A Promising Practice: Using Facebook as a Communication and Social Networking Tool

Individuals with autism often face barriers to social interaction. Residing in a rural environment can compound these difficulties for individuals diagnosed with autism. Some of the reasons include transportation problems and small social networks, in addition to the characteristics of autism. This article discusses a promising practice for supporting the communication and social opportunities for individuals with autism. The authors examined how Facebook supported the social interaction of Jacob, a 28-year old with High Functioning Autism. The findings suggested that, through Facebook, Jacob increased the quantity and quality of social ties he had with others. The authors argue that although online social networking has limitations, with supervision, tools such as Facebook hold potential for developing and increasing social interaction for individuals with High Functioning Autism /Asperger Syndrome

Developing Multimodal Academic Literacies among College Freshmen

This article describes a semester-long freshman learning community in which multimodal texts were used as primary texts along with traditional texts to support students’ academic literacy skills. Analysis shows that an expository video created by students contains elements of academic literacies and qualities of multimodal texts. An unexpected finding was the presence of play within the process and product. These elements combine to create multimodal academic literacies. The author argues that multimodal academic literacies should be taught alongside traditional essayist forms in order to create rich learning opportunities

Teaching for Digital Equity: Examining Digital Problem Solving in a Public Library

Presentation focuses on emerging findings around what constitutes digital problem solving and the approaches and strategies digital problem solvers use

Examining Digital Problem Solving Skills in Libraries to Promote Digital Equity

This presentation was part of the digital skills and inequality session and focuses digital problem solving and the approaches and strategies digital problem solvers use

The Social Magic of Facebook for Adults on the Spectrum

In lieu of an abstract, here are the article\u27s first two paragraphs: When Susan arrived at the 10-year high school reunion of her son Jacob, he was sitting with a group of people he had been in contact with through Facebook. On their way home Jacob told his mother that he had a good time. A few months later Jacob attended a baseball game with his mother where he was approached by a former coworker he was friends with on Facebook. His coworker sat next to Jacob, and the two of them chatted throughout the game. For most people these two events would have been unremarkable, but Jacob is a young adult with high-functioning autism (HFA) and casual social interaction has long been a struggle. The fact that Jacob attended his high school reunion and comfortably interacted with a group of people was a huge milestone. That he was able to carry on a casual conversation was also a tremendous step forward. As a 28-year-old, Jacob\u27s network of friends, online and face-to-face, is now more extensive, and his interactions are more comfortable. Although some of these changes may be due to Jacob and his friends becoming more mature, Susan attributes much of them to Facebook

Developing Sustainable Partnerships to Advance Digital Equity

In the early 2000s, inequities surrounding affordable Internet access brought the digital divide into public consciousness. Over time, practitioners and researchers working to address this divide have revealed a persistent, wider gap that includes inequities in social support networks (DiMaggio & Hargittai, 2001). Jenkins et al. (2006) identified a participation gap in using and interacting with digital tools. Evolving conversations have produced a broader conceptualization of the issues through the lens of digital inclusion and digital equity (Siefer, 2016). Those on the wrong side of the digital divide need digital literacy training, access to technical support, and the applications and content that will enable their success in the digital world. In Portland, Oregon, the Multnomah County Library (MCL), digital literacy researchers, and community partners created a bridge to digital equity and inclusion for traditionally excluded members of the community. This work represents a model for collaboration that can be replicated in other communities

21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities: Research and Findings

The 21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities (21 CLEO) research was launched to increase understanding of the complexities of learning ecosystems. This report is a summary that aims to share insights about working learners employed in frontline service work, the types of education and training initiatives offered to them, and the outcomes from participating in such employer supported education and training initiatives. The findings shared here are drawn from the collection of presentations, blog posts, and other publications through which we have shared our insights along the way (cited throughout), as well as new material developed as part of our final write-up. More detailed information is available on our Web Report and in the 21 CLEO blog series. All of the materials from our research are archived at PDXScholar. Graphics and annotations are available in the report’s interactive synthesis

Critical Race Theory: Convening 2

We seek to identify the factors that incentivize frontline service workers to engage in workplace-sponsored learning activities that support development of 21st century skills, including specific workplace skills, digital literacy, English language and literacy, problem solving, and adult basic skills. Central to this study is elevating the voice of the working learner

Final Report: The Ecosystem of 21st Century Employer Supported Education and Training Initiatives

The 21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities (21 CLEO) research was launched to increase understanding of the complexities of learning ecosystems in employer-supported education and training initiatives. This work envisions workplace learning as ecosystems shaped by a constellation of factors that operate in dependent and independent ways