Wired for Learning By Julee Newberger

Wired for Learning

African American Literature Book Club - The #1 Site for "Readers of Black Literature"

Home • Back • Author Home • Up • Author Profiles • Book Profiles • Writer's Resources • Reviews • Events • About Us • Buy Any Book • Advertise

Wired for Learning
By Julee Newberger
KidsCampaigns Staff Writer

One evening at Washington DC's Ballou High School, Dr. Eugene Williams asked a young computer whiz to pull up all the information on the Ten Commandments he could find on the World Wide Web.

"If I print everything for you," the young man replied, "we'll be here all night."

Embarrassed about how little he knew of new technology, Williams made a vow to his wife, head of Ballou's Math and Science Technical Academy, that he would learn to make good use of the Internet.

"I've been a different person since then, I've learned so much," Williams says. A former educator and principal in the DC public school system, he now works as an educational consultant in schools across the country. But while promoting use of the Internet and encouraging schools to get wired, he made a critical observation: access alone is not the answer. Sometimes schools set up computers in areas that students don't frequently visit. Other times, teachers lack the knowledge or the tools to help students reap the benefits. "Ask teachers how many students are actually using it," Williams says, "and they'll be hard put to tell you."

Williams has started his own campaign to help get inner city families connected to the Internet. His idea involves a device called Web TV. Web TV is less expensive than a computer, and it provides E-mail capabilities, allowing families to receive information as well as provide it to others. "Many parents can't afford or are afraid of computers," Williams says. Web TV, a box that fits atop your TV set and attaches to an existing standard phone line, allows families to get access to the Internet through their TV screens. It's more familiar, and its design allows for more parental control over access to web sites with inappropriate content.

Williams' campaign is an expensive undertaking, but he's willing to pitch in himself. Every day, he goes directly to individuals who do corporate giving and says, "If I can donate, you can donate." This Christmas, he will hold an essay contest for students on how the Internet is a useful learning tool. Winners will receive Web TV units donated by corporations. Williams' ultimate goal is to raise funds for a free Internet Festival for students and parents in the metropolitan area to experience the new technology first-hand. Also planned is a how-to guide for parents and teachers on getting the most out of Web TV.

Williams has a long history of creating programs for kids. In 1988, he began the Potential National Merit Scholars program in response to the fact that DC public schools had no National Merit Scholarship candidates. Since the program's inception, thirty of its students have won scholarships. The program is now expanding to San Francisco and Baltimore. Together with his son, Eugene Jr., Williams won national attention for Grounded in the Word: A Guide to Mastering Standardized Test Vocabulary and Biblical Comprehension. This innovative text evolved from Williams' years of teaching vocabulary for the SATs. By learning words in the context of the Bible, students have the potential to increase their scores on standardized tests.

Williams and his wife, Dr. Mary H. Johnson, make helping kids a family affair. Together, they have formed their own nonprofit organization, Comptex, to provide inexpensive tutoring in math and SAT preparation. The organization funded Grounded in the Word, as well as a book Johnson wrote for kids. Recently, the couple completed a proposal for the Washington Math Science and Technology High School, a charter school that will offer state of the art learning equipment and staff development. The couple's goal is for the school to serve the entire community, not only the kids within its walls.

What has inspired him? Williams recalls growing up in the South and experiencing segregation first-hand. White children had books; black children did not. Williams doesn't want to see race or economic status come in the way of children getting educational materials. He says, "My excitement doesn't mean anything if the young brothers and sisters aren't all benefitting from this."

Article written by
Julee Newberger
Staff Writer
KidsCampaigns (www.kidscampaigns.org)
The Benton Foundation
1634 Eye Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
202/638-5770