Windy Wellington Barbara Craig School of Policy and Implementation Faculty of Education Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand Wellington Capital City Computers in Homes Education project that is ICT based Organised around families whose children attend schools in low income, geographically isolated, indigenous, Pasifika, refugee communities with low education and employment profiles. Intergenerational learning parents, caregivers, grandparents, extended family to become involved in the education of their children or mokopuna Family literacy Books in Homes : creating an environment rich in books Computers in Homes creating an environment rich in electronic reference materials Family activities This has been an awesome, fun, ego boost for myself that I have enjoyed coming to each week at.. school baby in tow nothing but support, help, kindness and patience from.. and the other parents I have new friends to say hello to outside of this classroom it has been a win win situation all round for me thanks again for your computer in homes programme 4 weeks ago I wanted to go from this class but I feel the opposite now September 21, 2005 1
Connecting Families Digital Opportunities Connecting Home and School Digital disadvantage Digital exclusion Context for Computers in Homes as a Project A community informatics initiative Focus of research on empowerment and social inclusion through provision of ICTs to disadvantaged communities ICT users If you miss the evening news you can go to the Website and download items of interest t Best airline deals only available online TradeMe best deals Help with health, education, jobseeking Non users Many live in communities with fewer phone lines, no library, local bank or PO long since closed, no car orreliable reliable, affordable transport Most don t know anyone with a PC, no contact with PCs at work Low income and lots of demands on their $$, including supporting family abroad 2
The Structure Why do families join? opportunity to own PC incentive to train internet 6 months relationship with school technical support entering world of ICT further opportunity Fulltime coordinator who sets up NetPod, PC s, training, ISP, graduation, technical support & project management CIH managesprojects projects, budgets, delivers programme & reports to sponsor 2020 administers the funds and budget Trustees attend graduations and launches 2020 submission to MoE MoE contracts 2020 to deliver CIH programme Policy recognition of ICTs for disadvantaged communities CIH Recommends Schools to 2020 Trust CIH Relationship & Commitment from School Community CIH Information & Expertise 2020 Trust Administers funds CIH manages projects, budgets, delivers programme & reports to MoE Digital Strategy National vision Crusade for Literacy National s vision is for ultrafast broadband for all New Zealanders. We want a fibre connection to every home, supported by mobile and satellite solutions where it makes sense. School /Community Enquiry CIH sets up NetPod, PC s, training, ISP, graduation, technical support & project management The Scheme- local variations Recycled computers Training at local school Technical support Internet access for 6 months Internet safety and computer security Family agreement Recycled Computers CANZ Computer Access NZ Trust 3
Technical support Training at the school Graduation Cannon s Creek Tala s Story Tuhoe Rohe 4
Wireless Computers are essential for the future. We won t need phone, radio, TV, not even buy a newspaper, don t have to go to the movies. Good for someone in the country. You don t miss out on things, get it at the same time as everyone else, don t have to wait for the paper and TV news. Some parents were creating their own webpages and content online, starting up businesses to sell local art. Another family created a database of their Whakapapa and a list of the lands that the whanau own and share this by email attachment. They also distribute a monthly family newsletter Purongo which all whanau can contribute to. Several families wanted to download Maori script so that they could more easily write in the Maori language. Confidence Self esteem of families Intergenerational learning It has improved my confidence in actually reading a book. I mean now before I wouldn t but now I would pick up a book and think I would like to read that story You need a computer to write essays. You get much better grades. With the course I am taking now everyone says how come your essays look like that. I say I have a computer in the home 5
Computer in Home mother 2/23/2009 Education and training Employment I did a lot of studies off it. I was getting a lot out of research for my assignments. Mostly the Wellington Public Library and the Turnbull Library in Wellington and the Auckland archives. Then there s a lot of like university students who put their papers on the net. And they put more than you can use. During the weekends I sit there from Friday night to Sunday night. Computers in homes has given me the opportunity to finish my assignments when doing a social science course with the access to information for research when it was needed. It also cut library time for the kids with their homework. Helping find a job A small number of parents (20%) say they found employment through the internet. Many more are looking for a job through the internet. It has helped me to get the type of job that I am looking for by being in the comfort of my own home and by saving me the money I would