Computer Assisted Literacy Center of DC (CALICO DC): An Introduction

(Note: This article was originally written for the Washington Apple Pi Journal, the bi-monthly newsletter of the Washington Apple Pi user group. For further information about this user group, the largest Apple user group on the East Coast, you can visit their web page at: http://www.wap.org

Although based in the Washington DC metropolitan area, Washington Apple Pi has members in 48 states and 15 other countries.)

One of the most uplifting uses of personal computers is their use with adult learners. Just as computers can ignite the imaginations of students in K-12 classrooms, so too can they grab the attention of adult learners. Computers allow adult learners to seize control of their own learning, giving them the tools to expand their mind in a socially non-judgmental setting. Computers also give adult learners the capability of exercising their creative imagination in mind-enriching ways.

To further explore how computers can best be used in literacy instruction, the Martin Luther King Memorial Library in Washington DC set up an adult literacy computer lab, "CALICO DC," in early 1995. The lab will give literacy students and literacy providers in the greater metropolitan area a chance to "test-drive" educational software in a non-sales setting. Literacy providers who are interested in incorporating technology into their instruction can use the MLK lab to make informed decisions about what technology they themselves might want to acquire.

Since Apple II and Macintosh computers comprise the majority of computers used in education today, it was felt that the MLK literacy lab should have a strong representation of these two computer platforms. Currently the lab has two Apple IIe computers, two Laser 128 (Apple IIe compatible computers), one Quadra 605, a Performa 475 with CD-ROM drive, and a Hewlett Packard 540 DeskWriter printer. The software selection includes educational programs designed for schools, as well as educational software designed specifically for adult learners.

How CALICO DC Will Operate

The computers and software at CALICO DC will be made available to the several dozen literacy provider organizations in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Interested organizations will be able to make appointments to visit the lab with small groups of adult learners. The lab itself will be staffed with an adult learner, Stephon Gray, who has been hired full-time to help coordinate use of the resources at CALICO DC. Adult literacy specialist Paula Johnson Williams will serve as the Project Coordinator. I, myself, have been hired part-time to assist with technical support for CALICO DC.

Marcia Harrington, the director of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) office at MLK, got the ball rolling for this computer lab about two years. Her grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Education was accepted in May, 1994. (A copy of the full grant proposal can be found on the Miscellaneous Text file library of the TCS - - - the club's electronic bulletin board system. This proposal gives a lot of useful information about CALICO DC's mission and purpose.)

In the past few years other library systems around the country have been setting up similar computer labs for adult learners. Since the ABE office at MLK serves as a central information clearinghouse for literacy providers in the Washington DC metropolitan area, it was felt that the ABE office would be an appropriate locale to set up an adult literacy computer lab.

One exciting aspect of CALICO DC is its affiliation with a national organization, Playing To Win (now called Community Technology Centers' Network - CTCNet), that is supporting "community access computing" in cities around the country. Founded in 1980 by former New York City teacher Antonia (Toni) Stone, Playing To Win has successfully set up public access computer labs in Harlem, New York and Somerville, Massachusetts (right outside of Boston). Two years ago Playing To Win was given a grant from the National Science Foundation to promote the development of further "community computing" centers. Today, Playing To Win is affiliated with over 35 such centers around the country. Toni Stone, herself, recently was recognized with a prestigious award from Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. This award recognized her tireless work to further the "computer equity" cause.

Interestingly enough, Playing To Win (PTW) will be holding its national conference in Washington DC this summer, on June 2 and 3, at the Capital Children's Museum in downtown DC. The Capital Children's Museum has been a long time affiliate of PTW and has been doing some immensely interesting "community access" projects in their "Future Lab."

Volunteering Opportunities for WAP Members

WAP members interested in supporting CALICO DC can provide assistance in countless different ways. Technical support is always useful and needed. The lab may need help in installing extra RAM, or in troubleshooting hardware problems that may arise. If you'd like to offer your assistance, please contact either Paula Johnson Williams or myself.

Help is also needed for "volunteer trainers," to help local literacy providers and students get up to speed in using the Apple II's and Macs. If you'd like to teach a class in "Intro to the Macintosh" or "Intro to the Apple II," we'd love to hear from you. Currently the lab owns a copy of Microsoft Works and ClarisWorks on the Macs, and AppleWorks for the Apple II's.

For persons who find it difficult to travel to downtown DC, "remote volunteering" opportunities will also be available. CALICO DC has set up an account on the wonderful digitalNation electronic bulletin board. digitalNation, sponsored by the community-minded folks at Computer Services Group, Inc., allows anyone to set up a a free account. (You need to have a Mac Plus (or higher) or a Windows computer system to call in.) Since digitalNation allows e-mail to be sent with "attached files," CALICO DC can easily send and receive files with anyone who has an account on digitalNation. CALICO DC can also send and receive e-mail with anyone on the Internet. The Internet address for Paula Johnson Williams is: Paula_J._Williams@csgi.com (Please make note of the underline characters and period after the letter "j".)

(My own Internet address is: pshapiro@his.com).

The modem phone number for digitalNation is 703-642-0453.

Conclusion

There's a lot of excitement at the Martin Luther King Memorial library now that CALICO DC has been set up. The whole field of computer-assisted literacy instruction is so new that it is eminently ripe for exploration and experimentation. Perhaps CALICO DC can make its own small contributions to the field.