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Computers in Homes www.computersinhomes.org.nz/ was launched by Hon Trevor Mallard MP in 2001, and provided 25 Newtown families with a recycled Wellington City Council PC, Internet connection for six months, and training and technical support. A further 11 families at Newtown School have joined the programme this year through the donation of computers from Massey University. Nationally, 200 families have participated in the programme to date. Barbara Craig of the School of Education at Victoria University is carrying out a two-year research programme on the effectiveness of the project. Her early results indicate: · The students’ parents are learning new skills: keyboarding and word processing, email, writing letters, family budgeting using spreadsheets, accessing the internet. · Improved educational aspirations of parents. Some parents have entered tertiary education for the first time, and use the computer for assignments and research projects. · The parents are becoming more active in the life of the school; communicating with the principal and staff by email, and using the school website. · The parents become more active in the life of the community, because they can use email, writing letters for others, minutes of meetings etc. · The parents are following the progress of their children more closely, both by communicating more effectively with the school and by observing and assisting the children on the computer at home. An extension to the original programme has been a 10-week adult literacy programme providing parents with one-on-one tutoring and online homework tasks. A progress report on the project can be found at http://sites.tki.org.nz/newtown/stories/storyReader$1517 Computers in Homes was organised with Newtown School and their families by 2020 Communications Trust and Wellington City Council and is part of the Smart Newtown programme www.smartnewtown.org.nz The Smart Newtown programme has set up four community computer hubs: at Newtown School; the Pacific Island Network Centre and Newtown Branch Library; the Fujitsu Computer Centre at Newtown Park Flats; and the Newtown Community and Cultural Centre. The programme would not have been possible without funding from the Ministry of Education and support from Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency, Actrix, Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University, Wellington High School and City Link. The school has been provided with a website by the Learning Centre Trust. |
