Antwuan Wallace, Ph.D. student in policy analysis, New School
Video Clip 22A: Antwuan Wallace (Graduate Student)
Video Clip 22B: Antwuan Wallace (Graduate Student)
Summary
Digital Inclusion (DI) is an important and ongoing policy concern for two reasons: (1) understanding and deconstructing structural barriers low-income, ethnic-minority youth accessing (infrastructure) and using (devices) Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and (2) redressing intergovernmental policy fissures in existing and emerging digital divides. Several arguments are considered to bolster this position.
First, the pending reauthorization of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 has amplified a muted, though ongoing debate between policymakers, analysts, academics and activists about the “digital divide”. US “digital divide” policy now centers on broadband deployment (Litan, 2006; National league of Cities Conference 2006; Crandall and Jackson 2001), especially in poor communities of color (Turner 2005). US public policy choices have reflected assumptions that persistent divides will find remedy through private standard setting that relies on industry self-governance to foster competition in the marketplace driven by technological innovation and consumer choice (Thierer 2000a). As a result, the US federal government’s role in technology-related programmatic approaches and policy solutions for vulnerable segments of the population has spurred the substantive disagreement about the existence of a “digital divide” (Herrmann 2006; Servon 2002; US Department of Commerce 2001).
Second, US cities are firmly establishing themselves as principal parties within the broadband policy sphere. Cities are creating DI through municipal wireless plans that would deliver broadband connectivity to commercial and residential areas. Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath evidence how telecommunication policy is perhaps the new civil rights legislation determing whether working poor communities are to be materially misrepresented or altogether disappeared from policy debates about economic development, electoral politics and civic participation in the digital age. The tenenous realities of race, class, gender, poverty and geographic location frame the US “digital divide” and robustly suggest the need for direct action from policymakers and planners.
DI often includes a mission statement and incentives specifically directed at addressing the varied and multiple constituencies of the “digital divide”. Subsequently, DI may be understood as a municipal response to federal and state governments’ neglect of the “digital divide”.
Third, the theoretical underpinnings of the information society’s “informational mode of development” enable dualism paradigm with spatial flows of capital investment that excludes poor communities and set in motion material consequences for the residentially poor in the United States. Thus, formidable obstacles arise for urban poor residents where the social, cultural and technical emergence of information processes are the core fundamental activity conditioning the effectiveness and productivity. These changes in social and economic realities manifest in the global labor market realignments and international financial flows that affect end-users’ ability to construct an identity and develop social relationships with technology. Wilson’s (1987 and 1996) urban decay analysis maintains that social and economic upheavals continue to greatly affect the emergence of concentration and persistent joblessness in black and Latino communities Simply put, in an informational-driven society the working poor are isolated and separated with less access and the fewest alternatives to meaningful networks.
Finally, compelling research documents unequal ICT access that leaves behind specific constituencies: low-income households, people of color, immigrant populations and youth. Quantitative analysis of the 2003 Current Population Survey (CPS) indicates disparities for poor youth of color. Farlie (2004a) estimates that only slightly more than half of all African-American and Latino children and less than half of all children living in families with incomes less than $30,000 have access to home computer. In comparison, 85 percent of white, non-Latino children and 94 percent of children in families with $60,000 of income have access to home computers. Analysis from the 2001 CPS indicates that only about 1 percent of young people ages 8-25 used the Internet at a community center, compared to 10 percent who use the Internet at libraries and 54 percent who went online at school (Farlie 2004b). Yet, the community center use rate has increased seven-fold since 1998, and African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to access and use ICT in these centers than are their white counterparts. Many working poor communities struggle to locate resources to fund and staff quality programs that provide opportunities with technology to surmount formidable barriers, especially where youth are concerned.
My research preliminarily explores key dimensions of DI planning and implementation. How are current DI policies shaping the ways low-income ethnic-minority youth access and use technology in community centers, do they extend critical networks for these youth and to what extent does DI fill gaps between federal, state and local telecommunications policy?
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Steven Masur
MasurLaw
Lawyer for start-up businesses in New York City
Testimony of Steven Masur
New York City
Broadband Advisory Committee
Jointly with the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President\
May 22, 2007
Masurlaw is a law firm that helps new businesses and business divisions start, grow, chart their future path and execute on it. Over the last 14 years, we have worked with hundreds of early stage businesses and new divisions of larger corporations to help them strategize, do deals, create and protect their intellectual property.
We represent the community of starting businesses in New York.
