Where Are Blacks In Technology?

Reality TV that TRULY Matters!

2011-11-13T19:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight while I was watching "Black In America: The New Promised Land Silicon Valley, I was re-energized in my quest to encourage African Americans to embrace technology. After actively tweeting my thoughts on the special and taking notes of my interviews with Wayne Sutton and Anthony Frasier I headed over to Mario Armstrong's Innovation Nation.

Innovation Nation was a live webcast that aired tonight, November 13th, at 9:00pm EDT immediately after the end of Black in America 4 on CNN. The webcast featured entrepreneurs from the CNN special. Mario's event was excellent. I also joined the live chat which was full of thought leaders. Hopefully I can get a copy of the transcript because there was a great deal of information and ideas shared during this chat.

marioarmstrongshow on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Thanks Mario!

Facebook Marketing

2011-08-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was having breakfast with a friend at a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. The food was delicious. I remember thinking to myself I can’t wait to tell my friends about this place. So after we finished eating I decided to ask the proprietor if he had a Facebook page.

His answer was “Yes, but it is more trouble that it’s worth”. Translation; He does have a Facebook page but he does not do anything to manage the content. How tragic! I was so shocked by this statement that I could not stop ranting to my friend on the drive home about how we continue to miss out on opportunities in business because we are not taking advantage of important technologies like social media.

How can one think that Facebook is a waste of time when practically every business in the world has a Facebook page? Does he know something that companies like Honda, Coke, Wal-Mart and other Fortune 500 companies don’t? Perhaps the number one thing businesses use Facebook for is marketing.

What company large or small feels that marketing is more trouble than it’s worth? During my visit we patronized several Black-owned businesses none of which had a Facebook page. I could not believe this. Here is brief list of the businesses we visited that I noticed were not utilizing this powerful tool:

• Churches
• Barber shops
• Beauty salons
• Restaurants
• Day cares

This is not only a great opportunity for these businesses to create new business, but it is also an opportunity to serve their current customers better. Moreover, it is an opportunity for the young men and women in our communities to master Facebook and other social media tools and market their services to the community in ways that provide income and strengthen the community at the same time.

At the very least, purchase a book on Facebook marketing, or take a class at your local community college and create your own opportunity instead of waiting for the economy to improve.

Get Inky With It

2011-06-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

Inky-Apps is one of Americas first webstores dedicated to the promotion, advertisement and development of mobile applications for the undeveloped and undiscovered mobile markets. The site was created by Richard Fields, a true African American technology pioneer.

If you are unfamiliar with Richard's story and his mission I interviewed him recently on two separate occasions on my BlogTalkRadio Show. You can find those on-demand episodes here. Inky-Apps is looking for college interns with experience in Android programming.

Recently, I spoke with Richard regarding their search for interns and he had this to say:

"What I am trying to do is to pull in a couple of students of African American, or Africans from the continent, or the African diaspora to intern for inky-apps. Inky-apps is now beginning to generate interest and traffic so I would like to pull in some folks.

They do not have to be ivy, in fact; they can even be from a local J.C. I don't care. I am interested in folks who share the same 'vision' and direction as inky-apps' does coupled with some experience with Android development or Java, web design (HTML,XML,) and internet marketing.
I am trying to find those who are majoring in either computer science, or a related field like Internet marketing.

I applaud Mr. Fields efforts. This is exactly what is needed to not only develop future African American software engineering talent, but also to instill a sense of entrepreneurship. It is high time young African Americans begin to develop software that helps to solve the problems and and address the needs of our community.

I for one can not wait to see the creativity of African Americans emerge in the realm of software applications. The details on the position as well as the eligibility criteria for each position, will be posted next Wednesday at inky-apps.com in the form of an android mobile app.

For more information you visit the Inky-Apps site at http://www.Inky-Apps.com

BiTWiSE YouTube Channel

2011-06-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

The project that I am working on with Microsoft, now has a YouTube Channel. You can check out the first video here. Search YouTube for the channel 'WeAreBiTWiSE'. We will be posting video footage from our big launch event in Austin on June 24 shortly after the event. This is going to be big. You don't want to miss it!

Like BiTWiSE on Facebook

2011-05-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I am helping to build an organization called BiTWiSE. We are just getting started. We are having our first event on June 24th in Austin, Texas. The focus of this organization is to help to ensure the development of African Americans in information technology as well as grow the next generation of Black technology talent. We are sponsored by Microsoft and we are looking forward to doing great things over the course of the next five years. As part of this effort we have setup our page on Facebook. Please help us to grow by "Liking Us" on Facebook. I have setup the link here to use. I will post the event flyer here on the blog later in the day. Please have anyone that you know who is interested in closing the digital divide to like this button for us.

Are you BiTWiSE?

The Ugly Truth About Jobs

2011-05-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

My previous post on Congressman Jessie Jackson Jr's remarks regarding the iPad produced a few very interesting comments. I enjoyed reading them very much and I invite others to join as I think this is the conversation we need to have.

At at time that we are constantly hearing from the Urban League that unemployment among African Americans are at record highs, and that President Obama needs to focus on jobs and job creation we need to understand what job creation means in the 21st century.

It means closing the digital divide It means ensuring digital equity. It means learning science, education, engineering and math. Recently President Obama during a town-hall meeting on the campus of Facebook in Palo, Alto California had this to say regarding STEM education: "Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is of utmost importance to all students and is critical to U.S. competitiveness."

He went on to say: "Emphasizing STEM education especially to girls and minority students, is one of the most important efforts IF (emphasis mine) it hopes to produce college-and-career-ready students".

As the good scientist says "create new economies". The iPad has created a new economy. We need to get a good STEM education whether you wish to be a scientist or technologist or not. Then you don't have to worry about iPads being made outside of the country. You can create your own economy or your own job for that matter.

The good folks at Apple who created those devices had a solid STEM education. We need to obtain the education and then we can create our own jobs. Soledad O'brien talks with Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson in this video and he breaks it down beautifully. Check out the video.

Ask Not What The iPad Can Do for You, Ask What You Can Do for The iPad

2011-05-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Recently Congressman Jessie Jackson Jr. blamed the iPad for American unemployment. Jackson stated the iPad is "probably responsible for eliminating thousand of American jobs." I don't doubt that is a true statement. My response is so. The personal computer is responsible for eliminating thousands of jobs. The same is true of devices such as self-check out kiosks in grocery stores and ATM machines in banks. Cashiers and bank tellers lost their jobs!

This is what technology does. But it is only one side of the equation. Such was also the case during the industrial age and the agricultural age before that. Jackson expanded on his statement by saying "Why do you need to go to Borders anymore? Why do you need to go to Barnes and Noble? Just buy an iPad and download your book, download your newspaper, download your magazine."

As we like to say in Texas. You betcha! This is called progress. What are we to do? Halt progress so folks can keep their jobs. Where would the country be today with such a philosophy? When Amazon came online in the early 90's I was thrilled. Before I had to drive 30 miles accross town to get to the only bookstore in the Dallas metroplex that carried the books that I wanted. And there was a Borders and a Barnes and Noble store closer but they did not stock the quantity or quality of black history books that I seeked.

Because of Amazon, I stopped driving 30 miles across town to and began using Amazon and enjoying a better price, the ability to search inventory from my home, and have the books delivered to my front door. Amazon is bad?

Should I have continued to be inconvenienced so folks can keep their jobs? By the way, to my knowledge no one was stopping Borders and Barnes and Noble from carrying a wider selection of books by African American authors nor stopping them from creating an electronic book reader.

Amazon created the Kindle and Borders and Barnes and Noble were selling books before Amazon ever came online. Innovation is a good thing. For some reason the iPad has not put Amazon out of business. Sure jobs have been eliminated as we have produced digital technologies.
This has always been the case.

Although technically he has a point that jobs have indeed been lost as a result of the iPad, he fails to mention the jobs that the iPad has created. There is a now an entire app industry for the iPhone and iPad devices not to mention the cottage industries of accessories such as cases and car adapters, that have been spawned. There are also the jobs that have been created as competitors develop similar devices. Companies like Google and Dell come to mind.

I found these comments especially disturbing coming from an African American leader at at time when Black unemployment has been reported to be as high as 16%. African Americans, and all Americans for that matter, need to come to grips with the idea that future jobs will be technology jobs.

The sooner we grasp this concept and begin to study and learn in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the sooner we can start taking advantages of the economy of the 21st century instead of holding on to an outdate mode of doing things. All industries will come under the same stress as the music and now the publishing industries have experienced as technologies pervade their processes.

Do you think the work of auto mechanics is the same today as it was before the advent of computers? The answer is no. Adapt or die. Don't cry about losing your job at Border's books. Reinvent yourself. Take the time to learn the new skills and land a job as an iPad developer or better yet, start your own firm designing iPad applications.

We need leadership that helps us to understand how to navigate the future not cling to the past.

How to Be A Player

2011-04-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a student at Pepperdine University I became familiar with the work of James Paul Gee.

Gee had written a book entitled What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. I must admit at first glance I was not interested in reading this book because I had a biased view of gaming.

My idea was that the games were meaningless. I hated the violence and I was of the opinion that these games had no redeeming value. I was wrong.

Not only did I learn plenty from reading this book, but I also began to view video games and online environments such as Second Life through a different lens. I was introduced to Gee's work in early 2006. Of course, since then video games have exploded and most computer science programs now have a degree for Game Development.

This is significant. Many young adults have become completely immersed in the world of video games. Games such as World of Warcraft, Madden, and Halo commands the attention of millions of young users as well as young adults. African American males are a part of this culture. We are among the leaders of folks who purchase game consoles. We may not have a computer in the home. But we are known for having a gaming console.

This is significant. Recently scholars have pointed to video games as a possible solution to the digital divide. While I do not wholeheartedly support this idea, I do not dismiss it outright. As an advocate of culturally relevant pedagogy, I love the concept of meeting the students where they are.

African American males are engaged with video games. They are playing the games. But they are not, for the most part creating the games. Often times, when I speak to young black males and ask them why they are not developing video games, they respond with "I do not know how to program" or "I do not have an opportunity to earn a college degree".

Enter Game Salad. Game Salad is an Austin-based company which guides folks who do not have software development skills to create and publish online games. The company has raised a little over $6 million from investors such as The Walt Disney Co's venture capital arm. GameSalad allows aspiring and established game developers quickly design, publish and distribute original games for mobile platforms such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web without the need to write a line of code. Their drag-and-drop game creation platform has been utilized to develop near 5000 games. This includes at the time of this writing 30 games that have been ranked in the top 100 of the Apple's U.S. App Store.

Everyone has ideas, but not everyone has the programming skills to turn those ideas into profit. And although I still believe gaining those skills are key, GameSalad certainly offers a wonderful alternative. Now all you need is the idea for a great game and the ability to drag and drop using a mouse. Can you do that? Sure you can.

Let me know when you have published your game? If you have used GameSalad's platform, let me hear from you.

Sid the Science Kid

2011-03-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

The other day I became aware of a wonderful piece of children's television programming, a show called Sid the Science Kid. The show also has a wonderful web site. My children are 5 and 3 respectively. We do not allow them to watch too much television but when we do we try focus on educational programming. They spend a lot of time watching shows such as Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer on NickJr.

My friend who mentioned the show to me is a principal at an urban elementary school in San Antonio. He was so excited about using this show as part of the curriculum he immediately ran out on his lunch hour to purchase a DVD of the show. To his surprise, when he arrived at the local Best Buy store in his neighborhood he learned that they did not carry the DVD.

My friend thought this interesting. The store was loaded with all sorts of entertainment DVD but has very little to offer in terms of educational content. He wondered if he would have a better chance to find educational DVDs such as Sid the Science Kid if he were to try at a suburban Best Buy. That is indeed an interesting question. Does the urban Best Buy not carry the educational DVD because people in those neighborhoods rarely purchase or request such media?

Fortunately, my first instinct was simply to check for the content on iTunes. Sure enough there it was and i downloaded it and had it on my iPad within seconds without even leaving my chair where I was having the conversation. Not only am I not subject to the buying prejudices of Best Buy, be they justifiable or not, but also never left the comfort of my phone, and I can enjoy the show on a myriad of devices.

Sid the Science Kid is a great. I would definitely searching your content provider and making it a habit of allowing your children to watch this show on TV as well as frequenting the website. It is a wonderful way to use TV for learning.

Oh yeah. I do live in the suburbs. I can't wait to check for the show at the Best Buy in my neighborhood.

Stay Tuned.

The New Digital Divide

2011-03-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

Until African Americans are no longer under represented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the workplace, academia, and business there will still be a digital divide.

The digital divide is not simply a matter of dividing society into groups of the technology rich and the technology poor. Paul Gorski, a scholar who has studied the digital divide in terms of multicultural education, defines the digital divide thusly:

The race digital divide is a symptom of racism, and to understand it outside this context diminishes its significance and cripples our ability to address it effectively.

I agree. It is not like the digital divide is unrelated to the achievement gap or the astronomical dropout rate or the enormous unemployment in the black community. They are all related. The causes for these gaps and divides are largely social.

This problem is not solved by delivering physical machines to schools or making sure every child has a cell phone as I read recently in an article promoting the cell phone as the end to the digital divide. The quote below is from the article in T.H.E. journal.

Smart phones are the one technology that can eliminate the digital divide, given the cost of the device, it is very conceivable that every child, rich or poor, can have one.

