Dc-ri

SHORT URL

http://tinyurl.com/dc-ri-gathering

Morgan will be taking notes here: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/dc-ri

Welcome to the intensive brainstorming experience!

January 7th, 2014

Schedule

9:30am: Introduction

9:35am: Around the Circle: Who is here and Why?

10:00am: Recap: Learning from the room to guide discussion

10:15am: Overview: What is the role of education in advancing RI's digital future?

10:30am: Feedback, Comments, and Questions

11:00am: Coffee/bio/networking break

11:30am: Review Recommendations of Report

12:00pm: Lunch

12:45pm: Prioritize next steps

1:15pm: Review next steps and confirm February 20th date for formal release of white paper.

Introduction

Alan Tear: founding partner of Betaspring

atear@betaspring.com

Betaspring focuses on technology startups, taking companies from ready to go to market through their projects in mentorship.

We want to take the lessons learned through Betaspring and apply it to Digital City.

Gary Glassman: president and executive producer of Providence Pictures

gary@providencepictures.com

The idea is to make this invible community visibile in a digital media production hub.

1) We want to bring people out of the woodwork.

2) We also want to create a center with production facilities, particularily a high end facility.

3) Third is the educational compenent, bridging the gap between education and career and creating a digital literate work force.

Our first meeting focused on space, and there Chris Anderson (AS220) stepped forward with a location for us. WIth generous support from the RI Foundation we are opening soon.

Renee Hobbs (hobbs@uri.edu): our goal is to take a look at the recomendations of this draft of the white paper, take it, and modify.

Bill Densmore (wpdensmore@gmail.com): Give each of us an idea of why you came here, what you're bringing (knowledge/passion), and what you hope to take away.

People attending:

Chris Anderson

Sherilyn Brown

Mark Caprio

Jeanine Chartier

Bethany Costello

Michelle Cox

Bert Crenca

Jessica David

Bill Densmore

Wendy Drexler

Gary Glassman

Tom Guertin

Katharine Hazard Flynn

Renee Hobbs

Morgan Jaffe

Julianna Kurucz

Cynthia Langlykke

Mark Marosits

Suzanne McDonald

Joe Miklovic

Rick Mitchell

Devin O'Gorman

John Rowles

Christine Smith

Cheryl Space

Neil Steinberg

Alan Tear

Alisson Walsh

We want to learn from the room to guide discussion

Overview of the White Paper

1.0 The Digital Future is Here

1.1 There is a clear mandate for digital literacy to be a birthright of every member of contemporary society.

1.2 RI is not doing enough to shape the digital future.

1.3 Beyond basic technical skills, there is a need for the development of higher-level digital media competencies.

The real key is that we're looking at digital citizenship and literacy - of the competency of people living, working, and playing in a modern world.

A digilly literate person needs a variety of skills. We're not just talking about training in terms of tools, but a holistic view of what digital commons means in a cognitive sense as well.

Besides basic technical skills there is a need for digital competencies.

2.0 The Role of the Education Sector.

But there is hope in the digital leaders within RI to have meaningful collaboration.

2.1 Higher Education

Higher education is working to close the gap, but there is a real "patchwork quilt" of offerings.

2.2 Informal Learning

2.3 K-12 Educatrion

2.4 Film/Media/Technology Comunity

2.5 Business/Government/Economic Development

We also want to acknowledge informal learning.

But there needs to be collaboration, and these different groups need to work together.

3.0 Research SUmary: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities

Qualitative findings

3.1 Awareness and Interest are High

3.2 There are gaps and omissions in current programs.

"Most of RI's higher education institutions are not yet delivering consistent, integrated curricula to cultivate digitally literate, skilled, and strategic leaders for a new digital environment."

3.3 There are many opportunities for collaboration.

3.4 Managing Perceptions and SHaping Reality is Essential

4.0 The Strategic Imperative

5.0 Action Plan

5.1 Increase Visbility and Reshape Perceptions

5.2 Develop Recognition Programs

5.3 Support Collaboration as a Form of Professional Development for Faculty

5.4 Promote Education Initiatives that Connect Stakeolder Groups

5.5 Advance a Digital Literacy Policy Agendaat State and National Levels

6.0 Conclusion

Discussion

Devin: I think the future of digital education comes from listening in the field. I know there is some collaboration between unitversities and the workforce, but there needs to be more. Students need to know the skills they should be trained in.