If we in New York want to be competitive with places like Silicon Valley, Mumbai, or Shanghai, we need cheap widespread broadband access in New York. New York has great colleges and universities. New York has smart people. New York has capital. New York is known worldwide as a desirable place to live. Why don't we have a more vibrant start-up community?
If we care about the future of New York, we need to focus on our pipeline of new businesses. We need to whip up all the good ingredients we have into a froth of new business innovation.
Let's make it EASY for people. Widespread cheap broadband access can help the process.
If people could connect to the internet anywhere in New York City, people could more easily share ideas, work on projects, and research topics of all kinds. A primordial soup of new ideas and interaction would result and would grow exponentially. This is the well from which the ideas that change the world spring.
Interaction and sharing information is what makes New York hum. It's why we are all here. It's the basis of all of our historical success.
Should access to the internet be limited to rich people? Is it only rich people who have good ideas? Why would we want to perpetuate a situation in which only rich people have access to a universal library of information on any topic and the ability to communicate instantaneously?
In an earlier age of our country, J.P. Morgan understood the importance of free access to information. He cared so much about it that he financed the establishment of a network of libraries nationwide. J.P. Morgan was not perfect by any means, but he knew that this was the key to creating a bright future for our country and could prevent it from sliding into a dark age of violence, disease, chaos and mayhem. If you consider the wild west at that time and relate it to the dark ages in Europe and the developing nations of today, you can easily see that our country could have gone in a completely different direction. The loss of the library at Alexandria set not only one group of people, but all of humanity back an incalculable number of years.
Now we have technology that can make knowledge on any topic and communication with anyone on earth instantaneous. Open it up. Grant cheap access. We have free water, let's have free information. Information is our future.
It's a lot cheaper to do this than to create a national network of libraries. Let's do better than JP Morgan.
Now.
Steven Masur
MasurLaw
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
MAY 22, Brooklyn Hearing - Thanks!
On May 22, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, the New York City Broadband Advisory Committee held its second public hearing, and listened to testimony from dozens of Brooklyn residents. Many thanks to everyone who was involved with the event.
Read more!Audio of the Brooklyn Hearing available here.
Press Release Available Here:
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
COUNCIL MEMBER GALE A. BREWER
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
TEL: : 212-788-6975
NEED FOR SPEED!
BREWER BRINGS BROADBAND COMMISSION TO BROOKLYN
May 22, 2007 – This afternoon in Brooklyn Borough Hall, the New York City Broadband Advisory Committee, a joint Mayoral-City Council commission, listened to testimony from dozens of Brooklyn residents, both young and old, business owners, and non-profit leaders, including the Brooklyn Public Library, about the importance of inexpensive and reliable access to a high-speed Internet connection (or a broadband connection). The Council Member Gale A. Brewer – the Chair of the New York City Council’s Committee on Technology in Government – sponsored the event, along with the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and several members of the New York City Council, including Council Members Albert Vann, Letitia James, Bill De Blasio, Vincent Gentile, Diana Reyna, Oliver Koppell, James Sanders and Simcha Felder.
Council Member Brewer addressed the need for affordable access to broadband in order to improve the quality of life of – and economic opportunities for – all New Yorkers.
“New York is the most dynamic city in the world, but when it comes to the Internet, we’re stuck in the dial-up age,” said Council Member Brewer. “We need use broadband to bring in jobs, help schools, and make the city safer. There are over 1.1 million schoolchildren in New York City public schools. Shouldn’t they all have access to the vast information resources of the Internet in the home as well?”
“The Broadband Committee has been engaged with the critical task of exploring the role that NYC Government can play in addressing the issues that impact access to broadband connectivity throughout our city. The Committee is pleased to host its first Brooklyn event and given that the borough is experiencing significant economic development, it is equally important to gain greater understanding as to the needs and recommendations of its residents and business owners as it relates to the challenges to high-speed Internet access,” said Shaun Belle, Chair of the Advisory Committee and President and CEO of the innovative community development corporation, Mount Hope Housing Corporation, located in the Bronx.
“These hearings are critical to focusing broad political attention and building consensus for the need to guarantee all New Yorkers an opportunity to participate in the 21st century economy,” said Andrew Rasiej, an Advisory Committee Member and the Founder of the Personal Democracy Forum and MOUSE.