Speaking of crippling our ability to address the divide effectively. This would be true if the issue was simply a matter of physical devices. But it is not that simple. If that were the case all we would have to do to erase the divide and thus rectify the under representation of African Americans in STEM would be to make sure African Americans have access to just as much technology as everyone else and the problem would be solved.

Time has proven this not to be the case. Yet folks are still espousing this point of view. I am so tired of reading in books, magazines, and online articles about how African Americans are online more than their white counterparts. We are accessing Twitter and Facebook more than our white counterparts. Are we writing applications for Facebook?

Are we benefiting economically from the enormous amount of time we are spending on these sites? I am well aware they are many blacks who have founded businesses using these technologies. Folks such as Internet Marketers and social media experts. I am talking strictly from a technology point of view. That is the study that I am waiting to see.

How African Americans have closed the gap in terms of the number of technology companies we have built or how we are leading the way in terms of undergraduate computer science degrees that were awarded this year.

In fact, a recent article in USAToday discussing how African Americans were leading the way in online social media even pointed out how the top two posts on Twitter (in terms of followers) were created by an African American. Great. And how does that empower our communities?

How does it help us to produce more jobs in our communities or help more African American women get into the gaming industry? The March 2011 edition of Black Enterprise did a feature story on Women in STEM. On the cover of this issue their is a picture of a sister on the cover holding a game controller.

Sure enough as I read the article and learned more about Lisette Titre,who is a video game animator, one of her comments was I've never worked with an African American woman in an artist's capacity. Right. But at least we are rocking Facebook and Twitter! We must broaden our definition of the digital divide.

Multicultural Youth Study

2011-03-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in the midst of South By Southwest (SXSW) in downtown Austin I was part of a Multicultural Youth Study. I was invited by Maria Madrigal who learned about my work in education and technology with communities of color from my presence on the web. The goal of the study was understanding how Latino and African Americans identify and relate to technology, fashion, music and content.

It was a great experience and an opportunity to share my thoughts on technology (not just social media or the great news that Latino's and African Americans are online more than their white counterparts), but an opportunity to talk about the real issues of digital inequities and delineate some of the factors that lead to our young people's lack of participation in the digital society.

SXSW Blacks in Technology Weekend Kickoff Event Video

2011-03-14T13:58:00.003-07:00

Here is a short video of the SXSW Blacks in Technology Weekend Kickoff Event.

SXSW Blacks in Technology Weekend

2011-03-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

SXSW Blacks in Technology Weekend got off to a great Start on Friday evening at the Carver Museum.

This was primarily a networking event. And as such it was very successful. Many thanks to Donell Creech of GriotMedia for including me in such an important event.

I was also able to re-connect with some of the brothers and sisters who are making it happen on the Austin entrepreneur and tech scene such as Sonia Gaillard and Kevin Williams.

We enjoyed great conversation, food, music and a brief talk on The State of Blacks in Technology from University of Texas Professor S. Craig Watkins, whose book The Young and the Digital I am currently reading as part of my dissertation research. I was able to speak with Dr. Watkins briefly about my research and received some very encouraging words and hopefully will be connected to someone at UT that will be able to help with my study.

I also met leaders who I have connected with online but never met face-to-face such as the dynamic Elizabeth Bert and the prolific and ubiqutious Anjuan Simmons and many others. Anjuan does not miss much. Although after speaking with him briefly he did not participate in R.I.S.E. (Relationship and Information for Entrepreneurs).

Since we have have officially connected I will do my best to make sure he brings his talents and energy to that wonderful event next year. These are folks who are changing the game. And based on the Twiiter comments Anjuan did a masterful job in his session on Saturday interactive panel, What Comic Books Can Teach Mobile Application Designers.

This was a fantastic event where I connected with folks young and old who are not only involved in technology, but also interested in bridging the digital divide. Don't believe the hype the divide is alive and well it has only morphed into a different manifestation of the same social and economic inequities that are the root cause.

If our communities are to continue to move forward in terms of participating more fully in the information society, events such as these will have to continue to develop and mature. Although a good time was had by all there was also much collaborative learning that took place and the social capital that was created and fostered is critical to the next generation's social inclusion.

Black Family Technology Awareness Week

2011-02-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

This week is Black Family Technology Awareness Week. The Black Family Technology Awareness Week campaign is aimed at helping those Black families who aren’t taking full advantage of today’s technologies.

If you do the research and dig a little deeper it is not hard to see this is most black families. The digital divide these days is less about access and more about use.

The work being done with this program is crucial. I am especially inspired by the idea to focus the program within the family unit. The family should be the approach we take with many of the problems facing our communities. It places us at the center and situates us in a position of power.

There are events taking place all over the country this week. On Wednesday February 16th, 2011 a symposium entitled Broadband in Education: A Symposium took place at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in Los Angeles.

There are also streaming of live events that are taking place with the collaboration with The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA). This organization recognizes that these technologies that can significantly improve their quality of life. This is a very important statement.

Does not everyone wish to improve the quality of their lives? I think everyone does. But I am certain that most in the Black community do not recognize the equation that access to technology + use of technology for capital-enhancing uses = improved quality of life.

The campaign’s goal is to eliminate the Digital Divide for those families by exciting them about the importance of having a personal computer and Internet access at home and explaining how they can and why they should make that a reality in their lives.

Please visit their website and find out about events that are taking place in your area. We must expose and provide our youth with knowedge of technology and teach them how to use these tools less for entertainment and more capital-enhancing activites. You can learn more about Black Family Technology Awareness Week here. You can also visit their Facebook page here.

Android Is Now the Most Popular Smartphone Platform

2011-02-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

Android Is Now the Most Popular Smartphone Platform. Global sales of Android phones in the fourth quarter of 2010 was 33.3 million...
READ FULL STORY

The Web Academy is Teaching Google Android App Inventor

Course Description: An introduction Google Android App Inventor allows you to create simple applications for the Android smart phone. You do not have to have a programming background because App Inventor uses "drag and drop" module blocks for application development. An Android phone is not necessary because you can build applications in the Google Android App Inventor Emulator.

Enroll Now: http://thewebacademy.org/registration/google-android-app-inventor-registration/

The Social Network

2011-01-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

Mark Zuckerburg started Facebook using a laptop computer and a connection to the Internet. Mark Zuckerburg started Facebook using a laptop computer and a connection to the Internet

Mark Zuckerburg started Facebook using a laptop computer and a connection to the Internet. Mark Zuckerburg started Facebook using a laptop computer and a connection to the Internet.

Mark Zuckerbrug is the world's youngest BILLIONAIRE! Mark Zuckerbrug is the world's youngest BILLIONAIRE! Mark Zuckerbrug is the world's youngest BILLIONAIRE! Mark Zuckerbrug is the world's youngest BILLIONAIRE!

What Are Your Family Technology Goals?

2011-01-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

Does your family have a technology plan? Next month is National Black Family Technology Awareness Week (February 13 – February 19). In light of that, I began wondering how many black families actually have a household technology plan. Many of us have plans for everything in our household. Why not a technology plan?

We have budgets, which is nothing more than a plan for your money. We have health plans. Some of us spend a great deal of money monthly for expensive gym memberships in attempt to stay in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. But how many of us have a technology plan?

Most businesses and some schools have a technology plan. This is something you should know about the school your child attends. It is not a good idea to assume there is a plan and that the plan is adequate. It is time we take some responsibility in terms of engaging and nurturing our children to pursue technology.

Especially in light of the results of a recent study of female and minority chemists and chemical engineers the nation’s K-12 education get an average grade of ‘D’ for the job it does engaging and nurturing minorities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

This would be a great time to also setup your technology plan for the year. The first thing that must be done before you can setup a plan (which is defined as activity you will engage in to reach your goal), is to determine your goals. So, a better question here might be. What are your family’s technology goals?

I would like to hear your ideas. If you have a plan you have been using please send me a copy and I can share it with the community.
Hotep,
Kai

We Can't Afford to Focus on The Basics

2011-01-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

I was having a discussion via Facebook recently regarding technology integration in our schools. Many people still wish to hold on to this idea that our schools should not focus on technology and just focus on the basics. They are mistaken. These attitudes are why the digital divide still persists. I am so tired of hearing this silly argument.

This mindset must be changed. And to be honest I spend a great deal of time trying to change this mindset. I do not want the next generation of our young people to be the designated serfs of the information age. What exactly are the BASICS? Most folks would define the basics as reading, writing and arithmetic.

So, the idea is that we should not teach our young people about technology but focus on the basic subjects. Here is the problem with that. Do you think those subjects are taught without using technology? What exactly do these folks think a chalkboard, a pen, a book, a pencil or an overhead projector is. These things are technology.

What do you consider the basics? What do you consider technology? There is no such line between learning the basics and using technology. This is why I used the word INTEGRATION. It should all be one and the same the way it was when we learned in school. We did not learn 'the basics' sans technology.

Technology was all around us and we learned the basics. Technology is now part of the basics. Those who are unable to navigate technology will be locked out the same way that years ago those who could not read or write were locked out. Remember we did not learn our basics without technology. A book is technology.

No one said learn how to read, and you can use the technology (book) after you learn to read. No. You learned to read from a book. And now you may learn to read an ebook or a electronic book using an ereader. Please tell me what is the difference?

Take a look at the comments from a PhD student in Carnegie Mellon's Computer science department regarding the teaching of computer science in our schools. These comments are from a recent study:

The point is not that every student needs to become a computer scientist, but that all students have the basic knowledge they need to understand an increasingly technological world, said Leigh Ann Sudol, a PhD student in Carnegie Mellon's Computer Science Department and another study co-author.

Technology is a new basic.

It's All Greek to Me

2011-01-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

While discussing the importance of embracing STEM fields with folks in our communities, I frequently hear the comment "I am just not technical".

It is interesting to me that we have somehow reserved the term 'technical' for computers and technology. This term is not reserved for technology professionals. Everyone is technical at some vocation or occupation.

Everyone is technical at what they do for a living or what area of endeavor they possess knowledge. When it comes to technology and computers I am very technical.

When it comes to automotive repair or sculpting for example, I am not very technical. I bring this up for 2 reasons. The first reason is because I would like for us to recognize that we are technical at something, and any area that we are not it is simply a matter of learning, not some inherent inability to deal with computers or the Internet.

The other reason is that there is much more at stake in today's digital society by not being technical when it comes to technology as opposed to not being technical in the area of sculpting or automotive repairs, as these areas have not permeated every facet of our lives. Having a lack of technical knowledge in those areas does not affect your ability to navigate society or earn a good income in the 21st century.

Anytime you are learning something new you have to come to grips with a new vocabulary. This is true of all professions. Doctors have their own language. Lawyers have their own language. Educators have their own language. Professionals of all walks of like have a language that they use to communicate with each when they are communicating with others in their profession.

If you are outside of the community you would not have an understanding of what any of these terms mean. But not knowing what the terms mean does not mean you don't understand the concepts that are being discussed. You simply need to learn to decode or translate the language.

I decided to write this post based on my appearance on Bill Anderson's Wake Up With Bill show last week. During the interview, a caller referenced a few 'technical' terms and Mr. Anderson remarked that he had no idea what we were discussing. That got me to thinking. What he really meant was that he was not familiar with the terms being used.

Here is the point I wish to make. This is not unique to a conversation of computers. We could have been talking about automotive repair or any other profession in which he was not familiar with the jargon and he would have the same issue. As would I or anyone.

There is nothing magical about technology terms. The concepts are based on science and math. The same science and math that you learned in high school. And certainly once you get past some the acronyms and abbreviations that are used in the industry it is easy to see that there is nothing magical about the terminology used by computer professionals.

We need not let these terms intimidate us. Once you look up a few terms that are frequently used it is easy to realize that what is being discussed is not all that complicated at all. Particularly when one realizes that most of these terms of simply made up out of thin air or they are simply abbreviations.

If you have teen-aged children, you are probably aware of the term 'bff'. Almost every knows that bff is an abbreviation for best friend for life. Nothing intimidating or complicated about that. But how many are intimidated for example by the term 'ISP'? ISP is simply an acronym for Internet Service Provider.

If you were having problems with your computer at home and a support person asked you who was your ISP you might me confused and intimidated, but If they simply asked who supplies you with your Internet connection you could easily reply Comcast or Time Warner. Most of the jargon surrounding technology is just that simple.

Don't be intimidated by these terms and don't proclaim that you are not technical. Chances are you are very technical at something. Please just recognize that technology is something new that has become crucial to learn.

You simply need to get started on that learning.

cwyl (Chat With You Later)
Kai

Youngest African American Male Bio-Engineer

2011-01-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

Cortlan James Wickliff, at nineteen (19) years old, was the youngest African-American male to attain a bioengineering degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas. Cortlan is now attending Harvard Law School to complete a JD in Intellectual Property and Patent Law. He also plans to complete a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.

From an early age he has displayed a profound and unusual sense of the world in which he lives and the role that he has been called to play as a student, leader and community activist, regularly seeking to give back and encourage his peers to likewise pursue stretch goals. A few weeks after his 15th birthday, Cortlan left home to began his college experience at the University of North Texas.

His early departure from high school was featured on Fox news and captured in print media in the Austin, Texas area. Two years after entering the University of North Texas, Cortlan completed the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science and transferred to Rice University in Houston, Texas to complete a bachelor’s degree in Bio (medical) Engineering.

