Spanning the divide, one student at a time

For some people, the digital divide is a worrisome social trend. For AFT member Mike Morone, it's a personal challenge that he refuses to take lying down. A teacher at an alternative school in Rochester, N.Y., Morone has spent almost three years putting the community's older, cast-off computers in the homes of students who would otherwise have little access to 21st-century technology after the school bell rings. His Home Computer Program at Josh Lofton High School has collected and refurbished more than 1,200 older computers for students to take home, expanding their opportunities to learn beyond the confines of the class.

"A lot of the real learning on computers takes place when you're at home in a comfortable room--there are no bells going off, no pressure to finish," explains Morone, a member of the Rochester Teachers Association/AFT who staffs the computer lab at Josh Lofton. By placing a computer in the home of every student with 10 straight days of perfect attendance, "we're helping students learn the basics, the entry-level skills, and giving the kids a better chance of improving their computer literacy while at home. It's an important skill for college or a career."

The program provides a valuable learning opportunity in his computer courses, Morone emphasizes. His students are able to repair and configure a broad range of computers. Most of the students at Josh Lofton are there because they have achievement, attendance or behavior problems. It's hard to overestimate the motivational effects of giving a good working computer to all the students who demonstrate they are willing to come to class and learn, Morone says.

"The amazing thing about [the Home Computer Program] is that it is serving as a gateway to motivation, to hope and gaining marketable skills in the community," says RTA president and AFT vice president Adam Urbanski. "Teachers have donated their own personal computers or persuaded local industry or the school system to donate. Mike now enjoys the support and admiration of this union and indeed the entire community."

The list of corporate donors runs from A (Arthur Andersen) to Z (Ziff Davis), along with hundreds of individuals in and around Rochester. Recently, however, the number of donations has tailed off. Morone hopes that this will change, thanks to tax-related donations and a new wave of upgrades prompted by the introduction of a new Pentium chip this year.

For more information about the Home Computer Program, visit www.pc-donations.com.

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Bridging the digital divide

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