“Being connected isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Everyone from job seekers to students, from senior citizens to small business owners, needs a high-speed Internet connection today to compete and to access basic services. Borough President Marty Markowitz and I support the work of the New York City Broadband Advisory Committee, and strongly believe that if we are ever to bridge the economic divide—or the opportunity divide—we must bridge the digital divide,” said Brooklyn Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham, representing Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
“By closing the digital divide, we bring opportunity to many who are traditionally left behind, such as seniors and residents of public housing. In this day and age, a high-speed internet connection is a requirement for finding a job, enrolling in college, and many other basic chores. I thank Council Member Brewer and the Broadband Advisory Committee for all the excellent work they are doing to advance this important agenda,” said Council Member Letitia James of Brooklyn, a member of the New York City Council’s Committee on Technology in Government.
"These days, high speed internet is not just an amenity. We have to work together to find ways to provide fast and reliable internet access to all New Yorkers," said Council Member Vincent Gentile of Brooklyn.
Across the country, local governments are responding to this issue in ways that meet the specific needs of their communities. Major broadband initiatives are underway in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Houston. In his inaugural State of the State address, Governor Eliot Spitzer committed to universal, affordable access to broadband for the entire state of New York. New York City government has yet to announce its own strategy to bring universal affordable broadband to all of New York City’s 8 million residents.
US Senator Hillary Clinton, US Senator Chuck Schumer, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps all submitted statements of support for the work of the NYC Broadband Advisory Committee.
“Today, one of the greatest catalysts for fostering economic opportunity and opening up new worlds to young and old is access to the Internet. For many people, especially those in underserved communities, the digital divide has not been closed. In order for people to realize the benefits of this technology for education, employment, and training, they must have the infrastructure in place. We must help bring the power of technology into people’s lives, especially in underserved areas like Brooklyn, with the hope that every family can have the tools for success in today’s technology-rich economy,” said Senator Hillary Clinton.
“In a world that is increasingly reliant on high-speed, easily accessible Internet, not having high-speed Internet access is like not having air to breathe," said Senator Charles Schumer. "Broadband technology is the lifeblood of the new economy, and to keep New York City at the forefront of the 21st century global market, it is vital that residents, businesses and visitors in the city have access to high-speed, quality, universal Internet to connect them wherever they may be.”
Speaker Quinn said, "The Digital Divide is a serious issue facing our society, so I applaud the attention Council Member Brewer has brought to this issue. Here in New York City, many underserved communities won't survive in this new Information Age without the technical knowledge many of us take for granted. The bottom line is we need to use out-of-the box-thinking to ensure that today's technology is used to improve the future of New Yorkers. This Broadband Advisory Committee hearing, and the ones to follow in the coming months, is the first major step toward truly bridging the technology gap."
Federal Communications Commissioner Michael J. Copps expressed his support of the Advisory Committee’s work. “This must be a high national priority if our communities and our country are going to be competitive and successful in the 21st century,” wrote Commissioner Copps in a note to the Advisory Committee.
The New York Council passed Local Law 126 in December 2005, a bill sponsored by Council Member Gale Brewer (http://nyccouncil.info/issues/intros_act.cfm?intro=Int%200625%2D2005). The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Mayor and the City Council on how to bring an affordable high-speed Internet connection to all New York City residents, nonprofit organizations and businesses. The hearing in Brooklyn is the second in a series of five public hearings that will be convened in every borough of the City. The remaining hearings are scheduled to be held in the fall of 2007.
Currently, the United States ranks only 15th in the world for the number of broadband users per capita. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 27% of American households are still not using the Internet at all and “those with less education, those with lower household incomes, and Americans age 65 and older are less likely to have embraced broadband than those who are younger and have higher socio-economic status.”
A full list of Committee members, along with their bios, is available at the unofficial website of the NYC Broadband Advisory Committee: http://www.nycbroadband.blogspot.com/.
###
Video of the Brooklyn Hearing
Available here:
PART 1: Thomas Kamber, Lester Johnson, & Garrison Phillips (OATS)
PART 2: Greg Sutton & Carlos Pareja (BCAT)
PART 3: Yvonne Graham (Brooklyn Dep. Boro. Pres.)
PART 4A: Steven Schecter (Brooklyn Public Library)
PART 4B: Steven Schecter (Brooklyn Public Library)
PART 5: Bill DeBlasio (NYC Council)
PART 6: Michael Sanon (high school student)
PART 7: Ed Michaels (formerly unemployed)
PART 8: Yamel Young & Jazmin Williams (high school students)
PART 9: Akosua Albritton (Our Time Press)
PART 10: Luis Rivera (Southwest Brooklyn IDC)
PART 11A: Adiatu Tarawaley (Non Profit Helpdesk)
PART 11B: Adiatu Tarawaley (Non Profit Helpdesk)
PART 12: Marc Baizman (NPower New York)
PART 13: Steve D'Agustino (Fordham University RETC)
PART 14: David Elcock (Dot Org Technologies)
PART 15A: Michael Dillon (IBM)
PART 15B: Michael Dillon (IBM)
PART 16: Barney Lehrer (Federation Of International Trade Assns.)