Often recognized during his collegiate career as a President’s List and Dean’s List student, he received his bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering on May 15, 2010. While attending Rice, Cortlan gained significant research experience in the biomedical and bio-fuels areas. His research exploration efforts have included an Apparatus for Testing Hearing in Severely Premature Infants, Bio-fuel Catalysts and Enhanced Electronics for Cardiology Prototype Devices for which his presentation won his team a Commercialization Award.

His goal is to make significant contributions to enhancing medical equipment, medical treatments and the FDA processes for approving medicines and their delivery methodologies. Cortlan also has a passion for serving others especially within his peer group. He often reflects on the benefits gained from early exposure to professionals, their careers, and his travels.

Cortlan is convinced that if his peers are likewise exposed to more, they will elect to achieve more and perform at a higher level. Recognized nationally as an outstanding young leader, Cortlan appeared on the Tavis Smiley television show in December 2009 which was recorded in Los Angeles, California. He was also featured on the Houston based show Cross Roads hosted by Melanie Lawson and on NBC News interviewed by lead reporter Courtney Zavala.

Additionally, he has started his foundation, hosted several educational outreach forums, and served as a mentor and tutor for many middle schools through college aged students. He stands firm in his belief that he can make a positive impact on our global community and encourages others to do the same. Cortlan was born in Austin, Texas though his family is from a small town east of Houston – Liberty, Texas.

His mother, Tanya Dugat-Wickliff, a young teen mother who worked hard to defy the odds and achieve a PhD in engineering, served as a great inspiration for his career choices. His entrepreneurial spirit was birth while growing up shadowing his father in his automotive business, Anthony “Tony” Wickliff (deceased). Cortlan enjoys his side passion as a movie critic and spending quality time with his family and friends, especially his two brothers, Jamar and Raymond.

Discussing the Digital Divide with WURD's Bill Anderson

2011-01-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

I'm live on the radio @9am EST with Bill Anderson on Wednesday. This is part of his TechWeek 2011. Go to http://www.wakeupwithbill.com/ to listen, or Radiotime http://bit.ly/e1kFzD

I will be discussing the digital divide.

Improving Student Learning With Technology Tools

2011-01-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

One of my dearest friends is a career educator and principal in an elementary school in Texas. As the principal and the instructional leader of his campus, he is a staunch advocate for integrating technology into the curriculum.

I applaud him for that. He is definitely fighting an uphill battle in terms of motivating his teachers to embrace the technology tools. He is constantly lamenting how difficult it has been to motivate his staff to use the wealth of technology at his school.

Technology should be part of our children’s learning environment the same way it is part of their lives outside of the school walls. Why should they step back in time when they are going to the place where learning about the world is supposed to take place? No extra effort is used to integrate technology into their lives for them in the real world. Technology is PART of the real-world and it needs to be a component of their education.

Everywhere children are in the real world technology is right there with them. I understand that some are concerned with technology overload, and I agree, we must have balance. We do not want to sacrifice physical fitness and face-to-face interaction, but at the same time, we do not wish to cripple our children by not exposing them to technology that foster and expedite learning.

Albert Einstein said: I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn. What better way to provide the conditions for learning than with technology? My friend understands this. Technology allows for students to learn at their own pace, not the pace of the majority of the students, or the pace at which the teacher prefers, but their own pace.

Most in education would agree that the best teachers are those who had to go through teaching in the field before they actually faced a real classroom. My principal friend agrees. He prefers teachers who have spent their time in the classroom as a student-teachers before trying their hand in the classroom setting.

These days student-teaching is happening less and less and alternative certification (a process that bypasses student teaching), is more prevalent. With the advent of technology, introduced as part of the TeachMe initiative at the University of Central Florida, a new tool has recently been introduced that uses software to simulate student teaching.

Here is an excerpt from a recent article on Education Week regarding the TeachMe tool: Real-time classroom simulations like TeachME, supporters say, and offer promise for a host of teacher-training applications. Through them, candidates could gain hands-on practice with urban students, or practice a discrete skill such as classroom management. Most of all, such simulations give teachers in training the ability to experiment—and make mistakes—without the worry of doing harm to an actual child’s learning.

We need our teachers to embrace the wisdom of the quote provided above by Einstein and provide the conditions in which our children can learn. Understand that they do not have to do it all. Use the tools that are at their disposal. The same way that they used the technology of years gone by such as overhead projectors, they need to recapture that same enthusiasm and master and utilize the SmartBoards of today. Our children are counting on it!

Registration now open for the Microsoft bliink Web Design Competition

2011-01-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

* Register for online training and virtual labs

* Download classroom-tested learning resources

* Order free Expression Studio software for your school

Students will:

* Dream big about how technology can make the world a better place

* Learn more about the power of technology to solve real-world problems

* Receive Microsoft Expression® Studio professional software at no cost

* Create a website to communicate their learning and creativity

* Be excited about the opportunity for local and national recognition

* Work hard to earn prizes that include Xbox 360 and Kinect

Teachers will:

* Engage students with big ideas and meaningful problem-solving activities

* Receive Expression Studio professional Web design software for their school at no cost

* Appreciate the free teacher-created and class-room tested curriculum resources

* Value the abundant support and resources with the contest and Expression Studio

Competition is open to U.S. students ages 13-19 participating in teams of two to four.

Students can participate with projects created in or out of class.

Contest Registration begins January 5, 2011 and closes Feb 28, 2011.

Submission Deadline dates in early March vary by state.

Expression Studio software, learning resources and support are provided free of charge to qualified schools and all registered students.

Join us in free Live Meetings sessions to learn more about the contest and Expression Studio. Links to sessions on the website http://bit.ly/Bliink

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 7:00 PM EST Introduction to bliink

The Expression Web environment

Creating sites from a template

Thursday, Jan 13,2011 7:00 PM EST More about bliink

Creating a new site with layers

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:00 PM EST Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

Thursday, January, 20, 2011 7:00 PM EST Creating Dynamic Web Templates (DWT)

Meet us at TCEA in Austin, Texas!!

BYOD session: Web Design: A Communication Tool for Every Classroom Wed. Feb. 9, 1:30-3:00 PM

Workshop: Modern Web Design: A Door to your Students' World Fri. Feb. 11, 8:00-11:00 AM

For complete details visit http://bit.ly/Bliink

Email questions at innovativeteachers@microsoft.com

Microsoft College scholarships Encourage Students To Pursue Studies In Computer Science In 2010

2011-01-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

Microsoft College scholarships are designed to encourage students to pursue studies in computer science and related technical disciplines. Students will be awarded scholarships in recognition of their passion for software, academic excellence, and ability to make a difference in the software industry...more

National Business Plan Competition at Morehouse College

2010-12-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

I am so pleased to learn over the last few weeks that our young people and our universities are stepping up to become producers in the technology arena. First we learn of the two students at Spelman.

Then we learn of Veda Rogers in the Silicon Valley. It just keeps getting better. Recently, I heard from Guy Madison of Morehouse College’s Entrepreneurship Center with some very exciting news.

Morehouse College is hosting a National Business Plan competition. The competition is focused on students submitting smart phone application ideas and they want to make sure all students get engaged.

Guy is the Program Manager of the Morehouse College Entrepreneurship Center (MCEC). He told me that they would like to see students submit ideas so we can help them take part in the wealth creation of this newly developed industry. That is exactly what needs to happen! We need to get our students thinking and illustrating their creativity in the high tech industry. And one of our greatest institutions is leading the way.

He also told me that they were not many submissions from Texas or California. The competition is not just for business it is for all disciplines and they welcome all ideas. At the time I spoke to Mr. Madison he informed me that they do not have any submissions from California and I he was sure that there are students that would appreciate the opportunity to participate.

Also Morehouse will pick up the expenses to come to Atlanta if a student makes it to the finals of the competition. If you know of any students please share this information with them. Technical creation of the actual working application is not required. They are looking for innovative ideas for a smartphone application.

For details and to submit your business plans electronically you can visit the center’s website at http://www.mcecenter.com/ or by calling 404-962-9865. The center is also on Facebook at www.mcecenter.com/facebook

You can also reach Mr. Madison via email at gmadison@mcecenter.com.

Microsoft Bliink 2011 Web Design Competition

2010-12-15T18:15:00.000-08:00

The Microsoft Bliink 2011 Web Design Competition will be open for student registration beginning Jan. 5, 2011. The site with all of the specific details for each contest will be ready fairly soon, but for now you can use this time to make sure that participating teachers and students receive software free of charge and to point them to the many free teaching and learning resources at Expression For Educators. Also, teachers are invited to attend free online demonstrations sessions where they can ask questions about Bliink and Expression.

Bliink is open to students ages 13-19 participating in teams of two to four. Students build a website that communicates their vision of the future and may submit projects created in or out of class. Contest registration begins Jan. 5, 2011. Submission deadline dates in early March vary by state. Inquire about receiving Expression Studio software free of charge for your school. Students can download Expression Studio free for their personal PCs at DreamSpark.

New Web Academy Classes added for 2011

2010-12-10T19:36:00.001-08:00

The Web Academy adds new classes for 2011. You can learn more about the new course offerings here.

Support African American Business and Help Your Child with Multiplication Skills

2010-12-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

This week I was made aware of another African American woman who has created a mobile application. As the folks at McDonalds like to say: “I’m lovin it”. African Americans need to get involved with these technologies and play in this space and sisters are doing it for themselves, as they say.

Last week I wrote about the two sisters at Spelman who won the grand prize in the 2010 ATandT Big Mobile on Campus Challenge for creating a next-generation application highlighting the culture of HBCUs. This week I bring you Veda Rogers. Veda has developed an educational game for the Android platform called Multiple Madness. You can learn more about the application here.

These ladies represent a broad spectrum in terms of experience, highlighting the enormous opportunity that exists in the mobile software development field. In contrast to the two Spelman students, Mrs. Rogers is a veteran of the software development industry with over 20 years experience in the Silicon Valley.
She has a background in software development and has worked for Fortune 500 companies, however, prior to creating Multiple Madness she did not have any previous experience writing programs for the Android platform.

Veda told me that she made the decision early in the development process to keep the app simple. It took her 3 months to develop the application working part-time in the evenings and on weekends. Multiple Madness is available on the Android Market and its cost $.99.

It is a simple math game that can be used by adults and children who wish to test their multiplication skills. It is designed to test your knowledge of multiplication. Veda is making moves in this industry. She informed me that she is currently working on other mobile apps and she also shared that she is concerned about the lack of African Americans taking advantage of the opportunities that these technologies provide. Ditto!

Not only is Mrs. Rogers a technologist but she has recently thrown her hat into the entrepreneurial area. She has created a mobile business that offers Android training, mobile application management, and mobile application development.

If you are considering learning these very lucrative skills and you live in the Silicon Valley area you should contact Veda. Not only is she deeply concerned with the lack of African Americans playing in the space, but she has decided to do something about it.

I like it Veda. Keep up the good work!

Spelman College Students Win 2010 AT&T Big Mobile on Campus Challenge

2010-11-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

Two students from Spelman College recently won The 2010 AT&T Big Mobile on Campus Challenge (SM). Jonecia Keel and Jazmine Miller, both of whom are dual degree majors in computer science and computer engineering, developed an iPhone App called HBCU Buddy.

I was so excited to learn about this application that I immediately grabbed my iPhone and visited Apple's App Store to download the app. Jonecia and Jazmine have become producers and I LOVE it. Hopefully, other HBCU's who do not have their students engaged in such competitions or at least include opportunities to develop mobile application for platforms such as the iPhone and the iPad as part of their computer science curriculum.

After downloading the app it was great to see the splash page which credits Miss Keel and Miss Miller and the INVENTORS and DEVELOPERS of the application. These two young women have joined the ranks of Garrett Morgan and Lewis Latimer as inventors and producers of products using the technology of the time. This helps our young people to identify and believe that we belong in this space.

The application provides quite a bit of functionality for its first release. HBCU Buddy includes an extensive list of HBCU's that you can view alphabetically. You can also list the institutions by ranking, region, and state. Once you select the HBCU of your choice, you are provided with a wealth of information regarding that school.

For example, I selected Fisk University, and I immediately learned that its overall HBCU rank is 4. I also learned that the average ACT score is 17-21 and that instate tuition is $17,000. There is also section that lists all of the majors offered. For high school students preparing for their college careers, having this information at their fingertips could prove to be quite useful.

There is also contact information on each HBCU to include maps and directions as well as the ability to navigate to the schools website from within HBCU buddy. I have only given a glimpse of what HBCU Buddy can do.

It also includes a social media component and I understand our young inventors are hard at work to enhance the virtual features, and hopefully we can expect a version optimized for the iPad in the near future as well as versions for BlackBerry and Android devices.

At this time HBCU Buddy is a free app that you can download from Apple's App Store. You can learn more about HBCU Buddy here.

Congratulations Jonecia and Jazmine on a job well done!

USA 2011 ImagineCup by Microsoft

2010-11-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

ImagineCup 2011 is here. Learn more here

Computer Science Education Week

2010-11-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

December 5th thru 11th is Computer Science Education Week. CSEdWeek 2010 is a call to action to raise awareness about computer science education and computing careers. CSEdWeek is endorsed by the U.S. Congress and is in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Hopper (December 9, 1906). You can learn more by visiting http://www.csedweek.org/

Buy a Book Once. Read It Everywhere

2010-11-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

I love to learn. I consider myself a lifelong learner. This is why I love to read. I feel that I can learn anything if I can get my hands on a book. In my opinion, the day you stop learning is the day you die.

