Assignment+1

Montoya 1 Jake Montoya EDT 3010 Dr. Chung June 14, 2010  Digital Youth Network  I chose the video about the Digital Youth Network based out of the south side of Chicago. I really enjoyed this video for several reasons. First, I liked that a program like the Digital Youth Network exists in a low-income area like the south side of Chicago. Often times, children who grow-up in the inner city do not have the same opportunities and access to technology that children in wealthier communities have. I also liked the fact that the program begins immersing the children in technology at the middle school level. Not only do these children have to be tech-savvy, but they also need to understand how to interact with a world outside of their neighborhood. One thing the internet can do is bring the world to your classroom. The students who participated in the Digital Youth Network were truly engaged with their work, whether it was editing music, video, or designing web pages everything was being done through the student’s individual laptops. The instructors had no behavioral issues and the students were motivated and self-starters.  I happen to work at a Title One school, ACE Community Challenge School, within Denver Public Schools. Last school year our principal purchased five Smart Boards and had training for the entire staff. Unfortunately, about eighty-five percent of our student population is gang affiliated, and therefore have no respect for anything. Two of our Smart Boards have not just been tagged on, the screens have been carved-up with sharp objects. However, the Smart Board in the math lab, where I work, is utilized daily. Mostly we just use it as a white board, but the teacher and I have utilized the Smart Board to capture images from the internet, or show movies to the kids via a projector and a laptop. We also use itunes to allow the kids to hear music as a reward for good behavior.