PART 17: Bruce Kushnick (TeleTruth)
PART 18: Hector Munoz (LISTA)
PART 19: Don Chesley (Stevens Inst. of Technology)
PART 20: Andrew Martin (DOROT)
PART 21: Matthew Elsner (Brooklynite)
PART 22A: Antwuan Wallace (Graduate Student)
PART 22B: Antwuan Wallace (Graduate Student)
PART 23: Conclusion - David Birdsell, Gale Brewer, Shaun Belle
Press coverage
Here are are some articles about the Broadband Advisory Committee and the Brooklyn hearing:
NY Daily News
The New York Times
A word from...
Eliot Spitzer
"In the 21st Century, Internet access is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. The economic, education, health, security, government efficiency and social benefits from universal broadband access are limitless. That is why the efforts of the New York City Broadband Advisory Committee are so important. Together, we must make sure that every New Yorker has access to affordable high-speed Internet."
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Brooklyn Hearing - May 22
When: Tuesday, May 22nd from Noon to 3 pm
Where: Courtroom hearing room of Brooklyn Borough Hall
209 Joralemon St, Downtown Brooklyn
Subway: Conveniently located next to the Borough Hall stop on the 2/3 and 4/5 lines; and within walking distance of the the Borough Hall stop on the A/C and F lines and the Court St. stop on the R and M lines
Brooklyn Hearing flyer
Below is the flyer of the Brooklyn Hearing.
If you would like a copy, please feel free to let us know!
Broadband Briefing Paper
A briefing paper providing general information on broadband in New York is available here.
Read more!Friday, April 20, 2007
The Future of Digital New York City
Here is the link to the article.
Broadband Advisory Committee Meeting 4/17/2007
Here are the minutes:
"The following members of the Broadband Advisory Committee were present: Mitchel Ahlbaum, Shaun Belle, David Birdsell, Tom Dunne, Avi Duvdevani, Wendy Lader, Jose L. Rodriguez, Howard Szarfarc, Anthony Townsend, David Wicks.
Gale Brewer welcomed all of the attendees and briefly commented on the success of the Bronx public hearing.
Wendy Lader opened up requesting nominations for Chair of the Committee. Shaun Belle was nominated by Wendy, seconded by Tom Dunne. A vote was taken on the nomination, which was unanimously approved.
The next hearing is likely to take place on May 22, 2007 in Brooklyn Borough Hall. City Council staff will confirm this date soon with the members."
A word from Shaun Belle
"First, I am honored to be a member of the NYC Broadband Advisory Committee and to have been elected Committee Chair at the April 17,2007 meeting. I value the opportunity to work with City Council Member and Technology Chair, Gail Brewer and a committee comprised of prestigious leaders in the field of Broadband Technology, Education and Telecommunications.
The establishment of the Broadband Advisory Committee as provided by Local Law 126, will afford the committee an opportunity to engage the general public and citywide experts in exploring the status of the Broadband platform, its applications and users throughout New York City.
As Broadband Advisory Committee Chair, my commitment is to utilize the expertise of our committee members to advise the Mayor and City Council Speaker as to what options are available to New York City government and private sector as it seeks to develop a systematic approach to developing a citywide strategy to address the access to Broadband technologies . It is our intention to examine opportunities that will facilitate both broadband access and deployment as a platform to foster education, business development and e-community resources for New Yorkers and in particular those who have been historically impacted by the digital divide."
"City Leaders Think NYC's Middle Class Is Screwed"
The Drum Major Institute released a study titled "Saving Our Middle Class", which suggests that NYC's middle class continues to be under more and more strain. DMI surveyed a number of city leaders and found:
- It's harder to enter the middle class: 92% "agree that it is harder to enter the middle class today than it was ten years ago."
- They believe middle-class income is now between $75,000 and $135,000 for families of four (it's between $45,000 and $90,000 for single individuals), while NYC median income is $49,374 a year.
- Essentials of middle-class standards of living include health insurance, owning a computer with internet access, holding a full-time job, and sending children to a quality public school.
- Only a third found that owning a house, condo or co-op is a middle-class essential.
- Affordable rent and health insurance are big challenges for the middle classn.