Julianna: The most exciting part for me is reshaping perceptions. That's how you get more people on board.

SO WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT?

I've been trying to think about ow to say this in a politically correct way: the elephant in the room - what direction the state and nation is going in terms of education. The common core rules. Digital literacy is seen as an extra thing. I don't think there will be any movement in K-12 without an analysis on current policy. No one listens to the educators (we might be looking out for our own interests).

Right in the beggining of this report we talk about states and cities who do this well. What are some examples?

Mark Caprio: One area to build on more: educational leadership and the idea of self authorship.They need to see that authority exists within themselves as well.

Another thing absent: digital media itself is about tools. And tools evolve so wuickly. We need to marry this to a design and information literacy. We need to think about ddesign AND digital literacy. Then we begin to look at the future. We need to look at that now. Mandates and testing shouldn't stop us from planning.

I have worked at public and private schools. There are a lot of great curriculum at the grassroots level, but to have impact it needs to come from policy.

Alan Tear: I wanted to bridge off from a K-12 coment. The short term opportunity are edtechri and educational technology at a K-12 level.Damien Evans created a hub for student learning. I think that generally this conversation focuses around formal education, but I think talking aout informal learning is important too. There is a lot of digital learning skills online (liike General Assembly). I also think this intitaive is a great docuent. Our experience has been to pick one thing to fix first, and I worry 5 is too many.

Gary Glassman: I agree, we need to focus on one thing. That will also focus the public's attention. We talk about social justice and self authorship. Experience with prisoners, hospitals, and asylums and then broadcasting across institutions. It can empower and teach participants, becoming a vehicle for publicity as well by democratizing the media.

Suzanne McDonald: Thinking about John Adams documentary. "My children will be lawyers so my grandchildren can be artists." Jobs will be what push this all forward. We should pick one thing that people are really hungry for. Also thinking about digital - we have to be careful about the words we choose, even digital vs. analog. Maybe we should be saying new media literacy.

Rick Mitchell: This is a wonderful symposium of educational people. Can this paper be conclusive without those form the business sector?

Renee: well you get the idea of the three legged stool. When we release this white paper it will be an opportunity to get feedback from the business community. It is something we are imagining. But these 5 intitatives are really speaking to the educational sector. We want to focus right now on what steps educators can do.

Katharine: I agree. And Devin mentioned early on about the workforce. You need to open it up to the business sector with educators. The docuent needs to address industry.

Also what's missing is funding. But where does that come from? Industry is part of education, and we need to think how they can generate more funding for education. That's what I see missing.

I'm going to go back to the maker comunity. We're talking about design, and industry partners are needed to bridge this digital media gap. There are also people like Verizon and Cox looking to do more here in RI. I think we all need to get on the same page and talk about what we can do as a comunity and this white paper is a great start.

Marisa Quinn: What's missing is looking at the unemployment rate. You think digital is old, but to many people it's scary. Are they prepared for the jobs of today?

Tom Guertin: We can flesh it out with case studies and where people focus their hiring.

Also after people graduate, there are a lot of people we loose because they are ripped away from tools. Practice based tools are exciting for me. Masters and PhD programs are a huge time commitment, and I want to see a different route.

Jeannine: Part of the group that does the after school services - yes, it is great, but often we are just a band aid. Also in a lot of places where we work there is no access to technology. Also digital vs. new media (and I loose track to what is new and old because it depends where you are) that can form a bridge depending on the termology.

Sherilyn Brown: You need to look at the strngths of each and how to connect them. We have incredible leaders in theis room, but we need more diversity and people of color so the room doesn't look just like this in the future.

Cheryl Space: I agree, we need to reach out to different comunities. Also need to look at informal and formal learning spaces. There needs to be more crossing of boundaries. Providence and RI Afterschool Alliance.

Bio Break

Wendy and K-12

Student Perspective

Business Table

Concern that we're already fragmenting? But this is just a chance to talk with people with similar interests.

Review Recommendations of the Report

What should be our biggest and second biggest priority?

Our goal is to try to figure out what we can do best together. What's the best action step across the 5 sectors.