Schedule of Events Workshop Leaders Equipment Results Picture Gallery

On February 14, 2006, Marygrove College was pleased to offer free workshops in celebration of its second annual Black Family Technology Awareness Night. Sponsored by the Educational Technology Services department and the Marygrove College Library, the night was a wonderful success. We are pleased to announce a 20% increased turnout rate from last year and excellent feedback from a very satisfied group of community members.

"I am so glad I came tonight!" said workshop participant Diane G. "These workshops are a wonderful thing for the community."

Diane and the other participants arrived at the college around 6:00 pm. Welcoming volunteers directed them to the lower level of the library. There they registered for workshops and were automatically entered into a drawing for prizes.

"This was definitely worth the trip out here," said participant Cathy H. "My husband bought me a digital camera for Christmas, and this workshop [on digital cameras] is exactly what I need to be able to use it!" She drove about 15 miles from the suburb of Southfield to attend the workshops, and intends to come back next year, bringing more friends and family with her. "I am so thankful that Marygrove puts this much time and energy into educating the community. Who else do you know around here that's offering free technology classes?"

"Thank you so much for what you did tonight!" said participant Renee W. "My son is working on a genealogy project at school, and the workshop for researching your family tree online is exactly what he needs. I am so glad I picked up that magazine!" 'That magazine' was the February 2006 issue of African American Family Magazine, whose editor ran an announcement for Marygrove's Black Family Technology Awareness Night in the calendar section. Other participants heard about the event from posted fliers, the Marygrove College website, the events calendar at the Black Family Network website, and friends and family connected with the college. (Back to Top)

Registration lasted from 6 to 6:30 pm. Those who arrived early filled out a Black History Month quiz and watched the movie "Amandla!" about South African freedom music. From 6:30 to 7:30 pm, participants went to their respective classrooms to attend their top choice from the first set of workshops:

• "Researching Your Family Tree on the Internet"
• "Buy Smarter: Computer Tips for PC Buyers"
• "An Overview of Microsoft Applications"
• "Safe on the Internet: Educational and Fun Resources for Children and Young Adults"

A fifteen minute break followed, from 7:30 to 7:45 pm. Participants and workshop leaders enjoyed refreshments provided by the college's food service providers. Many took this opportunity to hold informal conversations about what they had just learned, or to ask follow-up questions pertaining to their workshop topics.

The second set of workshops began at 7:45 pm. Participants could choose to attend one of the following:

• "Using the Internet to find Employment"
• "Digital Cameras 101: From Megapixels to Memory Sticks"
• "Online Health Resources"
• "Viruses, Spam, and Hackers, OH MY!"

The last fifteen minutes of the evening were reserved for the raffle drawing of many valuable prizes. Each participant was given a free raffle ticket during registration, and at 7:45 pm the Grand Giveaway began!

The smallest prizes were given away first: Marygrove College t-shirts, sweatshirts, tumblers, and travel mugs. Next came a Marygrove tote bag and a beautiful pen, pencil, keychain and moneyclip set. Excited cries followed the announcement of each new raffle ticket number, and the anticipation grew as the value of the prizes increased.

Finally, the most anticipated prizes of the evening were awarded: a 256 MB flash drive, a PlayStation Portable, and a Kodak digital camera. Each prize was handed over to its proud new owner with a smile and hug, and the crowd cheered for each new winner. (Back to Top)

Each workshop was led by a qualified staff or faculty member with several years' experience in the use and instruction of advanced forms of technology. These leaders:

• serve as directors of the Educational Technology Services department, the Student Technology Instructional Center, and the Faculty Technology Center;
• have taught classes such as "Technology in the Classroom," "Technology Tools for Teachers," and "Technology Enhanced Instruction";
• provide software applications training for Marygrove College students, alumni, faculty, and staff;
• are integral to the development and maintenance of the Marygrove College intranet, the library website, and the library’s electronic databases, as well as the library’s hardware and software systems;
• have earned post-degree certificates in Computer Information Systems, and Advanced Study in Applied Technology;
• have been panelists for programs such as "Creating Effective Web Tutorials," and the Michigan Teacher Technology Initiative;
• hold memberships in Women in Technology International (WITI), and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT);
• are actively involved in the Marygrove College Information Technology Committee;
• participate in Marygrove Library’s automation projects, and have published articles on library automation;
• are recipients of such awards as the 1998 Michigan Library Association Information Literacy Award;
• participate in library collection development for Computer Information Systems;
• serve as Marygrove College’s distance learning contacts;
• maintain professional interests in information literacy, web design, and resource sharing. (Back to Top)

Each workshop leader had state-of-the-art equipment at his or her disposal. The computer labs utilized were equipped with several networked, high-end, multimedia PCs or Macs, and included the following services and technologies:

• Broadband internet connections
• Color flatbed scanning
• Sympodium Portable Smartboard
• Digital cameras
• Microsoft Office suite
• VHS duplication service
• Web design tools
• Multimedia development tools
• Educational software titles across most disciplines
• Video capture and editing software
• Projection system to facilitate instructional presentations

This technology was particularly useful during the hands-on portions of the workshops. Mike Barnes and his workshop attendees explored genealogy databases. Loretta Green led her participants through a Medline Plus tutorial for locating online health resources. Jennifer Meacham demonstrated which software applications allow a user to download and edit digital photographs. Eddie Brown and Jason McNeal's students examined the computers in their classroom in preparation for buying their own computer. In Linda Brawner's class, students navigated through websites geared toward finding employment. Monica Hickson-Vinson and her students explored various Microsoft applications, and together opened a web-based email account. David Schulte described for his students the dangers of viruses, spam, and hackers. And Jeff Zachwieja shared several fun and educational websites for children and teens with his students. (Back to Top)

The Educational Technology Services department and the Marygrove library had a clear goal for the evening: to increase the number of black families making technology an important part of their lives, in order to enhance their education, health, nutrition, job opportunities, communication skills, entertainment, and overall quality of life.

By the end of the night, this goal had been met. Workshop participants:

• Became familiar with the process of buying a computer,
• Felt comfortable using various Microsoft applications, and could set up and use a web-based email account,
• Understood the dangers of computer hackers, viruses, and spam, and understood how to protect their security,
• Became familiar with the online medical database Medline Plus to explore health topics,
• Could easily navigate a genealogy database,
• Gained the skills necessary to locate, research, and apply for job opportunities over the internet,
• Could operate a digital camera, describe standard specifications, and download pictures to a computer,
• And could navigate to educational, fun, and safe websites for young adults and children.

Most importantly, each workshop participant left Marygrove College with a better understanding of how technology can enhance the quality of their lives. (Back to Top)