Take the Poll
And the results were released during the DMI's conference about the middle class yesterday. In what the NY Sun and NY Times both called a preview of the 2009 mayoral race, City Comptroller William Thompson, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion and Representative Anthony Weiner were present; City Councilman John Liu was also there (he wasn't mentioned in the Times). Wei! ner apparently sparred with both Liu and Carrion; Thompson wasn't on their panel, but he did mention the "barbell effect" - "low-income people and higher-income people expanding, and those in the middle being squeezed" (via the Times).
Baruch public-affairs professor Douglas Muzzio told the Sun the middle class "has to be" a major issue in the 2009 mayoral race.
Read more!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Bronx Hearing - Testimonies
You will find below testimonies from the Bronx Hearing held on March 30.
Click on "Read More" to see each testimony.
Kayza Kleinman
Director, Nonprofit Helpdesk
Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island
My name is Kayza Kleinman, and I am the director of the Nonprofit Helpdesk, which provides Technology and Fiscal Management services to nonprofit organizations throughout the city, including those in the Bronx. Our almost two decades in the field has given us a thorough insight into the needs of the organizations who serve the community.
In order to understand the need, it=s important to understand the community. In 2002, approximately 10 percent of all households in the Bronx consisted of seniors living alone. Over 20% of the population has some disability, this is a really significant number.
With over 64% of all households not having access to a car, and public transportation not being ideal, that translates to a very large number of people who are going to have trouble getting around - whether to a government office, a library, or to a job.
That undoubtedly is a real factor in some troubling statistics. Close to 18% of all female headed households with children under five lived under the poverty line. While 70% of the adult population without disabilities was employed, only 31.9% of those with disabilities was employed. Almost 69% of seniors live under the poverty line, and that does not even take into account the higher incidence of high medical related expenses incurred in that group.
(All numbers have been taken from the US Census Bureau=s American Community Survey for 2002)
The community, and the organizations that serve it, need every tool they can get in trying to deal with the problems presented by these realities. Stable, reliable, fast, affordable broadband connections are one such tool.
How?
On an individual level, there are two major areas where broadband can be very valuable. Firstly, it makes tele-commuting, either part of the time, or even full time, a realistic possibility. It=s not hard to understand what this can mean to people with limited mobility, or for parents with few affordable child-care options. Keep in mind that if a parent needs to pay almost as much per hour for child care as she earns, working is not practical. But, if she only needs to do that for a small number of the hours she works, that can drastically change the situation. Similarly, if someone has other mobility issues, the trek to work would not be feasibly every day, but might be manageable once a week, making even a part time tele-commuting arrangement a viable option for many people who could not manage working full time at an employer=s location.
The second area that broadband could improve is access to information and services. While internet access cannot entirely replace the need for visits to government or CBO offices to gain access to services, being able to find out what services are available, what you need to do to apply, sometimes even to get the forms you need to fill out, and to find out who can give you the help you need to get those services can make all the difference in the world. This is true even for people with no major challenges. Think about what it means to someone with young children, and no childcare or someone who can=t get down the stairs to the local subway. But, it=s not just government services. IT=s medical information, safety information etc. And, it=s education, as well. A person who may not be able to travel to school for some reason could still get the education they need to move beyond the limited circumstances they find themselves in, and get a chance to move up.
On an organizational level, the issue of access to information and services is also crucial. Organizations need to be able to access information about a range of items - government grants, services available to their constituencies, information about regulations and legal issues affecting their constituents and themselves.
But, there is far more to be gained. The internet offers powerful tools for organizations in pursuing their goals - tool for advocacy, collaboration with others, outreach to their constituencies, and public education. But, mist are not realistically usable without broadband connections.
And then there is the issue of government and funder mandates. Many, many funders require the use, to some extent or other, of the internet as part of their reporting requirements. In most cases, these requirements mean that it is not possible to record services, or sometimes even fill out applications, unless a fast, stable internet connection is constantly available. I have seen first hand, how disruptive an internet outage can be to an organization that must process this kind of information on line. I have also seen, first hand, how cavalier some companies can be about such problems, with little concern for the hardships posed to their customers.
What it all comes down to is that broadband access is no longer a luxury. It has become an extremely important tool in the fight against poverty and hardship. Organizations and individuals need access to connections that are affordable, fast and reliable. While the City cannot wave a magic wand and make that happen, it is truly important that it use all the tools available to encourage the provision of such service, as well as a responsible attitude on the part of internet service providers.
