School Information Packet

Joining the Digital Revolution with NOCU

Potential School Sponsor Information Packet

To provide, to teach, to inspire NOCU enables schools serving low-income families to teach lasting technology skills and inspire in students the confidence necessary to compete and succeed. - No Child Left Unplugged’s Mission Statement

What is NOCU? How does it work? No Child Left Unplugged (NOCU) is an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that seeks, in the broadest sense, to bridge the digital divide through education. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, NOCU’s mission is a commitment to building selfsustaining technology programs at schools serving low income families that lack the resources to do so on their own. When NOCU partners with an elementary, middle, or grammar school, the two organizations make a commitment to working toward an independently-operating technology program over the course of nine years. NOCU provides funding through a sponsor to cover all of the initial costs of setting up a computer lab, with the school becoming responsible for an increasing amount of the upgrade cost at the end of each three-year equipment replacement cycle. Providing the equipment, however, is only a prerequisite for NOCU’s most important work: helping schools actually teach how to use the technology. The unique elements to NOCU’s approach come in after a lab has already been established. NOCU works with schools to customize a curriculum developed by the organization and does so in keeping with the three part philosophy of education found in the following pages and also provides professional development support for faculty. In addition, and most critically, NOCU coordinates a tutoring program between a supporting educational institution (generally a private high school or a local university) and the recipient school. The tutors actively contribute to the teaching process in a classroom—brainstorming project ideas with teachers, team-teaching classes, and helping in any other way the teacher requests. If you are interested in partnering with NOCU to build a technology program at your school, please read through the rest of this packet and reference the contact information on the last page. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Philosophy When NOCU works with a school to customize a curriculum, we do so with a philosophy that guides how we go about developing that curriculum. This philosophy is driven by three core components: • The belief that, in a world where technology changes rapidly, only developing intuition with the tool will lead to a lasting and proficient skill set • The recognition of computers as a tool, not an end in themselves • A commitment to teaching safe and ethical use of modern technology In the end, the goal must be to teach everything from basic computer skills to graphic design in a way that emphasizes these core values.

Computer Intuition = Flexible Skills

It has been shown time and time again: when you learn how to use a computer, you cannot just memorize a series of keystrokes. If you do, you will be in trouble every time a major software update is released. The recent user interface changes that occurred in Microsoft Office 2007 and Adobe Creative Suite 3 are perfect examples of this; even seasoned users were a little lost. Because of this aspect of today’s computers, No Child Left Unplugged believes it is crucial to develop intuition and familiarity with the tool rather than a simple ability to use it. Only then will the skills students learn in school be useful twenty years down the line. This commitment to a deeper understanding of computers has significantly influenced many of NOCU’s choices. Unlike many other organizations that work with high schools, NOCU believes it is essential to start young. Just as it is easier to become fluent in a new language when you are young, we believe “fluency” in computers is easier to develop in younger students. Thus, when we first partner with a school, we start the program with grades K-2 and expand as those students move up through the school.

A Tool Versus an End

Too many people these days see having a computer as a solution to some of the complex issues today’s society faces. NOCU does not see

things this way. We believe that access to a computer is almost useless unless one is taught how to use it effectively and how to apply its capabilities to those very issues. After all, what good is the internet if one does not know how to differentiate between a reliable source and someone who is just ranting? We see knowing how to use computers as one skill a completely educated individual must have; where there was once “Reading, ’Riting, and ’Rithmetic,” there is now “Reading, ’Riting, ’Rithmetic, and Technology.” We thus believe that a significant portion of a person’s education in technology needs to come from its use in the context of other fields, and thus try to work with schools to encourage use of computers and technology in all academic disciplines – from English to Math to Art.

Safe and Ethical Use

We have already explained our commitment to ensure access to and an intuition for modern technology – but we believe even that is not enough. It is equally important to have a complete understanding of the complex ethical and practical problems that come with every new innovation. Teaching the risks that can come from sites like MySpace, and how to protect yourself from them, is just as important as understanding how to make a good PowerPoint presentation. Similarly, when older students learn tools like Photoshop, we believe they should also be taught about situations like the recent controversy over some of Reuters’ doctored photos. Asking questions like, “Is it okay to adjust white balance in Photoshop but not to combine elements of different pictures; where do we draw the line and what constitutes crossing it?” is important as students grow older and learn more powerful tools. On top of that, we also stress the importance of academic integrity when using tools like the internet or digital encyclopedias, showing students not only how to use them, but also how to cite them properly. We believe all of this is central to a strong education in today’s technology.

The Model NOCU’s model is centered on the cooperation of four different parties, each of which has different responsibilities and obligations in the program. Each organization involved must sign a non-binding Letter of Agreement before a particular placement begins, signaling a commitment to the goals of the program. Ultimately, this model ensures our goal of teaching lasting skills and makes it easier for us to expand into additional schools.