Most of what I read has to do with personal development since I intend to continue to improve myself as long as I am on the planet. My goal is to be the best Kai Dupé that I can be before my time is done. The idea that people who continue to learn are the most successful has been documented for many years.

Technology is moving so fast these days it is hard to keep pace. Now there are many ways for active learners to consume knowledge. I think this is very exciting. Big changes are happening with books. We now have digital books. We have e-books and we also have books online via Google Books.

I have over 500 books in my library. This creation of eBooks reminds me of when the music industry moved from cassettes to compact discs. I remember rebuilding my entire collection. It was very expensive. One of my favorite albums of all time is Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall. I had that recording in 8-track. I subsequently purchase the cassette, cd, and now mp3 version of the record to listen to on my iPod.

I found myself doing the same thing now when it comes to my library of books. It is not quite as expensive this time since I have learned to only rebuild those members of my library that I truly love. There are so books that I have enjoyed and I will keep them, but I see no reason to have copies in several media. What I have done is develop a strategy for purchasing new books for my library. Here is my strategy:

1. I purchase a print copy of the book. This may be hardcopy or paperback. But this is going to be my master copy. This copy stays in my office on my bookshelf. Since I do actually enjoying reading a print copy I will read this copy of the book if I am reading at home.

2. I also purchase a Kindle version of the same book. This usually costs me $9.99 on Amazon’s Kindle store.

3. I have downloaded Kindle Readers (these are free from Amazon). I have a reader for my mac, iPad, desktop PC, iPhone, and Kindle. Now when I am traveling or at work, or in the gym I wish to read a book from my library I can read it any where and I only paid for the content once.

This strategy has worked great for me. I have actually found scenarios to use each one of the readers. I have been on line at the grocery store and found myself spending a few minutes reading on my iPhone. Sometimes on breaks in a meeting I have found myself reading on my iPad.

I also read quite a bit in my hotel room from the iPad. I find when I am relaxing maybe outside or reading a book that is not work related that I choose to read on my Kindle. The Kindle is also nice on flights when I am dedicated to reading and do not wish to serve the web or check email

Mastering the technology of the Mind

2010-11-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

Recent research by Jane Margolis and Mark Warschauer regarding why certain groups are under-represented in computing suggests that it is a social issue as much as it is an access issue. Much has been written regarding the achievement gap between African Americans and their counterparts.

In virtually every metric of educational achievement African Americans are behind. In this knowledge-based economy, this concern has moved forward with concerns regarding digital equity, and the digital divide, the gap between African Americans and their contemporaries in terms of adoption of technology.

These problems begin with the mindset that many African American students adopt as young students. The first piece of technology that students must master is their mind. They must master their thoughts and protect them from the toxic messages of under achievement they may have received from well-meaning teachers, students, peers and leaders.

Before African Americans, or any group for that matter, deals with the programming of their most important technology, their minds, it does not matter how much reform is put in place or how much money is spent on equipment and programs. Here are a few of the ways we are planting the seeds of educational technology incompetence.

Labeling Students
Let’s stop referring to our students using labels. A few that are particularly disturbing to me are at-risk, under-performing, under-achieving, disadvantaged, and low-income. We don’t label the teachers. Why label the students? After all, isn’t this all about the students? If we simply must label students, although I'm not sure why we need to, why not give them an empowering moniker such as improved, developing, or performing-at-his-or-her pace?

If it is known that students learn in different ways, should not our approaches to educating them be varied as well? These labels send messages to the students. They become thoughts as well as beliefs and soon the students themselves begin to question their own abilities. If you label and program them to fail and underachieve, that is exactly what they are going to do.

Negative Conditioning
All students need to affirm and be affirmed. It would also help if they could connect with the idea that they can be innovators and producers of technology. Students who are of minority ethnic groups need to be able to see and identify with people who look like them as engineers, computer scientists and technologists. There is much in the literature regarding how well students perform when teachers have higher expectations of them.

It has been reported recently that minority students and women are discouraged during their college years by instructors from pursuing careers in science. The word discourage consists of the prefix dis- which means to remove and of course the word courage. Discourage means to remove courage. Obviously, this does not seem ideal that instructors are removing courage from students who wish to enter the science fields.

But this makes my point precisely. The first thing that must happen to improve this situation is that students must be ENCOURAGED. Courage is defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. The key words in this definition are quality of mind. This is where the difference is made in the mind. This is where the change needs to take place, not only with the students but also as mentioned above with those whom have been entrusted with the awesome responsibility and privilege of educating our youth.

Programming for Success
The first piece of technology that needs to be integrated by student and teacher is the technology of the mind. Parents, teachers, leaders, and the students themselves need to practice being mindful of their thoughts and words.

Any idea, thought, or practice that is not uplifting or encouraging needs to done away with. Teachers need to replace thoughts such as “I’m not computer literate” with something more positive such as “I have not learned this technology yet, but I will learn it to be a better model for my students and a more effective educator.” There is no technology or social media that can do this for you. But if the mind is programmed first the rest will follow.

Hotep!

Blacks in Technology Interview with Greg Greenlee

2010-10-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I was honored to be interviewed by Greg Greenlee of the Blacks in Technology (BIT) portal for African Americans in IT. BIT is doing a wonderful and necessary work to improve our presence in the world of IT and connecting us to each other. You can listen to the podcast here.

Hotep,
Kai

The Meaning of House Resolution 6078: 21st century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities

2010-10-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

On July 30th, 2010 House Resolution 6078: 21st century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act was introduced. According to the website, the purpose of the bill is:

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide grants to local educational agencies to encourage girls and underrepresented minorities to pursue studies and careers in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
The bill was sponsored by Representative Lynn Woolsey a democrat from California’s 6th District. The bill is currently in committee. The full text for the bill can be downloaded here. In the text of the bill it is stated that the goal of the bill is “to prepare girls and underrepresented minorities for the 21st century”.

There is no doubt that America needs more women and minorities represented in STEM. When the government passes legislation you can be sure that whatever the bill is intended to correct has reached a crisis state.

In other words, this lack of women and minorities in the STEM fields has now been identified as a problem for not only women and minorities but it is a problem for the country. Although this legislation has not been passed, it is an indication that there is a serious issue that needs to be solved and further, the usual social institutions schools, churches, philanthropic organizations have proved incapable or unwilling to remedy the situation.

The issue of African Americans and other minorities as well as women being under represented in STEM has been an issue for quite some time. And while I applaud the effort of Representative Woolsey and her effort to ensure that funds are allocated to programs to improve the dearth of minorities and women in the science, technology and engineering fields it must be recognized that money is only a part of the answer.

Women are other minorities are underrepresented in STEM because there is a historical legacy that prohibited them from participating in technology. Further, women have always been conditioned that math is not for girls.

It reminds me of when Malcolm X tells the story in his autobiography of how his teacher advised him that law was not a good career choice for an African American. This is a different time, but the story remains the same.

Any program that is serious about improving the representation of minorities and women in the STEM fields needs to start there. These messages are still being transmitted to our children. And we need to stop it. We need to remove the negative conditioning that is prevalent in the schools, churches, homes, and other institutions.

And we must teach our children to protect their minds from such conditioning. Additionally, these programs should make as their chief aim to reprogram the minds of our children with positive messages of encouragement and provide for them with examples of women and minorities who have excelled in science in the past, present and future.

Hotep,
Kai

Mastering the Technology of the Mind

2010-10-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

I am honored to be a guest blogger on NextGen Learning Challenges. You can read my post here

Get A New Attitude

2010-09-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed when people gleefully proclaim that they are computer illiterate. Some even wear it as a badge of honor. The minute you asked them if they know how to do something remotely related to technology they quickly announce: “Oh you know I don’t know anything about computers” or "When it comes to computers I am TOTALLY ILLITERATE!"

Usually they are wearing a big bright smile and not giving any indication that they are ashamed or embarrased by their lack of technical unnderstanding. This needs to change. Particularly in the African American community. This is not something to brag about. So let us stop it.

You may as well announce to the world that you ARE illiterate or that you are no good at reading, writing, and arithmetic, the so-called basics. Technology is a new literacy. If you don't believe me pick up a copy of New Literacies by Michelle Knobel on Amazon. Say it with me; TECHNOLOGY IS A NEW LITERACY. President Barack Obama recently stated: Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today, especially in science, technology, engineering and math.

As we all know when it rains in America it is a hurricane in Black America. Everything bad we experience more and everything good we experience less. The statistics on the number of African Americans attending college versus how many are in prison come to mind.

Hurricane Technology is raining down upon us right now. A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education laments "Black people are so underrepresented in computer science that the term "black computer scientist" might be considered an oxymoron".

It does not have to be this way. Why are we so proud that we are behind in technology? What is holding us back from grabbing hold of this thing called technology and mastering it and becoming innovators and creators the way we took music and created jazz and rap.

There is no doubt that our creativity is still there. We need to direct some of our energies to the areas that are reframing the way we live our lives and interact in the world. The next time someone asks you if you know something about technology, do me a favor, think about it for a second and if your usual response would be the joyful proclamation, "Nope I have no idea".

Instead ask them why is that technology useful or important. Further, ask them how did they learn how to do it and if they would be willing to help you or connect you with someone to help you grow and learn a new skill. Then the next time you are asked that question you can gleefully respond with the same smile you gave before, but this time your smile will be a smile of pride emanating from what you know instead of what you don't.

Until Next Time,

Kai Dupé

3 Social Networks for African American Engineers

2010-09-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

One of the findings of recent research studying the problems of why African Americans are under represented in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields is that African Americans are not the beneficiaries are support communities that help to deal with the challenges of pursuing careers in technology.

Recent research indicates that “social networks are ubiquitous among the middle classes, and provide vital paths to privilege and opportunity for them, students of color typically experience the opposite –that is, the ubiquity of network barriers and entrapments along with the resulting absence of an informed, active network is limiting, to say the least“ (Margolis, 2008, p.92).

It should not be surprising that building networks is crucial to the success of programs at the college level if the goal is to support under represented learners. These directives are based on the import of supportive communities where students in these groups can strengthen each other’s learning and provide help and support for each other (Margolis, 2008).

However, there are several organizations that are available to African Americans that provide exactly the support communities needed. Here are three that are doing a great job in this area. They are The Black Data Processing Associates (BPDA), The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Blacks in Technology (BITS.net).

BDPA has chapters all over the country including chapters in Houston and Dallas. The organization works with several major corporations to provide scholarships to students and work to secure grants to fund their myriad of programs such as their High School Computer Competition (HSCC).

Each year they organize their national technology conference, which boasts a job fair, workshops, an awards banquet, and the crowning of the HSCC winner. You can learn more about BDPA by visiting their website at http://www.bdpa.org/

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), with more than 35,700 members, is one of the largest student-governed organizations in the country. NSBE now includes more than 450 College, Pre-College, and Technical Professional/Alumni chapters in the United States and abroad.

NSBE’s mission is "to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community." You can learn more about NSBE by visiting their site at visit http://www.nsbe.org/.

The Blacks in Technology Portal (BITS) mission from their site is to build a forum and development network that extends throughout the U.S. With a “one BIT at a time approach”, Blacks In Technology will serve as a catalyst for changing the mindset of African Americans with regards to the field of technology by giving a voice to those who want to be heard and mentoring those who want to learn. You should visit BITS at http://www.blacksintechnology.net/ The founders and publishers encourage us to join their site because:

Knowledge is power. We invite you and others in the community to share your knowledge, information, skills, and experiences. Whether it’s tips or tricks, basic or advanced, every “bit” of knowledge is good knowledge. Everyone has some knowledge to share, from networking, systems administration, programming to career advancement strategies. We welcome your thought-leadership and expertise to build this value-add community through interactive knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is empowering.

This site is providing precisely the kind of community and supportive network that the research is indicating is needed to aid African Americans be successful when they choose to pursue a career in STEM. The Black Data Processing Associates (BPDA), The National Society of Black Engineers, and the Blacks in Technology portal are three wonderful organizations that have stepped up to provide the experiences and leadership needed to ensure that African Americans are not left behind in the information society.

Is Your Child Being Discouraged From Pursuing a Career in Science?

2010-09-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

In a recent study by The Bayer Corporation it has been reported than many minorities as well as women have been discouraged from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM). The report indicates that the culprit is the American educational system.

40% of today's women and underrepresented minority chemists and chemical engineers in the United States say they were discouraged from pursuing a STEM career (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) at some point in their lives, according to the study (Bayer, 2010).

Those surveyed said that this happened to them mostly while they were in college, and the person most likely to discourage them is their instructor. Really? I found this study very interesting because I experienced this while I was an undergraduate student pursuing my computer science degree.

The incident occurred when I approached my advisor about my plans to double major in computer science and business. I needed his advice on adding the business major and to plan my route to register for the courses to reach my goal. I was already majoring in computer science and I wanted to add business administration and get credited for 2 degrees.

I was met with opposition from my advisor. He told me that he did not think I had what it took to complete a degree in computer science, let alone be successful at any attempt to double-major. My first thought was Wow! You can tell all of that about me from letter grades on a piece of paper?

My second thought was where is the encouragement? He suggested that I change my major to one less challenging than computer science and to forget about the idea of double majoring completely. I think not. I politely told him that I appreciate his feedback but I would expect him to help me file the needed paperwork to be registered as a double major and if he could direct me to an appropriate advisor in the business major.