Thank you
Andrew Gallagher
Public school teacher from the Bronx
Our school was founded in 2004, with the aim of developing the literacy skills of our student community through a variety of educational opportunities. One proven strategy, is the effective use of technology in every subject area. In less than 3 years, we have moved from a school using minimal technology, with a faculty reluctant to integrate technology tools, and where the relevance of technology resources was undervalued, to a school working to fulfill the demands of an increasingly tech-savvy faculty, and “tech-hungry” student body. We have increased our technology equipment each year in an effort to meet these demands. We have been recognized, with several honors, for our after-school Technology program called MOUSE Squad. For those unfamiliar with MOUSE Squad, this is a program that provides students with leadership, technology, and soft skills such as teamwork, collaboration, project management, and communication, in order for them to provide technology support in their school. In June of 2006, we were awarded MOUSE Squad of the Year and, just six months ago, we had the privilege of welcoming Bronx Borough President, Mr. Carrion, to our school to receive a proclamation. The Borough President was able to see, first-hand, some amazing Internet resources being utilized. At the same time, he was able to speak to students and staff regarding the limitations we face each day, in terms of bringing these resources to our students. Access to a reliable, high-speed Internet connection, and the ability to maintain an outdated Internet infrastructure persists within our school, and similar schools throughout the Bronx. So again, we thank Mr. Carrion for the financial commitment he made to the Bronx Writing Academy.
Equitable access to the World Wide Web, and the wealth of information available through the Internet is, without doubt, one of the most significant issues facing our school system today. Nowhere is this more apparent than in under-served, underprivileged schools, such as The Bronx Writing Academy. Eighty percent of our students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, and the implications of this extend beyond the school, into the homes and living environments of each of those students. Interestingly, only 20% of our parents indicated their children have computer and Internet access at home.
BWA is fortunate to have collegial teams of highly dedicated, creative teachers, who continue to integrate technology tools into their curriculum, with the aim of providing authentic, relevant skills in all subject areas. On any given day, however, there is a very real sense of uncertainty in terms of whether the Internet and the resources they have spent so long collecting, will be available due to the adverse affects of our poor wireless Internet connection. The hard work, and increased interest our staff demonstrates, signifies how relevant they believe the use of technology is across the curriculum. The superb efforts of our MOUSE Squad students in supporting the use of Technology and maintaining or repairing equipment, indicates the high level of interest they have in technology. And, the creation of my own role demonstrates the commitment of our Principal and faculty, and what can be achieved in a relatively short period of time. As a result, we have exhibited continuous improvements in ELA and Math test scores, for three years in a row. In ELA, we have moved from 22% of students at proficiency level in 2004, to over 30% in 2006. Similarly, our Math scores indicate a 7 percent increase for the same period. In addition, we have reduced the number of students performing at the lowest levels in both ELA and Math (a 21.4% and 9.3% decrease respectively). This is, in no small part, due to the commitment of students and teachers alike to address differentiated instruction through the increased, effective use of technology tools.
We have made, and continue to make significant strides in terms of technology integration, yet there remains a great deal to achieve at the Bronx Writing Academy, and schools throughout our borough. In order to continue in the same vein, and provide the very best educational resources, it is absolutely necessary for our students and faculty to have access to a reliable, high-speed Internet connection. Within each classroom, at any point of the instructional day, there is a genuine concern our ideas will not be realized because the infrastructure cannot cope with more than 30 students accessing the same website at the same time.
Current, and future generations will require relevant 21st century ICT skills in order to enter a workforce increasingly driven by technology. The Internet, World Wide Web, and technology tools will continue to play a vital role in developing social skills, and very real understandings of the world beyond the Bronx, New York City, and the USA. To deny students opportunities to a reliable Internet connection, both in school and their home environments, is to deny opportunities to develop those skills necessary to succeed in any number of professions.
The emergence of new technology tools such as PodCasting, blogging, safe networking sites such as Think.com or e-Chalk, and the vast array of interactive online activities, increasingly demands the attention of both students and teachers as a way to enhance learning opportunities. The reasons for this are clear!
• The variety of online resources appeals to the multiple intelligences of our diverse student populations!
• Internet tools provide platforms for authentic and relevant Inquiry, Constructivist, Problem-based and Project-based learning.
• Students are provided opportunities to participate in learning beyond the textbook!
• Differentiated instruction becomes a tangible reality for teachers and students alike!
• The numerous possibilities to communicate with peers, contemporaries, and mentors throughout the world.
• The ability to produce publishable work available to a global audience becomes a reality!
• And, the Internet allows students to research and investigate beyond their immediate environment in order to return answers, data and information truly relevant to their lives.
