) work
  together to form a six line poem that rhymes
• Have the kids pick out three flash cards and
  create one small rhyming poem in their journals

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Internet Use of Poetry

• Created a poetry folder in our Internet
  favorites/bookmarks with sites where kids can
  listen, read, and watch small clips of basic
  nursery rhymes www.rhymesandsongs.comwww.prescho
  olrainbow.org/preschool-rhymes.htmwww.mamalisa.co
  m/world/atoz.html
• Created a poetry lesson blog
• www.greenwoodpoetry.blogspot.com/
• Link where kids can read Langston Hughes poems
  and also hear him read to them

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Other Internet Projects

• Black History Month had kids go to sites to
  read and learn about the underground railroad
• www.freedomcenter.org/
• www.npca.org/walk.html
• www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/tubman.html
• www.waynet.org/nonprofit/coffin.htm
• Learn about Iraq
• Learned how soldiers live
• Researched Iraqi weather
• Studied Iraqi culture
• Learned about Iraqi animals

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Using MS Word with Kids

• Type letters to soldiers
• Help kids type their homework projects
• Teach kids how to cut and paste
• Teach kids to save documents to floppy disk

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General Computer Lab Setup

• Make sign-in sheets
• Set up internet access for the computer lab
• Make an e-mail address for the after school
  program
• Make rules for the computer lab
• Sign-in guidelines
• Printing and saving guidelines
• No eating or drinking
• Appropriate behavior
• Appropriate method for logging off
• Appropriate websites and software
• Sign contract agreeing to rules and consequences

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Agenda

• Introduction
• After School Programs
• Teen Programs
• Technology Programs

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Teen Programs

• Internet Resources

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Myroad.com
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Myroad.com

• Low cost for individual 19.99 or apply for a
  site license
• User-friendly w/much college information
• Personality-based career profiling available
• Provides guided career and college major
  exploration
• Helps map out academic and career plans
• Teacher/Leader Resources (Counselors Corner)

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Myroad.com Find a college
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Other College Search Resources

• USNews.com
• Small Fee (min 14.95). Use for quantitative
  analysis of admission criteria and admissions
  statistics.
• Customized college searches (by major, region,
  gender, diversity, size, etc.)
• Helpful articles for students and
  teachers/leaders
• Collegeboard.com
• Portal into test registration (SAT I, SAT II)
• College search capability
• Financial Aid (CSS profile, scholarships)
• Explain changes/trends in standardized testing
  and college admission

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Financial Aid Resources

• FAFSA (via US Dept. of Education)
• PIN required (student and parent must register)
• Worksheets available to download and print
• On-line registration must be followed up
  w/mailing
• CSS Profile next level after FAFSA
• Fee (Automatic waiver for qualified students if
  not, call)
• Through Collegeboard.com
• Mostly for private institutions private
  scholarships
• Lists institutions/foundations using it as
  evaluation tool
• Worksheets available to download and print

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Financial Aid Resources (cont.)

• Common Application
• Fees paid directly to schools (waivers usually
  available)
• Worksheets available to download and print
• Automatic links to individual schools
  supplemental forms
• Scholarship Search Engines
• Fastweb.com
• Scholarstuff.com
• Collegeboard.com

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Technology Programs

• Electronic Music Programs

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Electronic Music for After School Programs

• Music programs open the creative mind of students
• A low cost program with possible high gains
• Can change the way children see computers
• Adds a layer of excitement about computers and
  technology
• Exposure to technology
• Can be used as a reword for students in your
  program

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Exposure to Technology and the Building of
Computer Skills

• Academic based after school programs can add a
  new layer of depth to their program
• Changes the way people see computers
• Builds on peoples creative talent
• Adds a new avenue to get computers into the home
• Concepts learned can be transferred to other
  programs such as Flash and PowerPoint

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Program Benefits

• Attracts new kids to your program
• A small expense to add to your program
• Acid Express0
• Two loop libraries60-80 or Acid pro 150
• Currently, Acid is putting out a free set of 8
  loops every week
• Participants become more excited about the
  program
• Can be used as a small fundraiser

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Program Project Ideas

• Make an album to sell
• Make music for a slide show
• Add music to a video
• Make commercials

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ACID Express