I graduated in 1986 with a double major in computer science and business administration. I have enjoyed a very successful career in computer science and business. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised to learn that this still happens? Is this about the school I chose?

Was it personal for my advisor? Did my advisor think he was doing a good thing by giving me this advice? I do not know what the answer is, but what I do know is that it was not helpful to me. While I am studying the dearth of African American males in computing it is interesting to discover the myriad of social practices that lead to this situation.

How many young men have experienced this discouragement and decided to change majors to one less challenging? Do not fall victim to this type of discouragement. Be strong and move forward toward your goals. If your advisor or instructor is discouraging you find a new one. Find one that is positive and encouraging and who will work with you to encourage your success.

How to use technology to solve problems in our communities

2010-08-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

I am an avid reader of Jet magazine. As I was reading the latest issue of Jet I noticed that it has been re-designed and it has a fresh new look. As part of their new format, each week they profile an iPhone app. This is great. It would be great if Black newspapers followed suit.

I have actually downloaded a couple of the apps they profiled. As I was reading I was wondering how many of these apps were developed by Black software engineers? How many of the apps that Jet is promoting (sending business) are developed by Black companies.

I went back and checked out a few of my previous issues. Admittedly, I did not do very much research, but it appears that the few I researched were not developed by Black-owned businesses. This is not a critique of Jet. The point I wish to make is that there are many opportunities for black software companies or a couple of brothers working out of their garage (how Apple started) to develop an app that speaks to the black community and solves a problem from our black perspective.

Yesterday I was listening to a local talk radio program in Austin. The topic of the day was supporting black business. Someone called in and said they would like to support black business but they don’t know what black businesses are out there. My initial thought was “Are you kidding me?”

The hosts of the show referred the caller to a local print version of a black business registry. Really? Is that the best we can do? We had those in the 80’s. Why don’t we teach some of your young people how to develop iPhone apps? Many of these problems that are relevant to our community can be solved by leveraging technology the same way that others are leveraging them to solve their problems.

Can you imagine an iPhone application that lists by category the black businesses based on your location. I would love something like that. When I roll into Dallas the app can tell me where to get my haircut, where to eat, what churches I might visit, what black museums are in the area, etc.

Or next week when I am speaking in Chicago the app can tell me where I can get a nice soul food meal or where the local black art galleries are. Every time you are in need of a business or service you can grab your trust iPhone app and immediately have a way to spend your hard earned money with a black business. This is just one idea. I have many. What I don’t have is time to develop them.

Those of you who have children, who are studying computers in college, suggest ideas such as these to them. Start them on the path to thinking about how can use the new skills they are learning to solve problems in their communities. Get their creative juices flowing. The minute one of you develops this app let me know, so I can call Jet.

Hotep Kai

5 Tips for Saving Money on College Textbooks

2010-08-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Addendum: Today I just learned about Flat World Knowledge and their e-book textbook model so I had to add it to this post. You can check out the story here.

The price of textbooks is one of the biggest expenses outside of tuition that college students face.

However if you are aware of all of your options you can purchase all of your textbooks without breaking the bank. There are a many ways you can save money on textbooks.

As a student and scholar I am constantly buying books either for class or research. I am always looking at new ways to protect my cash flow. Here are a few of my favorite options.

FIND THE BEST PRICE
It used to be that the best way to find the cheapest price was to purchase a used book. While that may still be the case for some of your textbooks, one does not necessarily have to purchase a used book in order to secure the best price. If you do decide to go the used route you can conduct your search completely online. There are several sites you can use to compare prices for your text books. I usually look for used books on Amazon but here are a few other options:

• Half Price Books (half.com)
• Bookfinder (bookfinder.com)
• iChapters (iChapters.com)
• eFollet (eFollet.com)
• Craigslist (craigslist.com)

AUDIOBOOKS
Audiobooks is another great option. If you signup for a premium account you can purchase audiobooks for as little as $7.59. I paid monthly and earned credits. I will admit it is harder to find traditional textbooks in audiobook format but it is always improving. Some of the books I have on audiobook that I have used in class are 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and Good to Great by Jim Collins.

E-BOOKS
There is a Kindle reader for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, and iPad. The Kindle reader is free. Here is an example. As part of my doctoral studies, I took a leadership course. The textbook for the course was Leadership by Northouse. The list price of the book is $84.95. It is listed on Amazon for $64.90 and the Kindle is even cheaper at $58.78. Not only is the Kindle version cheaper but you always have access to it.

RENTALS
Renting is another option these days. There are several sites that have come to my attention recently that allows you to rent textbooks. Sites such as Chegg.com, BookRenter.com, and College Book Renter now allow you to rent a book for a limited amount of time for free. The model works in the same way as most video rental services such as Netflix. The books are shipped to you via mail. Barnes and Noble (http://www.bn.com/) also rents textbooks.

OTHER OPTIONS
Depending on how old the book is, in other words if the copyright has expired, you can gain access to the book at Google Books (http://books.google.com/). I have to admit I most use Google Books to look up references in books as part of my research. But you never know, the idea here is keep your options open.

There is also a site called PaperBackSwap (http://www.paperbackswap.com/). It is a book trading site. I just recently traded someone for What Makes the Great Great by Dennis Kimbro. Since this option is free I figured I would include it under the Find the best Price heading. Also do not forget to check your local library.

Hotep,
Kai

Making Technology Relevant

2010-08-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I received an email from my nephew. His wife is a teacher. She has been charged with using a learning management system (LMS) called Blackboard and he was trying to find information on using this new tool. In the message, he mentions that he went out to YouTube to find video instructions. Brilliant!

I have taught programming classes online and asked questions of the students, and they have the audacity to reply “I don’t know”. Look it up! My mother used to tell me that all of the time. The only difference is that I was going to a bookshelf and pulling down an encyclopedia.

Now we have WikiPedia. My students were already online since we were conducting class online. All they had to do is click over and query Google, Facebook, WikiPedia etc for the answer. Not only can you look it up, but also you can look up a video where you are being show a demonstration or perhaps an interview from a world-class expert on the subject.

This is a great way to use the web to seek out knowledge. Bill Gates recently mentioned that in 5 years the best education will come from the web. I must say I agree. I think this is a great example. My nephew was also surprised by the many educational apps that are available for the iPod touch. My work is about us knowing what is available and taking advantage of it. These apps have been available since the iPod Touch arrived. Since he was surprised by the power of these apps, what are the chances that his daughter has been using and benefiting from this technology?

I read an article recently that touted the educational benefits of TV. Digital TV has made that case even more strongly, and after all Bill Cosby’s thesis (Fat Albert) was a study how television could be used to strengthen curriculum. In 1976, Cosby earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts. For his doctoral research, he wrote a dissertation entitled, "An Integration of the Visual Media Via 'Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids' Into the Elementary School Curriculum as a Teaching Aid and Vehicle to Achieve Increased Learning".

An iPod Touch is a more versatile, mobile medium and any quality content from a television can be ported to an iPod touch, not to mention the power of educational applications. We are only scratching the surface of what can be done in terms of educational technology. I gave a presentation a couple of years ago at Rust College. My topic was Making Technology Relevant.

It was a spin on what Gloria Ladson-Billings coined in term of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) in her brilliant book Dreamkeepers. Emerging Technologies have made it easier to make traditional content relevant, and it certainly can facilitate making technology itself more relevant from a cultural standpoint.

We need more African Americans, Latinos and women pursuing careers in STEM. We need to connect their culture with the technology. This is not a new concept. All learning is culture specific. It just so happens it is the culture of the majority group. If content were taught from a Latino cultural center perhaps we would see the majority groups struggle as well.

Why don't we engage everyone and do what is need so all groups thrive!

American Honda Foundation Awards $25,000 to BDPA Education and Technology Foundation

2010-08-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE PARK MD (August 19, 2010) - American Honda Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF), a nonprofit organization led by racially diverse CEOs and executive level management who promote educational programs for students of color in the information technology industry.

The grant funds will be used for our Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. It will assist in supporting the administrative operation of the National BDPA efforts to support its 45 chapters in preparing and bringing students to the National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) held at the national BDPA Technology Conference each year. A portion of the funding will go to BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter to support the exceptional work they are doing with the youth in Minnesota.

“The American Honda Foundations' Board of Directors has decided to partner with the BETF in its efforts to make a difference in the lives of our youth," said AHF senior program officer Donna Hammond-Cotton. "In fact, the SITES program ranked number one out of the top 15 finalists! Not to mention that there were over 500 other proposals that we had to review for consideration this quarter."

BDPA served over 800 young people in the 2010 SITES program. The program culminated last month with the 2010 national BDPA HSCC held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Five high schoolers from Rochester, Minnesota won the national championships with stiff competition by teams from Washington DC, Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis. The SITES program is poised for growth in all 45 chapters due to its ongoing success in raising students' performance in school.

"We're excited to work with American Honda Foundation to expand our SITES program, said BETF executive director Wayne Hicks. "We strongly believe that BDPA can advance the careers of these students from the classroom to the boardroom."

The SITES program effectively uses technology to stimulate and sustain the interest of young people in science and technology. BDPA seeks an increased interest from parents and students alike on basic science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) knowledge and integration of science, technology and math in their lives. BDPA is building a strong relationship with public school systems around the nation to entice high school students to participate in our program.

The Web Academy

2010-08-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I did a presentation at The Educational Challenge Conference in Houston. As often happens when I speak at one of these conferences many of the attendees come up to me after the session and ask me about getting training in computer or web skills.

As I have written in other posts here, there are several paths one can take to become a technology professional. I have NOT ever outlined a path that does not require any money on the part of the learner. In most scenarios, the learners are responsible for paying for college courses, buying books, or self paced learning software.

Today I am writing about one the free options. If you are interesting in learning web programming skills but you can’t afford to take classes or buy the learning materials you may be interested in The Web Academy. The Web Academy was born out of the desire to serve, according to their website.

I first learned of the The Web Academy from a mutual friend via Twitter. I immediately connected with the founder Eric Hamilton, on Facebook to learn what I could do to help him accomplish his mission of exposing more young people to web technology. The Web Academy provides FREE web design courses to the community and low cost web development services to non profit organizations and low income businesses.

100% of their course work is distance learning taught by live instructors in real time. In exchange for offering FREE web classes to their students, they require our students to take on at least 3 web development projects. Working on these real life web projects with real web clients gives their students actual work experience in the web industry.

During class time, students are able to interact with their instructors and ask questions, just like being in an actual classroom. All you need is a computer, and a broadband connection and you are able to take these classes and learn a marketable skill free of charge.

What are you waiting for?

Five tips for becoming a computer programmer

2010-08-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

1. Determine what kind of programming you are interested in:

When I first became a computer programmer there were only 2 types of programming jobs to choose from. You either had to write code for a mainframe computer or what was then called a personal computer (PC). I did not have any interest in programming on a mainframe. Although I learned how to use languages such as FORTRAN and COBOL, this kind of software development did not interest me. Today, there are a few more choices for the new programmer. Before you get too far down the path on learning your craft, take a step back and decide whether you want to develop software for the web, mobile devices, or the desktop.

2. Learn the fundamentals of programming:

Do not equate learning a language with learning the craft of programming. These are 2 different skills. To be a good developer, there are at least 2 skills that you must master. You must learn how to program and you must learn how to use a programming language. I have seen many people make this mistake when transitioning from other careers into programming. In some ways, programming is problem solving. Learning a language will not help you to problem solve, and the problem solving is the essence of computer programming.

3. Choose a Programming Language:

Earlier I mentioned 2 programming languages that I learned in college for programming mainframe computers (FORTRAN & COBOL). Today there are many more languages to choose from. Over the years I have used many languages. I have never used COBOL or FORTRAN professionally, but I have used languages such as Clipper, PowerBuilder, C++, C# and Delphi. There are many languages such as Java and Python that I have never used. Some I care for, some I do not. Take your time and explore some of these languages and determine if you like one more than the others. Solve a problem using one of these languages. You might also do a search on Monster to see which languages are most in demand. For years Visual Basic was THE most popular programming language. I read recently in an article that there are over 14,0000 jobs available for PHP.

4. Determine the best way for you to learn the craft of programmng:

There are multiple ways to learn the art of programming. I wrote a recent post here regarding several ways you can go about becoming a computer programmer. No one way is better than the other, the key is to find what works for you. I actually went to college and earned a degree in computer science. This worked for me. But in my professional career I have met many colleagues who have taken very different paths to arrive at the same destination. Choose the path that best fits your situation. I am also a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). In order to become certified you must pass a series of exams. For this credential I was able to used the MS self-paced training kit and I was very successful. Figure out what works for you.

5. Determine if you enjoy the work:

After completing steps 1 through 4, take a step back and evaluate what you have learned. Take a moment to reflect and determine if you are enjoying the work and knowledge you have obtained. There is nothing worse than being locked into a career or job that does not energize you. At this point, you should have some feel about whether or not you enjoy what programming is. Do you see the kinds of opportunities you had envisioned before started out on the journey. Is the work as challenging as you thought? Are the problems you are solving interesting? If you have reached this point and you feel good about it, then you are well on your way. Now you just need to gain experience. Practice makes perfect. From this point you simply need to do what programmers do, program!

The Educational Challenge Conference in Houston

2010-08-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday I spoke at The Educational Challenge Conference in Houston. The conference was organized by Muhammad University of The Nation of Islam. My topic was 7 Strategies to Engage African American Males in Technology. The session was scheduled for 1 hour and 15 minutes, but you know how passionate black folks can be when we are discussing the future of our children. Our conversation lasted for nearly 2 hours.