All of these possibilities, however, will remain undiscovered if connection issues remain a low priority. It is inconceivable that textbooks, paper, pens, pencils, or worksheets would not be provided to students. All are, quite rightly, a necessity within any school environment. Yet, there remains a barrier, or reluctance, to accept that as part of our current, technology-driven world, Internet access is not viewed as an equally significant resource, relevant to each and every one of our students.
The Digital Divide continues to dominate the lives of students throughout the Bronx, but no longer is this divide solely centered on issues of purchasing equipment, or being able to afford working computers and software. There is now the added issue of access to the vast array of online resources, communication tools, interactive websites, and authoring tools available via the Internet. As educators, policy makers, budget controllers, and concerned citizens of New York City, we must support the notion that our student communities need to work in environments where high-speed Internet access is viewed as a truly vital element in their educational development.
If ever there is a doubt concerning the significance and relevance of Internet resources, and the high-speed connections needed to access them, please visit any classroom in any of our city schools. Speak to students about the possibilities they see through increased use of the Internet, and the disparity of availability they know exists between themselves, and those students in rural school districts.
Thank you again for your time, and for allowing me the opportunity to present a case for improving the Internet infrastructure of our city public schools. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have at this time.
Angel Aracena
M.A., Director of Educational Technology for West Farms Technology & Career Center, Bronx
My job is to ensure that the members of the Bronx community, where I am situated, have access to the Internet and computer classes such as Microsoft Office applications, Photoshop and other media software, Internet and e-mail training, and open lab access to our computers.
West Farms services 500 people a week through a variety of programs housed in the same building that include an Employment Program, an ESL & Literacy Program, and the Educational Technology Program. It is the dynamic interplay between these programs that sustains our center as a necessary community resource hub resulting in high retention rates of students and clients seeking computer and Internet training. Not only is the Educational Technology Program a stand-alone program that offers bilingual classes, it also supports and is responsible for integrating technology into our other programs.
The West Farms Technology & Career Center also has its own web site (http://www.phippswestfarsm.org), apart from Phipps Houses, our parent company, and is approaching 4000 visits a month. WFTCC has proven itself to be a valuable dynamic resource for the community it serves directly and for many people throughout the Bronx and New York City, for we also have students that commute from Queens, as deep as Bayside, and all parts of Manhattan to receive our free services. Phipps can continue to provide these services with the support of government grants and funds so that we may duplicate our proven model and most especially, improve our Internet and technology services and classes.
To cut short my testimony, I am also here to offer my recommendations when the city moves forward with accessible and affordable Broadband access for all of New York City. I think it’s a great idea to make Broadband Internet access affordable and more available. However, not only do our students stand to benefit greatly from such widespread availability of broadband, this access also presents dangers of which we hear of so often in the media in the form of tragedies. Broadband should be set up with safety parameters and to also include classes and training for parents and professionals on the dangers of the Internet. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that 1 in 7 young people are sexually solicited or approached online (Source). We must do more to ensure the safety of our city’s youth as we progress into a technological culture.
My last recommendation stems from my experience working at WFTCC. Childcare is an obstacle that prevents parents and single parents from taking advantage of community resources. If more childcare services were available to parents, the amount of people the West Farms Technology & Career Center could service would increase tremendously. Thank you.
Facilitator; David Birdsell: Thank you for your comments. Are there any questions for Mr. Aracena?
Hon. Brewer: Phipps Houses is a great organization and I commend the work that you’re doing. Could you please tell us what percentages of the people you serve have computers and Internet access at home and do you feel these services are necessary?
Aracena: Some 60% of our students and clients have computers but only 25% of them are able to pay for and sustain an Internet connection. For the students in our city and the parents that work hard for them, access to affordable Internet services is crucial for them.
Seth Johnson
Coordinator, Dynamic Platform Standards Project
The problem of access to high speed Internet comes in large part from the fact that the incumbent phone and cable providers don't want to deliver the Internet at high speed.
The Internet, as defined by standards, is generic and flexible with respect to application development by end users. Nearly whatever pattern of communication I can create, it supports. It gives everybody that. It is at bottom a way of communicating that lets anybody who connects to innovate -- to turn their connection into a unique way of publishing, transferring or working with information between themselves and other users -- or to use applications other users on the Internet have developed to make one's connection do the unique things one wants to do.
