'Teching' to improve education

To computer afficionados across the country, yesterday was more than just another Tuesday -- it was TechiesDay. To celebrate, several of Penn's own techies set out yesterday afternoon to install new computers and lab equipment in three West Philadelphia schools. The most significant improvements came at West Philadelphia High School, where student volunteers installed 12 of 22 recently donated new computers. Volunteers also did work at University City High School at 36th and Filbert streets and Turner Middle School at 59th Street and Baltimore Avenue. Comprised of volunteers from Penn's Technology in Education program and Residential Computing, the team of students gave up the afternoon and much of the evening to help the schools improve their technology. And according to Virginia Powell, a computer teacher at West Philadelphia High School, the improvements were much-needed. "I've had 286 computers for too long," she said, referring to the outdated systems that were replaced yesterday. "I welcome having new computers." Many of the systems installed in her lab were donated by the Republican National Committee after the party's convention in Philadelphia this August. The rest came from an educational partnership with Cisco Systems. TechiesDay is a nationwide initiative started last year by Internet companies CNET and techies.com to promote technology in education. It came to Penn this year with the help of Edison Freire, a Philadelphia teacher who was charged by the school district with helping schools meet their technology needs. Freire said he is especially concerned with the "digital divide" -- the growing technological differences between the rich and the poor. And he explained that universities are often powerful tools in closing the divide. "A university is an incredible resource for all kinds of technology," he said, citing the large group of Penn students who volunteered to help. Lee Hicks, one such student, agreed that Penn is very active in helping local schools. "There is a whole slew of technology service programs at Penn," the Engineering senior said. He pointed to his own involvement in TechScouts, a program run by Technology in Education that trains high school students in computer maintenance. "In fact, that's what the whole charge of TechiesDay is -- to get kids involved," he added. At West Philadelphia High School, several enthusiastic high-schoolers stayed after school to help the volunteers, giving their time simply because they were interested. "I really want to get into computers, " said Daniel Holloway, a ninth-grader at the school. He added that he looks forward to joining a computer club at the school. That kind of reaction is exactly what Freire hoped would come from TechiesDay. "It was really powerful to see University students, teachers and their own students working together," Freire said. "It takes all the community partners to make a difference."

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