I shared with the group how important I believe it is that we get our young boys involved in technology. Technology is no longer an area that we can simply choose not to participate. We must participate. Technology is a new literacy. This is why President Obama has created initiatives around the idea of getting more American students to participate in the STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

American students in general have turned away from these areas; some say for good reason, but young black males are the most under represented group of them all. The reason why I decided to host this talk is two fold.

First, I wanted to make our people are aware of some of the reasons why young black males are not pursuing careers in technology. I gave 7 reasons that are evidenced based. I also gave 7 corrective measures. Our under representation is a systemic issue and I gave many examples of the structural and institutional challenges our boys face.

Secondly, I wanted to make attendees aware that this is an issue of economic access now and into the future. The National Alliance of Black School Educators has termed education a civil right. I agree. But we need to be sure that when we think of education, we include technology as part of the required curriculum.

The participants responded well. Many of them were unaware of the opportunities that are out there for our children. Moreover, several attendees remarked to me that they may have been aware of the opportunities but did not have a roadmap of how to get to those opportunities.

This is precisely why I wanted to have the conversation. It has been reported that unemployment among black males is the highest of any group in the country, and the country is experiencing record unemployment. 70% of all new jobs in the future will be the STEM fields and 80% of those jobs are yet to be defined.

Translation: If you do not become adept at understanding technology and keeping up with the changing pace of the global economy you will remain in the ranks of the unemployed and the locked out. There is no reason why we can not prosper in these fields like everyone else in the country and indeed in the world.

Yet we are severely under represented. We need more conferences like the The Educational Challenge. And we need to come out in force and learn from those in our communities who have the expertise, passion and familiarity with the problems in our communities and take these messages back to our families to implement.

Hotep,
Brother Kai

How to Download Professional Microsoft Software Tools without Paying

2010-08-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Microsoft DreamSpark? DreamSpark is a website from Microsoft that provides students with Microsoft Professional Tools at no charge. This would have certainly been helpful when I was in college. I can vividly remember suffering through one of my programming courses because I did not have the software required for the course.

I had to copy the software from one of my classmates. However, I was still at a disadvantage because I did not have the guide that came with the software. I was reduced to using the help files on the software disk. On the DreamSpark site, you can get access to Microsoft software in 3 easy steps. First, you have to sign in.

The only catch here is that you must have a Windows Live Id. The second step is student verification. The site offers a few ways you can provide verification and they are outlined on the site. After you are verified you are ready to download free software.

Here are a few of software titles that were available when I visited the site last week:

Visual Studio 2010 Professional
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard
Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
Microsoft Expression Studio 4 Ultimate
Visual Studio 2010 Express
Windows Server 2008 Standard
SQL Server 2008 Developer

The site also provides links to valuable training resources. There are links to virtual labs, articles, and videos on everything from ASP.net to Visual Studio. You can also signup for the Microsoft Student Newsletter.

As an instructor at Kaplan University, often times I would instruct my students to utilize this site when they had not received their books for class or if they had other problems with accessing the materials they needed to be successful in the course.

DreamSpark is a great resource. Students from all around the country are taking advantage of it. Maybe you were aware of it, but if not, now you can take advantage of it too.

Hotep,
Kai

10 Must Have iPhone Apps According to Kai Dupé

2010-07-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

The iPhone App Store has over 200,000 apps. There have been over1 billion downloads since the App Store launched. To help you sort through them all, here’s my list of the best apps I’ve found on the iPhone. I find new apps everday, so I am in a few weeks my favorites will change. At that time, I will simply post a new list.

1. Dropbox

Dropbox is a great cloud service that automatically syncs a folder of files between multiple computers (Windows, Mac, or Linux) as well as your iPad. I use it to store all of my research files for my writing.

2. Evernote

The iPhone is a great device for note-taking, and Evernote is a great note-taking app. It is similar to Dropbox in that it saves data locally but syncs it across all your machines and devices. I used this app extensively to take notes while my wife and I were house hunting in Houston.

3. Amazon Kindle

I love my Kindle digital book reader, and I am an even bigger fan of the Kindle iPhone app. Since it was released I’ve read a lot more books simply because my iPhone is always with me and I can pull it and read a few pages anytime I’ve got a couple minutes free. This app is even better on the iPad.

4. Tripit

I am big fan of Tripit. It is the best app I’ve come across for managing travel plans. You simply forward your confirmation emails for your flights, hotels, rental cars, and more to Tripit and it automatically organizes them into trips with all your details and confirmation numbers. Fantastic!

5. TED Mobile

TED is a fascinating event that features a meeting of the minds of some of society’s thought leaders. The folks at TED took the videos from their conference and made them freely available on the Web. This app provides a great way to access the videos.

6. Pandora

Pandora is a streaming “radio station” for the web. You simply search by an artist or song and it will create a mix based on that one piece of information.

7. Toodledo

There are plenty of to-do apps to choose from but I prefer Toodledo because of the solid interface and the fact that it can sync with the online service Toodledo.

8. U-verse TV

U-verse TV allows me to access the guide on my home TV from wherever I am. I can see what is playing, what I have scheduled to record, or decide to schedule a recording. I just used this app yesterday when I found out President Obama was scheduled to appear on The View this Thursday.

9. Recorder

Recorder is a digital voice recorder that it always with you. The great part about this app is that you can download your recordings from an email link that it generates using a wi-fi connection and for a little extra money this app will actually record phone calls. This is great for conducting interviews. Now you have no need to carry around a digital recorder and the sound quality is decent.

10. Sirius XM Online

I love this application. This app gives me access to my XM Radio subscription, no matter where I am, and without having to have another specialized device. I am already paying for an satellite radio account, and this application allows me to listen to XM in my office, while working out or in my wife's van which is not equipped with XM.

How to Choose an Occupation that allows you to work from home

2010-07-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about being a software developer these days is the ability to work from home. I absolutely LOVE that aspect of my craft. Companies are beginning to realize that when you are dealing with mature, responsible professionals, this is what is called a win-win situation.

Among the many benefits, costs are lowered for the company and in most cases workers are more productive. Please understand that the term work from home does not necessarily mean working from your home, it simply means not having to work in an office environment, which is one of the things I hate about jobs in software development.

Ironically, when I set my sights on becoming a professional software developer, working in an office is one of the things I found most attractive. Go figure!

The beautiful thing about working-from-home is that it does not necessarily mean that you are working from your home. You can work from anywhere as long as you have access to the web and are able to connect to your work environment in a fashion that allows you to produce work as if you were in the office. I have found that I am actually more productive working from home than I am in the office. The number one reason: No distractions.

DoNanza, an Israeli company that provides a search engine specific to the work-from-home job market, published a study on July 21, 2010 detailing trends in that market. The study points out that in terms of work-from-home trends, software development ranked highest in demand worldwide in the second quarter.

What this means that in terms of working from home, the occupation that offers the most opportunities to do so is the field of software development. The report also indicated that the language most in demand is PHP. That is your clue to Google PHP. I keep hearing how the unemployment rate in the black community is hovering around 15%.

I wonder are we applying for the PHP programming jobs? A quick search on Monster.com reveals that a PHP programmer with 2+ years of experience to 5 years of experience can earn $70,000. I have been programming since 1982. Most of the languages that I have worked with in my career, I taught myself. As of today, I do not have any experience in PHP. But guess what? I am going to get some.

Excuse me while I head over to Amazon.com and order my PHP book.

3 of My Favorite Blogs

2010-07-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

As a proponent of life long learning, I believe that knowledge is the key to living a productive and happy life. Learning also allows you to grow. I simply can’t imagine my life without this philosophy. Operating under this philosophy each day is an adventure. The way I see it, once you stop learning, you stop living.

My life and the experiences that have led me to where I am today have to do with trying new things as a result of knowledge that I have gained. There are many ways to learn. I learn by traveling. I learn by taking classes. I learn by joining communities. Lately much of my learning has become digital.

I still travel, but I also experience new places virtually. I still take classes, but several of my classes are now online classes. I still join communities, but many of them are now online communities. I still read books and magazines, but I also read blogs.

For those of you who do not know blog is short for “web log”. According to Wikipedia, a blog is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
I was thinking about this the other day so I decided to share 3 of my favorite blogs. Below is a description of each blog and a piece of knowledge that I have gleaned from each.

ZenHabits is dedicated to finding the simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. I have learned several tips about such things as how to be more creative, organized and peaceful in my life.

SixMinutes is a blog dedicated to the craft of professional speaking. I am always looking for ways to improve as a speaker. One of my favorite things about this site is the booklist.

BlackDigerati is simply one of my favorite blogs. Founder Michael Lang does an incredible job of bringing African Americans who are making an impact in the digital society to the fore as well as highlighting important research that is helping to bridge the digital divide.

Reading blogs has become one of my favorite ways to learn. Many of the bloggers are experts in their fields and the content is dynamic which is one of the advantages of learning from a book. You are also able to see what others think about the information on the blog. It is a community of learners. I have learned much from my blog subscriptions and so can you. Find a blog in an area of interest and make it to your pool of learning resources.

Hotep,
Kai

How to conduct a job search while getting a great deal on used furniture

2010-07-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was having a conversation with a colleague recently who is looking for a new position in information technology. His specialty is database administration and he would like to find a position that allows him to work remotely (at home). I mentioned to him that I was surprised that he was having a hard time finding opportunities with his skills and experience.

I also told him that I have seen several of those positions posted over the past few weeks. His response: “Really, where”. I told him I have seen several over the past few weeks posted on Craigslist. He said "they post jobs on Craigslist?" Why yes they do, I said.

I assumed most people were aware of this. I guess not. If you didn’t know, now you know. Click here to check out one such opportunity.

Extend your search. Add Craigslist to your list of search sites.

Happy Hunting,

Kai

The #1 Mistake People Make When Choosing an Email Address

2010-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

I spend a great deal of my time reading. I read everything. I read books. I read online magazines. I read print magazines. I read newspapers. I read blogs and I read websites. And, I read hundreds of emails per week as I subscribe to many newsletters.
This week as I was pouring through my usual stack of messages I noticed something that prompted me to write this piece. Many people are still using email addresses that are not professional. This is a mistake. I had considered writing on this topic before, but I was certain that it was not needed. I have changed my mind.

I have been under the impression that most people were aware that your email address should not be something silly such as divagirl69@hotmail.com. I was wrong. Back in May, I was part of a panel discussion in San Antonio. We were speaking young African American males who were preparing for college.

One of the panelists (whose name escapes me) was human resources professional and he verified this idea. He even went further and informed the group that when his company receives resumes they use the email address as a first filtering mechanism. Translation: divagirl69@hotmail.com’s resume is promptly deposited into the wastebasket or more apt in this day and age deleted from the inbox. The audience, which included many adults, was shocked.
Poor little diva girl she never had a chance. I was not shocked, although I was not aware of this screening process I certainly would not doubt that it occurs. I assumed this was common knowledge at least among adults. Here is the solution. Get yourself a grown man/woman email address. What does that mean? Have a professional email address.

Here are examples of email addresses that may land your resume in the trash bin or worse give someone a negative impression of who you are:
Iluv2Write@yahoo.com

mathchamp2002@aol.com

progammingskills@yahoo.com

While these are cute and you may think they are cool. They are not professional. Please understand I a not trying to take the fun out of life, so if you must have such an email addresses reserve its use for friends and family. Do not use them when you are sending messages to potential employers or clients.

Your email address should be something simple. Here are a few simple, clean email addresses based on my name Kai Dupe.

kaidupe@gmail.com

kai.dupe@kaidupe.com

kdupe@yahoo.com

kdupe@kaplan.edu

The most professional is probably your name with the last name being separated by the first name by a period. And in case you are wondering, the human resources professional from the panel I mentioned earlier shared these exact same sentiments.

If you wish to be taken seriously and protect your brand (how others see you and what you are about), then an email address is something you should choose wisely and represents you in the light you wish to be seen.

Hotep,
Kai

3 Ways to Become a Professional Software Developer

2010-07-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

When I decided to become a software developer after finishing high school in 1982, I was only aware of one road to success, and that was attending college. If I wanted to land a job as a professional software developer I needed to earn a degree in computer science. Things have changed since I graduated in 1986.

Over the course of my 20 years as a software developer I have met many people who have enjoyed successful careers as software developers, however they took a completely different route to reach the same goal. As a teacher and trainer one of the questions I am asked most often is: What is best way to become a software developer? I do not believe there is a best way, but there are ways that may be better suited for your situation. Here are 3 alternative routes to becoming a professional software developer:

1. Trade School – You can earn an Associates degree. Not everyone wants to or can afford to go to college for four years. I went to college for four years and earned a bachelors degree. During that time, I learned much about other subjects that were not related to my career in software development. But I did not need those courses to be successful in my career. An alternative is to attend a two-year program such as Kaplan University or Devry. These programs focus primarily on the courses you need to be successful in your career. I have several colleagues who went this route and they are doing quite well in their careers.