Once they get connected -- and that's what you're addressing -- the fact that people have so far been able to expect uniform treatment of information flow comes from the Internet's fundamental design. It's not that everybody follows a policy of equality -- it comes from how transmissions were designed at the IP layer by consensus standards. In order to support all sorts of things that you could come up with, the Internet platform turns everything you do into little pieces and the pieces are sent independently from each other through whatever routers get them to where they need to go -- whether those routers are controlled by the incumbents or not -- so they can reach Internet-connected computers across the entire world. Then on the
other end you pull the pieces together and put them in the order and structure you want. This is the same technique of digitizing information into little pieces that your computer uses to support innovation. All the routers on the Internet get along by doing this. Please the materials on the Dynamic Platform Standards Project site, at http://www.dpsproject.com, for more details.
This is the kind of connectivity that this committee needs to be sure to get access to. Providers can offer other things, but you need to make sure that Internet connectivity is the policy objective, and other things aren't allowed to be presented as if they are the same
thing.
The problem is that the incumbents have stated they don't want to do this. They want to be able to set different prices for different applications and services that they provide, and if they do this, shape transmissions according to their own applications, they will sacrifice the flexibility and genericity of the platform that everyone connected to the Net has available to them.
The incumbents will drag their heels until we tell them directly that the real Internet is what we want, not something else, like FiOS, just because they're giving us a little more speed.
You want to have signal delivered at the infrastructure level just as it is under common carriage; you don't want to allow the standards to be overridden by providers in a market position to offer something else and call that Internet access; and you want to let end users do
all the things they've become accustomed to being able to do above that.
Finally, I want to call your attention to the comments submitted by the New York Chapter of the Internet Society to the Federal Trade Commission's recent public workshop on "Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy" (http://www.ftc.gov/opp/workshops/broadband -- ISOC NY comment at http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/broadbandwrkshop/527031-00046.pdf), which alludes to some of these same points. I would recommend that the Internet Society and the Internet Engineering Task Force be a part of this committee. We won't be able to develop the kind of flexible standards that have given us the Internet and the World Wide Web, let alone assure the empowerment that access to the Internet can provide to all communities, unless we are specific about the nature and advantages of the current platform and about framing the policy issues this committee is addressing in those terms.
Thank you.
Joshua Breitbart
Policy Director for People's Production House (PPH)
I would like to thank you, the members of the Broadband Advisory Committee, for holding this public hearing. I would also like to thank Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Bronx Community College, and the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation for hosting this event, and Council Member Gale Brewer for her work initiating this process.
PPH and its partners have a stake in this discussion because the Internet is the most promising outlet to distribute the kind of immediate, hyper-local content our partners produce. Licensed space on the radio dial is limited, especially in this town. Television also has a high barrier to entry. Newspapers are more open, but they aren’t so good for audio recordings.
The Internet is an accessible, two-way, multi-format medium. At least it could be accessible, which is why I say it’s “promising.” A lot of the people we work with don’t have the kind of meaningful access to the Internet that would allow them to make and distribute their own content and to receive the content of their peers. We would like you to help us do something about that.
I don’t know as much about broadband in New York City as you all do, but in some circles I am considered a knowledgeable person about these issues. I write for a think tank and an industry publication. I’ve testified before a city council, spoken to the media, and given presentations at conferences. I am a principal in a small consultancy. But I’m not going to tell you what I think meaningful broadband infrastructure looks like for New York City.
The most important thing I’ve learned about municipal broadband as I’ve observed and analyzed the processes in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Boston, and elsewhere is that there is no cookie-cutter solution, no easy answer. The critical thing to finding the right solution is having the right process of working towards that solution.
Here are the keys, as I’ve come to understand them, to a healthy process, one that minimizes conflicts and leads to solid results:
• Sustain open participation beyond the initial public hearing stage, through the entire process and continuing even a solution is implemented.
• Promote horizontal relationships among stakeholders rather than hub-and-spoke relationships that all connect to this committee or to any one person or organization.
• Unite stakeholders around shared technology rather than dividing them into tiers.
• Incorporate existing human resources wherever possible to avoid redundancy and to build on existing relationships.
• Be open with whatever information you gather: publish documents, test results, and regular updates on an accessible website and make them readily available to people without Internet access.
The fact is, the people that have the most at stake in this discussion are not folks like me, white dudes with laptops and DSL connections at home. It’s the folks who have no access, or very limited access to the Internet. People’s Production House has a corps of eager reporters ready to work with you to engage that constituency.
This hearing is a great first step in that direction. It’s the first time that I know of that the general public of New York City has been invited to dream about what broadband might look like in our city. I am excited to see where this takes us.
In closing, again, I would like to thank all of the members of this Committee for your time and energy and for your commitment to New York’s communications future.
