With the introduction of the iPad a few years ago, most people viewed tablets as tools from a personal use perspective. In fact, there are many apps and advantages to using a tablet for learning that traditional computers interfaces can not offer. It is small, mobile, interactive and cost effective compared to traditional computers. The tablet will not replace the computer any time soon, but it offers many advantages to learning that were not available in the past.

Quest for Tech is currently researching ways to integrate tablets and parallel learning methods into our Technology Access Program (TAP) to further enhance education and technology to students needs. You can read more about ways teachers are looking to adopt this new technology into the classrooms by clicking on the link below. We look forward to updating you with these new additions and curriculum updates early next year.

http://www.powertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_technology

As the cost and size of computing devices decreases and access increases, there is a shift in how people leverage technology. This a an excellent excerpt from The Washington Post explaining how new entrepreneurs are able to use technology and approaches to gain an advantage across the globe.

Technology, access and the emergence of an empowered global middle class

There are entrepreneurs across the world utilizing technology to build successful businesses. QFT’s goal is to continue to teach and provide the access so our students have to opportunity to change their lives and possibly become one of these future entrepreneurs.

In 2009, LexisNexis released the results of a study that examined how technology was used in the American workplace. The focus of the study was on the differing opinions between generational groups. The results showed the generation gap at work is really wide with vast discrepancies when it comes to what the appropriate use of technology is - a problem that leads to increasing tensions in the workplace.

Quest for Tech is proud of the fact that we teach people of every generation how to use technology. The results of this approach to teaching reduces the tensions in the workplace for acceptable use of technology. As technology and solutions improve we continue to update our curriculum on a quarterly bases to stay up with the trends. To read more on the results and study click in the link below:

Technology Gap at Work is So Wide

One of the early creators of the web is trying to put mobile technology and education into the hands of people throughout the globe.  There are challenges to this effort with infrastructure demands and cultural divides, but the article discusses how the benefits outweigh the costs in this broad approach to reducing the digital divide.  To read the article click on the link below:

http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_62757.shtml

Quest for Tech continues to educate and provide individuals with technology in our communities. We hear many reasons why there is a need, but discovering research that emphasizes the Digital Divide is still prevalent supports our efforts to expand in the local community, national level and global stage. The link below will lead you to an interesting set of statistics provided by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

http://media.nj.com/njv_kelly_heyboer/other/internetgraphic.pdf

In summary, minorities, the elderly, low-income families and residents of rural areas continue to lagged behind in internet use. It was predicted that the gap would narrow as technology and computers became cheaper and more abundant. This research shows those gaps still exist and are not closing as quickly as originally forecasted a decade ago.

As technology progresses more teachers do not have access to the adequate technology, or sometimes lack the necessary skills to optimize technology to enhance learning for students. This is a dilemma because if children and young adults do not have access at home, and are not able to leverage technology at school they are less likely to have that knowledge base to help later in life advance their careers and overall quality of life.

Quest for Tech looks at problems like these to help individuals in our community, but there may be additional opportunities in the future to assist schools to provide technology access and knowledge to teachers and students.

The link below gives a further look into how teachers can implement technology if it is not already available in their current classes:

http://www.edutopia.org/technology-how-to-implement-classroom

In New York Angie Schiavoni and her husband, Sep Kamvar, started non-profit Code Ed to help young women build a future in technology. Combining education with the donation of technology enables these young women to gain a step ahead in the science and technology field. You can view this clip by clicking the link below:

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/07/28/n_code_ed.cnnmoney/

From time to time we see articles examining circumstances where the digital divide is a challenge in this country and all over the world. This New York Times article written in July peaked our interest because it focuses on Mobile Web use and demographics. Quest for Tech will begin exploring solutions in this area for the future.

New York Times: Increased Mobile Web Use and the Digital Divide

Come out and join us Thursday June 10th from 6:30PM-9:30PM at Yards Brewing Company for our Spring fundraising event.  In coordination with Philadelphia Beer Week, Yards will be holding brewery tours for our guests and beer sampling.   Tickets for the event are $30 and can be purchased at the door or on our website by visiting the event page. Yards Brewing Company Fundraiser Page

We look forward to seeing you on June 10th!

Last year the Washington Post published an article on the digital divide. The article profiles students at a middle school and explains how the digital divide is a barrier to the evolving world for people who do not have access. This is a great example of why Quest for Tech exists and the focus of our mission is to eliminate these barriers.

Link to the Washington Post article