2. Auto didactic - Teach yourself. This is a great way to learn. One of the things I love about the information technology field is that it is a results-oriented profession. At least in terms of education. What I mean by that is no one cares if you have a degree or not if you have the necessary skills. The degree may help you to get the opportunity in the first place, but that is for another article. You can teach yourself how to be a software developer. There are great books on the subject as well as magazines, online resources, and even free software that a student can use to teach themselves the skills needed to be successful in this field. I have met several colleagues over the years that either have degrees in a field that is not remotely related to computer science or who do not have degrees at all and are very good at developing software. It is a much cheaper route to go and if you can connect with an organization and volunteer to build software for them you can learn as you go, gaining experience and building your resume as you go. Microsoft has self-paced training kits for many of their technologies that usually cost less than $100. You can find these kits on Amazon.com or at any Barnes and Noble store. Microsoft also gives away free software to students who are interested in learning how to use their tools. The free software is available here.

3. Find a mentor – In my opinion entering into an apprentice relationship may be the best way to learn anything. I believe in learning by doing and being mentored not only allows you to learn the craft, but you are also able to avoid many of the traps and pitfalls of a career in software development. You can learn things in minutes that may take years of experience to figure out on your own. If you are thinking about a career in software development, connect with a software developer and ask them to be your mentor.
There are other routes as well to a successful career as a software developer, but these are the 3 routes that I have encountered the most in my 20+ years in the industry. This is a great time to pursue a career in this field if you are interested. There are fewer barriers than there have been in anytime in history to pursue such a rewarding career. Review this list and pick the route that is best for you and make it happen!

Hotep,
Kai Dupé

3 Ways to Save a Young Boy's Life with Technology

2010-07-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

I decided to write this article after I reading a post written by Navarro Wright on Black Web 2.0 entitled 7 Ways to Save a Young Boys Life with Technology. This article caught my eye because I have absolutely lived this premise. In fact, I gave a speech at Microsoft in March that I titled: From a Life of Crime to a Beach Front Home, My Road to Success Using Technology.

I have used my knowledge and love of technology to build several businesses, to create businesses for others, to build a lucrative career, and to teach others about the power of technology as a tool. As I have stated many times in my talks with young people, this is a time when most of the barriers to being anything you wish to be have been removed.

Yet our boys for the most part are not creating. They are not producing. There are many reasons for this situation. Many who have studied the problem, including myself have also published possible solutions to getting our young boys engaged. It is time to implement those solutions.

If you are concerned about what you can do so that your children are not left behind to become what mathematics educator Robert Moses refers to, as the designated serfs of the information age, here are 3 ways to do just that:

1. Expose your children to technology early. My daughter has been using the television remote control since she was 2 years old. Technology has permeated all areas of our lives. The only way your children are not exposed to it is if you are going out of your way to keep it from them. Do not restrict your children from the natural process of exploring technology. By the age of 4 my daughter has typed on my computer, browsed the Internet, made phone calls with a cell phone, taken pictures with a cell phone, paused her cartoons on television, read books on my Kindle, studied flash card on my phone.

2. Make sure your children are exposed to role models in technology. Our children see many exemplars of athletes and entertainers. There is nothing wrong with that. I like Lebron James and Drake too. But can we also see examples of engineers and scientist such as Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space, or Mark Dean who holds 3 of the original nine IBM patents upon which the IBM PC personal computers were based.

3. Teach your children about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) the same way you teach them their colors, shapes, and letters. What does that mean? I taught my children about rewinding the television and how I am able to play music in the car using my iPhone. She understands that I do not have my phone with me then we do not have the ability to control the music she is hearing. She understands somewhat the difference between the radio and my iPod. Now of course she cannot write a paper on the subject, the point is her thinking is not restricted from considering aspects of science.

Starting early is the key. If you are already doing these things that is great. If not, please start today. The sooner our children are taught the include technology as part of their social learning the better.

If you questions about how to start or where you can find the information or resources you may need to get started please feel free to contact me at kai.dupe@kaidupe.com

How to Use Coaching to Learn Technology Skills

2010-07-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Coaching has made its way into many areas of business. Coaching as a way to become better at what you do is a technique that many professionals have been using for quite sometime. Actors have coaches. Athletes have coaches. Dancers have coaches? Speakers have coaches. The idea of coaching is for the individual being coached to become better at some activity or skill. What you consider learning or using technology an activity or skill? I would.

Coaching is a better option for some to learn rather than receiving classroom instruction. Recently a friend of mine contacted me about learning to use new technologies on his job. If he takes the time to learn the skills needed there is no limit to how far he can advance with his organization.

His fear that he will not be able to master the technology is already starting to hold him back. He has the interpersonal skills and he has the education level needed to reach the top. But technology has entered into his space. And at some point it will enter your space as well.

He can no longer avoid mastering these skills. Are you uncomfortable learning technology skills from reading a book or taking a class? Maybe you should think about finding a technology coach. I have begun holding coaching sessions with my friend. Sometimes we do them in person, but as part of my getting him to embrace the power of technology many of our sessions are done remotely using technologies such as Skype, GoToWebinar, and FreeConferenceCall.com.

I once heard one of my favorite coaches, Bill Parcells say, “Confidence is born of demonstrated ability”. Working with a coach is an excellent way to build your confidence using technology.

7 Ways to Find Jobs in the Information Technology Field

2010-07-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

The availability of jobs in information technology sector is picking up. Companies are opening their budgets and hiring is taking place again. A couple of months ago I might receive a call about a position every other day. Now I am receiving several emails per day asking if I am available.

There are more jobs in the IT industry than there are qualified applicants to fill them. If you are a qualified IT worker you should not have a problem find opportunities. But what is the best way to do that? I have been conducting job searches in this industry since 1986.

The game has changed quite a bit. The one thing I absolutely warn against is limiting your search to the local newspaper. You may be laughing at that but there are books and articles that still guide folks to using the classifieds, as they preferred method of conducting a job search.

If you are considering a career in information technology and you are unable to conduct a digital search you are in for quite the challenge. At the very least you should be able to go to your local library and use their computers to conduct your search. I have done this. And I have secured employment without having a computer of my own.

1. Use online job boards. Setup profiles and search agents on Monster, Dice, HotJobs, CareerBuilder and AMighterRiver.

2. Additionally you can setup profiles on the career pages of many companies who no longer post their positions on Monster or Dice. Conduct a search for the kind of position you are seeking on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Take those links they are retrieived and follow them to the site of the employer and create profiles on those sites as well.

3. Setup profiles on the job portal of recruiting firms. These are the firms that sit between employee and employer. Some of I have used in the past are Matrix and Teksytems. Setup profiles and upload you resume to as many recruitment firms you are aware. Other include Addecco, BountyJobs, and Indeed. Establish a relationship with the recruiters in these firms.

4. Take advantage of the career placement office at the local community college or university in your area.

5. Locate user groups in your area that specialize in the type of work you are seeking. For example, when I lived in Dallas I was a member of Delphi Developers of Dallas. It is great way to network and sometimes you would hear about job opportunities via word of mouth.

6. Setup a profile on LinkedIn. This is a great way to find out about job opportunities. You can actually search for jobs on the site.

7. The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) also has a jobs portal. Become a member and take advantage of their site. The good thing about their portal is most of the companies they list have a reputation for supporting diversity in information technology.

The jobs are available for qualified folks. You simply have to know how to find them. Execute these seven steps. They have worked for me and heres hoping they work for you.

The #1 way to improve the academic achievement levels of students

2010-06-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

From the Winter/Spring 2007 National Alliance of Black School Educators News Briefs:

Among the most significant trends that will increase the academic achievement levels of students is the use of technology. Technology makes learning opportunities more accessible to students at any time/any place. In particular, minority students will begin to realize their interests and learning patterns can be fulfilled with this new technology. Technology will enhance the classroom teacher, so that skill levels, learning styles, language barriers, and the place of learning will not be deterrents.

The National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) is an organization devoted to furthering the academic success of the nation’s children – particularly children of African descent. This is an organization devoted to education and they agree that for Black people to move forward (i.e., become better educated) we must embrace technology.

I agree with their premise obviously. Let’s go one step beyond. Why not take this approach with our children in our home life? Must we wait for the school system to embrace using technology with our children? My daughter is 4 years old.

Since she has been watching me work on the computer since she was born, she is already aware of the keyboard, mouse and monitor. She had a toy computer, which she uses to practice the motor skills needed in order to use it.

I decided that once my son is a littler older I will purchase iPads for both of them. We know that learning technology is important. We have studies that illustrate that academic achievement levels increase in most cases where technology is integrated into learning.

Why are we still not doing this? We can no longer claim we don't know. The information is there. Some school leaders are handcuffed by their districts and restricted from introducing many technologies on their campus.

What is the reason? We must examine these matters and challenge these decisions. Unfortunately some leaders still do not feel that technology is important to learning or that it does not improve learning. They are wrong.

Please take it upon yourself to either introduce technology use into your home in order to familiarize your children with the possibilities or speak to the instructional leaders in your schools to determine their stance on technology integration in the classroom.

This is no longer a luxury it is a requirement if we wish our children to grow up and lead strong successful lives.

How to build your information technology network in one weekend

2010-06-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of The Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA)? BDPA has been around since 1975. The organization came into being when Earl Pace and David Wimberly met in Philadelphia to discuss their concerns about people of color in the computing industry. People of color were under represented in the field and an overall lack of career mobility existed for those who were in the field.

I first learned of BDPA in 2008. As someone who has been a computer scientist for over 20 years at that time, it is unacceptable to me that it took me so long to learn of its existences. I am not sure what took me so long to learn of this wonderful organization, but part of my mission going forward is to make sure people of color who are interested in technology (which should be all people of color), are aware of the opportunities that BDPA provides.
The lack of blacks and other people of color continue to be a problem. Many including myself are still studying this problem in 2010. One of the factors that have come to the fore is the social conditioning of people of color when it comes to computing.

It is social conditioning that plays a role when we see blacks over represented in entertainment and athletics and it is social conditioning when there is an under representation of blacks in computing. The best treatment of this topic that I have found thus far is Stuck in the Shallow End by Jane Margolis.
I have attended many conferences on technology and education. This was by far the best technology conference I have ever attended. I have never attended an event where there were so many black women and men who were technology professionals. There were thousands. The conference provides an opportunity for learning in a environment that is culturally relevant.

The conference is also a place where the youth are encouraged and exposed to technology. Every year the youth participate in the High School Computer Competition. (HSCC). During the conference, each chapter that entered the competition presents their project which could be anything from developing a piece of desktop software, a website, or perhaps an iPhone app. The winner is crowned as part of the conference.

My observation is that the conference is strictly business during the day and a lot of fun and mingling in the evening. This year the conference is being held in Philadelphia July 28 – July 31. If you are interested in a career in information technology or you are a technology professional who wants to learn what is hot in terms of technology or you simply want to connect with other black professionals in information technology you should make it a point to be in Philadelphia this year.

I know I will be there. For more information about BDPA please visit their site at http://www.bdpa.org/

Hotep Kai

How to purchase an inexpensive computer that you can take anywhere

2010-06-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

Although I was keenly aware that Apple was releasing their new iPhone today (iPhone 4), I completely slipped my mind as I headed over to the mall to pick up some new workout gear. But I was soon reminded as I bumped into a long line that extended from the Apple store all the way back to where I was entering the mall at the food court.

Now I am no stranger to witnessing a long line to get your hands on the latest life changing technology from Apple, as I stood in quite a line to purchase my iPhone 3GS. But this line was longer than those I stood in to purchase any of my previous iPhones. People were obviously prepared to wait a long time.

Some had chairs. Some had their laptops, complete with a portable charging device. Of course some had iPads. Thank goodness Apple decided to only release the phone in black or I would have been in that line myself.

I had black the first 2 times around. I am only rocking the white these days. As I followed down the line headed to Dillards, I noticed that I had not seen any black people in the line. I thought to myself. Where are the brothers and sisters? Do black people know that the iPhone is being released today? Do black people care? Should they care?

So I decided to do an informal poll. I walked the entire line. I was about half way through before I noticed the first brother. I was almost at the end of the line when I finally noticed a second brother. I am only guessing but I would say there were at least 250 people in that line but I counted only 4 black people.
When I mentioned this observation to my wife she quipped, “Well there are not that many black people in Austin so you should not be surprised.” Is that right? I do not remember seeing a shortage of black people when the Texas Relays were in town. Sure there were plenty of visitor for the relays but I would venture to guess some of those folks were Austinites.

Also, seems to be plenty black folks around during the football season when Texas has a home game. Maybe I am just being too sensitive. I hate it when I get the feeling that black folks are being left out of something significant. Mobile computing devices, particularly the iPhone is definitely that.

Do not think of the iPhone as simply a cell phone. It is a mobile computing device and it is a great way for us to get our hands on a relatively inexpensive computing device. And according to most it, is the best one available.

I think its time we got in line.

Kai

How to make your customers wait and like it

2010-06-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

I have been getting my haircut at Black barbershops for a very long. Since my son received his first haircut at the tender age of two (almost 7 months ago), and since I just celebrated my 46th birthday, I can say that I have been frequently the black barbershop for approximately 44 years.

Would you believe that I have just recently had my first experience with a barbershop that provides free wi-fi. I know that this technology has not been around for 44 years, but it has been around for quite some time. What gives?

Are black barbers not paying attention? Have they not noticed it is good business practice to provide free wi-fi where your customers gather? Have they not noticed this trend at McDonalds, Starbucks and Barnes and Noble? The issue with going to most black barbers is the wait? Am I wrong here?

Most of them are still having us put our names on list. Now this is a primitive practice as well, but that is a topic for another article. Obviously, technology provides much better ways for accomplishing that task. But lets stay with the issue of waiting. Most people hate waiting.