Role of the Recipient School

The adopted school has certain responsibilities in the program – including providing a secure space for a lab, committing to the goals of a NOCU placement, providing proper insurance, and paying for damage due to negligence on the part of the school. Above all though, the recipient school must commit to the goals of the program and to getting long-term results.

Role of No Child Left Unplugged

As the coordinating organization in the model, NOCU is responsible for arranging the placement and providing overall direction and coordination. It is our responsibility to sign the following two entities onto the program,

as well as to help develop a curriculum and ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Role of the Supporting School

The supporting school’s job is to provide student tutors who go to the recipient school to help teach technology skills. A supporting school is usually an independent high school or university with a strong technology program and commitment to community service. Having these volunteers as an integral part of the technology “staff” serves several purposes. First, it promotes a kind of peer learning, encouraging students to try to learn from the volunteers and one another rather than just from their teachers – something we see as critical to the goal of intuition. Second, it allows students to receive more one-on-one time with people who know the technology. Third and lastly, it connects communities whose members otherwise might not interact, creating bridges over time as volunteer tutors and students become friends and helping to create a general sense of social awareness in both groups. The adopting school commits to making the NOCU partnership a priority in its service program.

Role of the Lead Benefactor/Sponsor

The lead benefactor is the person or organization which funds the lab, or is the largest single donor. The expected cost of the program is $75,000 over three years (assuming a lab of twenty-four computers; lab size will vary by school), with approximately 10% of the money going to NOCU (to cover costs like maintaining online tools) and about 90% directly to the recipient school (to pay for and maintain equipment). The lead benefactor benefits from naming rights to the lab and and use of its name and logo in any related press exposure.

Qualifying for a Placement To qualify for a placement, a school must complete an “Initial Review of Eligibility.” The process requires that the school must meet and/or show willingness to meet the following seven basic criteria: • • • • • • •

The school must demonstrate a real financial need. The school must provide a room to be designated as a computer lab with security and insurance that NOCU deems adequate. The school must set aside time every year for professional development programs specific to technology. The school and NOCU must complete a joint evaluation of need to determine the school’s specific equipment requirements. The school must designate a staff or faculty member to be a lab director, responsible for day-to-day operation and maintenance of the lab (e.g., shutting systems down at closing). The school must agree to use computers solely for educational and administrative purposes. The school must enforce strict rules concerning ethical conduct with regard to computer and technology use in keeping with NOCU’s three-part philosophy.

The Game Plan The NOCU model is built on top of a nine year plan with three basic phases, each lasting for a period of three years. Each phase is marked by the acquisition of new computers to keep the school’s lab up to current standards and to ensure that all equipment is in working order. Following the third phase, a school is expected to be able to operate and run its technology program independent of NOCU. 1. General Outline of Work for Phase One 1.1. Plan is devised to bring school into program. 1.2. NOCU finds sponsor to cover most costs. 1.3. Funding flows through both NOCU and the school, though the school will not be required to cover any of the acquisition costs. 1.4. NOCU and school agree upon equipment to be purchased. 1.5. Technology arrives and employees are trained by NOCU staff/volunteers before classroom use is allowed. 1.6. Supporting school, arranged by NOCU, sends volunteers to work with students and teacher. 1.7. Tutoring work begins with youngest students (K-2), expanding immediately to higher grades only if adequate resources are available for younger students. The first three years focus on introducing technology and bringing students to grade level. 2. General Outline of Work for Phase Two 2.1. NOCU confirms renewal of partnership with sponsor and supporting school or finds new organizations. 2.2. The school is fiscally responsible for 15% of purchase, raising the money on its own. 2.3. NOCU and school select second round of technology and install it. 2.4. All grade levels (except grade 8, students from which can act as tutors at their own schools) should have regular, scheduled time in the lab by this point; upper-level students should begin to explore more advanced programs like Photoshop.

The Game Plan, cont. 3. General Outline of Work for Phase Three 3.1. NOCU confirms renewal of partnership with sponsor and supporting school or finds new organizations. 3.2. The school is fiscally responsible for 15% of purchase, raising the money on its own. 3.3. NOCU and school select third round of technology and install it. 3.4. School has now fully integrated technology at all levels of its curriculum; all students should be technologically literate. 3.5. By the end of the eighth partnership year, the school should secure funding for third round of upgrades­—and be prepared to do so every three years.

First Steps & Getting Started For more information, including links to some of NOCU’s online curricular tools, visit our website at www.nocu.org. If you’re interested in becoming a NOCU recipient school, you can find a link to our short grant application at http://nocu.org/bearecipientschool.html. After initial contact, NOCU will evaluate the feasibility of setting up a program at your school. When requests are received simultaneously, NOCU will balance two considerations to determine which eligible site(s) it will prioritize for launch: the ease with which a program can be established, and the demonstrated need of each institution. We determine “ease” by considering the geographic accessibility to tutors of the potential recipient school, the quality of communication in initial conversations with a school, and the level of flexibility a school has in its curriculum, etc. Once a school has been selected, it takes approximately one year to open a lab and begin the program there. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 415.287.0440.

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