have otherwise spent on a newspaper to find the job Self employment Online trading Buying games and trading them as well and selling them on as people get in contact with me. I do a lot of bank deposits. Because on the trading sites its pretty secure. When a deal goes through you don t pay out until you receive the goods One of the things I do is grow raspberries. The other night I got pages and pages on how to grow raspberries, different ways of planting the, and how to increase height of the cane and number of canes we have our own farm out on lease. I m learning to do the bookwork for both shearing and farming Helping with current job I m an Avon rep and I do all the ordering and paying online and this has made it so much easier Working as a teacher aide with special needs students Before she had a computer at home this mother had trouble giving support to her students because of her lack of knowledge of computers Now I can take it all in interpret the instructions and hl help the child through hit. I can also access resources and teaching aids through the internet Currently I am working at a rest home and found word processing great for keeping files on the residents there. Database is excellent for their personal information so it s there for me at my finger tips. I have more confidence with having to work on the computer in the library at work. Not so unsure about trying new things when it comes to learning a new programme on the computer. Volunteer work I have volunteered my new admin skills of typing and word processing to community groups. I have got something from the community and it feels like it is good to be giving gsomething back. Bot minutes. I am the secretary I don t know why they wanted me to be the secretary of the church. I look at the minutes of the Board of Trustees and think that is how you do minutes. I have to do it all in Samoan Social and cultural Benefits for the children Means of entertainment and a tool for self expression and communication Belonging to the Net Generation, creating an identity on Bebo and posting onto YouTube Positive Computer for Parents programme Education Parents speak the language of the school Homework, use internet resources, email to school for printing AnyQuestions online reference service from the National library StudyIt NCEA students easy access to teachers across the country Benefits for Whanau & family In their own words Thank you very much for bringing this project to Nuhaka. I have 4 children at the school and it's just great that we've got a computer in the house which they can use. My 6 year old is quite the whizz kid on it and my 12 year old does alot of my on line searching and e mailing for me. I've only had to ban her from e mailing once (questionable language!!!). As for the 3 boys well while they love the wrestling sites they do also check out the Encarta encyclopedia and a lot of the learning websites which they get referred to from the school. Me, well I love the ease of paying bills on line and I'm slowly learning more about the web and e mailing. Thanks also for your online learning programs. We've continued on using Watchdog it makes me feel safe. It's hard to say but inside me I'm very happy of having the computer at home, because it really helps my children with their homeworks especially my big boy who is sitting his School Cert this year. I may say thank you very much for this chance that you gave to us. May God Blessyou you. Iknowsomeofthethingsin of things the computer because my kids teach me how to find out. Computer in Home father Thing's are going really well I have a Uncle who is really good with computer's and he has been helping me alot. I now have Internet banking and pay all my bills via net which a big step for me so thing's are great. Thank you again for giving my family and myself the chance to "move into the 21st century! 6
Local content and blogs community benefit Other 2020 initiatives grown out of the project Our WSIS commitment to Small Island Developing States helping our Pacific neighbours 2 schools, 5 businesses, one island 9 Laptops, 2 Printers, free internet for schools, Samoan education content 2 Months to design and install Refugee & migrant groups Adult Literacy Computers in Homes Reading off the screen that s been easy for me. But I mean think about a book - having to read a hardcover book. It just takes a while for it to sink in. But I can just sit here at the screen and keep reading. I can scroll down and I can scroll back up or whatever. I have always found it easier for me to read something off the computer than sitting reading a book. I don t know why. Issues Stepping Up Launch at Parliament Technical Part of the problem of owning a computer is that it needs continual upgrading It is very good to know that I can now use a computer and that it s there to help me if I need it. We have just bought a new one as my one didn t work. It was fixed but only lasted a week We don t succeed with everyone!! School Principal speaks 7
Telling our stories to politicians and policymakers Where to from here? 100,000 families with school aged children still do not have access to the internet in their homes. 56% of families with children in Opotiki do not have internet access, whereas only 13% of families on the North Shore do not. Trustees and regional coordinators Computers in Homes graduate speaker from Gisborne 2006 Census www.computersinhomes.org.nz http://cihgisborne.blogspot.com/ http://cihherekino.blogspot.com/ 8