Feature of the month | June 2012
The AlphaPlus organization in Ontario deserves recognition for providing Canadians with easily accessed information they need to become familiar with new technologies in a modern digital age. Their monthly feature, appropriately titled Featured Technology, gives the reader an online glimpse at what’s current in information technology, how the tool can be applied and how it is used.
Topics for the articles are diverse and range from this month’s Dropbox for storing and sorting photographs and other files, to RSS feeds, Pinterest, Prezi, MailChimp, Doodle, Centra and HootSuite, to name a few.
It’s not surprising this feature has received a great response from the literacy and essential skills community considering it is a timely and very convenient resource in the fast-paced, ever-changing realm of technology.
The AlphaPlus mission is to increase adult literacy skills through the use of digital technologies by supporting educators and stakeholders with research, tools and training. That’s part of the reason the organization decided to feature technology and showcase how it is used in the field.
Monika Jankowska-Pacyna, projects coordinator at AlphaPlus, is a big fan of technology but admits it can be overwhelming. “There are hundreds of tools, sites and resources launched every day but I believe that learning is an ongoing process for everyone. I hope our monthly technology feature gives busy educators the information and tools to pause for a bit and quickly learn something new, to explore new ideas and to get excited about what technology can do for all of us, including our amazing students.”
With the introduction of the Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework (OALCF), AlphaPlus has focused on tools that could be used to support students in developing their digital technology competency skills. “We hope that our monthly posts will also help others upgrade their skills while exploring tools that can help make their work and personal lives easier.”
Featured Technology is located on the AlphaPlus website and is included in the organization’s monthly newsletter. The content is also archived, Monika says, “to offer quick access to the interesting tools and resources we have featured in the past.”
To view the Featured Technology archives go to: http://alphaplus.ca/en/featured-technology.html.
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