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America Connects Online Panel on Research and Community Technology Programs
Where is the research on CTCs and who's conducting it? Does the available research speak directly
to CTC practitioners? What kind of data should we collect with/about/in CTCs? These and similar
questions drove the "Bridging CTC Research and Practice" online discussion hosted by the
America Connects Consortium, March 7-25, 2005. Read the full article at the Community Technology Review site.
(http://www.comtechreview.org/spring-summer-2005/000313.html)
The Assessment Continuum of Schoolwide Improvement Outcomes: Implementing the Components of Systemic Schoolwide Improvement.
http://www2.edc.org/NECAC/resources/pubs/continuum.htm
Selecting Educational Software for Teenagers in After-School Settings: A Toolkit from the America Connects Consortium
Finding quality software for high school students is a challenge for educators in all settings, particularly those in community technology centers (CTCs) and programs. This toolkit is designed to help staff members locate and evaluate software that is both appropriate for high school students and suited to CTC settings. It provides a process for assessing both the needs of learners and instructors and the educational value of different software programs. The toolkit also features a review of the most common types of educational software available today and includes a list of resources for locating and evaluating additional education materials. Download the Toolkit in PDF format.
YouthLearn Contributes to NIOST's "Links To Learning"
Links to Learning is a new Curriculum Planning Guide developed by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) to assist after school program providers in responding to the call of academics in non-school time, while addressing the full range of children's developmental needs. The guide provides an overview of learning and child development as they relate to out-of-school time care; offers tools for selecting, planning, developing, and evaluating after school activities; and demonstrates how to link these activities to both learning and quality standards. YouthLearn was thrilled to assist NIOST in this effort, providing recommendations and resources on promoting project-based methods and integrating technology into afterschool. Links to Learning is published by School-Age NOTES and can be ordered by calling 1-800-410-8780 or visit their online catalogue.
Using Technology to Support Academic Achievement for At-Risk Teens During Out-of-School Time
Prepared by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time for the America Connects Consortium, this literature review explores the use of technology to support academic achievement for at-risk high, school-age youth during their out-of-school time. In the last two decades, technology has exploded into the school classroom, home, and other learning settings in far-reaching ways. Some current efforts to support young people to progress in school and to navigate the transition from school to work and higher education have endeavored to harness the potential of technology as a learning tool. Many researchers have tested a wide range of technology applications in different learning settings and situations, creating a growing collection of literature and commentary on the value and usability of technology-based learning strategies. Our task in this literature review was to sort through the many publications, research briefs, and observations in this arena, with a particular focus on at-risk teens and the out-of-school hours, and to summarize the latest thinking on both the theory and practice of using technology to support academic achievement.
