September 2001 — Features
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New Jersey's Solution to the Digital Divide
Young people involved with the Salem City Lighthouse Youth Ministry are also benefiting from the ACE Centers. Every Friday evening, a group of youngsters led by five adults use the center's computers to surf the Web. They are using the Internet to broaden their knowledge in education both through age-appropriate secular educational Web sites and Christian and youth-ministry sites.
Just the Beginning
New Jersey's ACE Centers are helping the state bridge the digital divide by ensuring that all students have a fair opportunity to learn; improve teaching as well as learning; and generate, maintain and strengthen parent/community involvement. Students now have access to computers, parents are becoming computer-literate, adults are improving their skills, and senior citizens are rediscovering the learning process.
For New Jersey, this is just the beginning. The state's Department of Education's vision is that all students will be able to meet the Core Curriculum Content Standards through unlimited access to people, the vast array of curriculum and instruction offered in the state, and information and ideas, no matter where they exist. The Access-Collaboration-Equity Centers are helping to achieve that vision.
Natasha Gaujean-La Mar is an educational technology specialist at the New Jersey Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology. She has a master's degree in educational communications and technology from New York University's School of Education. Prior to working for the Department of Education, she was a content editor/producer at CompuServe, Inc.
For further information on each of the Access-Collaboration-Equity Centers, visit the New Jersey Department of Education's Web site at www.state.nj.us/njded/techno/ace/abstract.htm, or call the Educational Technology Department at (609)292-3518.