We hate waiting to buy tickets to a movie. We hate waiting in line to get our Grande White Chocolate Moccha, and we hate waiting to receive our haircut. Many businesses practice what is known as line management or wait management.

This is the practice of taking your customer’s mind off of the fact that you are making them wait to give you money. This is why when you are pumping your gas now at some stations you can watch television while you are pumping. It is part of the reason why when you are waiting for a movie to start that you can play games, guess answers to trivia questions, and listen to the latest single by Trey Songz.

I experienced a wonderful local example of wait management recently at the popular Houston eatery The Breakfast Klub. I can remember dreading when my friends visited from out of town and they wanted to visit the local breakfast spot. Why? I dreaded the visit because the wait to enter and order was brutal.

It was not only a long wait, but it was outside. During the summer it would be very hot and it was of course cold during the winter. Neither scenario is ideal for waiting. A few weeks ago my wife and I met friends there for breakfast. There was still a wait, but the owners have made the wait much less painful.

They now have water for customers as well as a canopy to protect you from the heat. Additionally, they have a very lively and entertaining greeter who keeps the customers engaged and the orders are taken while you are in line. Brilliant. I love it when a business rewards my patronage by providing me with better service. Barbers are you listening?

One of the most widely used tools for conducting wait management is free wi-fi access. Think about it. If you provide your customers with access to the Internet you do not have to worry about entertaining them while they wait to be served. They can entertain themselves by surfing the web, playing games, catching on email, or reading a book.

The options are virtually infinite. I have had wi-fi in my home since the technology’s inception. All you need to install a wi-fi hotspot if you already have an Internet connection is a wireless router. You can buy a wireless router for about 50 bucks. Time is money. Customers do not like it when you waste their time or make them wait. I know I don’t. black barbershops I appeal to thee. Provide your clients with free wi-fi.

In all honesty, this is not just an issue with black barbershops, any business where your customers wait or gather should consider using this strategy. I have much love for my black barbershops. I simply want to share with them a technology tool that can make their businessess better.

All the best,

Kai

How a career technologist became at TV Host on the Oprah Winfrey Network

2010-06-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, not yet. Last weekend my friend Curtis Wayne and I drove to Dallas to audition for a show on Oprah’s new network (OWN). If you have not heard yet, Oprah is starting her own network in January 2011. Is there anything this sister can’t do? As part of the launch, Oprah is looking for show ideas. You can read all about the contest and the rules here.

I spent 2 days in Dallas for a chance at having my own TV show. I don’t particularly care about having my own show, what is most important to me is having a medium to get my message across to young black men. That is something I hope I am doing writing in this space as well.

I pitched a show called “How to be A Strong Black Man”. I spent 2 days for 30 seconds to pitch my show idea. I guess that is show business. I was hoping for call back. I did not receive one. You can also audition online. I am going that route now. Here is the link to my show. If you like the idea please vote and tell others to vote. Here is the description of the show as seen on Oprah’s site:

Black men represent a huge untapped resource for this country. As America faces many unprecedented challenges, we need all hands on deck. “How to be a Strong Black Man” is a show dedicated to the personal development of black men. Why black men? Black men are in state of emergency. 40% of all of black males are illiterate. 84% of all crack cocaine convictions are black males. This program will SHOW these young men a way out. The show will share stories of other black men who have overcome the obstacles that most black men face and how they did it. We know that change is not simply about talking or telling them how to solve their problems; it is about showing them. Knowledge rarely leads to change. People need to be shown something that makes them feel, and that feeling is what inspires them to change their lives for the better.

The idea for the show is to have successful black men come on the show and share their stories and experiences of how they went from a position of weakness to one of strength. There are many examples of black men who have risen from tough times and from difficult circumstances to achieve greatness. We owe it to the next generation to hold these men up as exemplars that can connect with our youth and inspire them to excellence.

I decided to write this article not to promote my idea, although I don’t mind doing that. I decided to write this article to point out how I can continue to pursue my idea using technology that is available. I have already been doing this, but this experience prompted me to share tools I use so that others can use to get their positive message to those they wish to serve.

If you want to do a radio talk show you can setup an account for free at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/. I have been using this site for a couple of years now to conduct interviews and discuss topics that are important to black males. The challenge is building up your audience and promoting your show. That is one of the reasons I was pursuing The Oprah Effect.

She can deliver a built in audience. Another tool that is equally as powerful and free is YouTube. I am sure many more of you have heard of YouTube when compared to BlogTalkRadio, but did you know that you could setup your own channel on YouTube.

You can setup your own channel and have viewers follow you just like traditional TV. Of course, it is much better because no current TV channel is worldwide. If you are interested in setting up a YouTube channel you can do that at http://www.youtube.com/.

The only thing you have to do then is produce content with a video camera. Most digital cameras these days can shoot video and if not there is always the Flip Video pocket video camera. You shoot the video message and upload to YouTube. If you get a million subscribers to your channel that visits regularly, guess what you have a show.

It is not live, but most TV shows are not live. You have a way to broadcast a video message across the Internet for the entire world to see. Now that is power and it is absolutely free. So, really I guess I don’t need Oprah. But if she does call, I will most certainly answer the phone.

Hotep,
Brother Kai

Pitching a Show to Oprah

2010-06-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen it yet, Oprah Winfrey is accepting pitches of shows for her new OWN network, launching in January. I pitched mine last week at the in-person audition here in Dallas. But you can also submit a video.

Here's a link to my video pitch, called "How to be A Strong Black Man." If you like it, please vote for it. You can vote as often as you like, no registration required please vote 300-400 times a day, if you can!! ;-)

Enjoy, y'all! And vote, please! I'm trying to get 10,000 votes before the contest closes on July 3rd. Thanks!!

Thanks, and here's the URL:

http://www.voteforkaidupe.com

Don't Make The Mistake of Not Owning Your Own Domain Name

2010-06-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have owned my domain name since 2000. A domain name is the name that comes after that @ in a person’s email address. For example, my email address is Kai.Dupe@kaidupe.com. The domain name is kaidupe.com. Other examples are Amazon.com, YouTube.com, Honda.com and AframNews.com. Here is the official definition from the web: A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control on the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS).

Since I own the domain I can receive emails no matter what the email address as long as you use my domain name. You can send an email to me kai.dupe@kaidupe.com or you can send it to me at myfriendkai@kaidupe.com and I will still receive the email because I own the domain name.

My daughter Kisa is 4 and my son JohnKai is 2. They both have their own domain names. Kisa has KisaDupe.com and Johnkai has JohnKaiDupe.com. For a while, I had both of their domain names pointing to blogs where I journal daily about my feelings about being their father.

I have since made them inactive but I still own the domain names. I am encouraging both of my children to become entrepreneurs so when they are ready to their domain names will be waiting for them.
I think everyone should do the same. In the digital society having your own domain name is part of how you interact in society.

It is better for keeping in touch with folks because it does not have to change simply because you have moved or changed phone companies. I decided to purchase my domain name when I decided to start my own business.

In fact, I own several domain names. I also own the following domain names WhereAreBlacksInTechnology.com, DiopAndDupeShow.com, and DrKaiDupe.com.

In my opinion everyone should at the very least own their own domain name. I would also purchase the domain names of my children. You never know if your child becomes the next Michael Jordan , Serena Williams, or Mark Dean.

Mark Dean is a pioneer in the personal computing industry and is someone all children of color should be aware of, particularly if they are interested in careers in computing. For more of Dean and others, you can purchase a copy of the book The Black Digital Elite by John T. Barber.

If that were to happen and you did not own the domain name it could be very expensive to obtain it if someone else has already purchased it. Ask Tavis Smiley about that one. His presence on the web is at TavisTalks.com because someone else owns TavisSmiley.com and wants a ridiculous amount of money to sell it to Mr. Smiley.

Purchasing a domain name is not very expensive. You can purchase a domain name from GoDaddy.com for $10.18 and you own it for one year. It is a simple process. You simply go to GoDaddy.com. Type in the name you want for your domain to see if it is available. If it is, the site will prompt you for payment information and from that momen you own the domain name.

You will have to manage the domain name in order to have it present a certain website when thedomain is requested. But that is for another post. The point here is that domain names are inexpensive and easy to obtain.

I think I everyone can afford that. It can valuable to you in business as well as important to give yourself a presence on the web. At the very least you should own the domain name for yourself and your children.

Kai Dupé

New technology that allows sharing your contact information even when you have forgotten your business cards

2010-06-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

Today I discovered this cool technology called QR Codes. Maybe I am late on this one but I love the idea of having an image that contains my contact information.

Just last night while I was retreiveing my wife's car from the Toyota dealership I found myself in a very interesting conversation with a young service advisor regarding wealth building in the African American community.

He told me about a wonderful children's book entitled "When I Grow Up I'm Going to Be a Millionaire". I immediately pulled out my iPhone and ordered a copy for my children. That is how I do it. I learn about something that can help me to improve my life and then I act on it.

I shared with him many of the many books that I have read on creating wealth. I love it when young people are eager to learn. At the end of our conversation he asked me for a business card so he could contact me. I ALWAYS carry my business card in my car.

The only problem was that I was in my wife's car! The next time I am asked that question I will just show the person my nifty QR Code on my phone with all of my contact information embedded. How cool is that?

Kai

Use Technology to Teach Our Youth

2010-06-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Below is my response to a brother on LinkedIn.com. He is one of the people we are fortunate enough to have in the information technology industry who is also willing to share his knowledge and experience with our youth to prepare them for the information society. This is very encouraging and I am happy to share my thoughts and ideas with him. He was writing with regard to not having a facility to be able to teach at once 10-20 students. And he was going down the road to trying to raise money to attempt to build a facility. I do not think that is the correct path. It is not a bad path. But it is not a 21st century path. Even schools, at all levels, are moving away from doing the instruction in a brick-and-mortar facility. Here is my response and what I think we need to do to move forward to teach technology skills to our youth.

I understand what you are saying. I was only suggesting the use of technologies in lieu of waiting for the building of a facility in the short term. Those who have access to the Internet could be exposed via online technologies. That is better than not helping any until a facility is built. At this point, we need to move beyond the notion that these students do not have access.

They need to get access. Period. The time has come that lack of access can no longer be a reason. Access must be the baseline. Outside of one’s health, access to technology needs to be the very next priority. I intentionally put that on harsh not because I feel that strongly about it. It is no longer a luxury and I feel we need to stop thinking of it in those terms.

Do the youth to whom you refer not have the means to have computers in their homes? Do they not have access to computers in their schools? Libraries? The problem of the digital divide, at this point, has less to do with access to technologies and more to do with mindset. One of the best books on that subject is Technology and Social Inclusion by Mark Warschauer.

I believe that people who possess the proper mindset as it relates to computing and technology will have computers in their homes. It will become a priority. I feel this is the real issue. That is where I devote my efforts. I work on changing the mindset and once that is accomplished those that are inspired will find ways to obtain access and to learn.

I do not think what you wish to do with the 10-20 students into a facility is a bad idea. However, please realize you will have some of the same challenges you mentioned with the online environment. Not all students do well in the classroom, the same way some are not comfortable with Second Life and online teaching methods.
The point I wanted to make is that technology offers us a way to move forward with our efforts without having to wait on building a facility. If you raise money to build a facility you could probably get more bang for the buck by using the money to get the students online access and teaching them 10-20 of them using an online tool such as webinars. In this scenario, you can help the same number of students, for less money, and the students could then use the computers and access for other productive endeavors in their lives.

Respectfully,
Kai Dupé

The Power of Facebook

2010-06-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

Recently I have received “Friend Requests” on Facebook from many of my high school classmates. My high school class graduated approximately 600 students in 1982. In the last few months, I have received at least 200 friend requests. Only 2 out of 600 of those requests came from my black classmates.

Why is that? Now to be sure, the percentage of black students in my high school class was not very high but there were certainly more than 2. I am sure we had at least 100 black students. Do they not care to connect with their classmates or is this yet another example of black folks not participating in the information society?

If it is the latter, we should be concerned as renowned mathematics educator Robert Moses asserted in 2002, “that the knowledge gap in math, science, and technology could turn students of color into the designated serfs of the information age".

I have been using Facebook since 2005. I do not mention this to brag, but only to point out that Facebook is not new. Are they still brothers and sisters--young and old--, who are not aware of Facebook? Who are not aware what it is and how it can be used? Who do not understand why it is important?

According to Wikipedia, “Facebook is a social networking website launched in February 2004 and operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can add people as friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by workplace, school, or college. The website's name stems from the colloquial name of books given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. Anyone over the age of 13 can become a Facebook user” (Wikipedia, 2010).

Based on the description given above here are a few organizations in the black community that need to research and understand how they can use the power of social networking in general and Facebook in particular to be more effective.

· Barber Shops

· Beauty Salons

· Churches

· Day Care

· Newspapers

· Magazines

Social media is about connecting with folks. Do you think Barber shops and Newspapers need to connect with folks? There is a reason companies like Honda, Dell, and Microsoft are on Facebook. Take a closer look at the next commercial you view and notice whether or not you see a reference to that company’s Facebook reference. If it is effective for Honda can it be effective for your church or business.

Do you remember after the election of President Obama how often it was mentioned how successful his campaign was at utilizing social media? By using Facebook and other social media President Obama changed the game in terms of how future Presidents go about being elected.

For more information about social networking and how you can use it check out this book by Eric Hamilton “Social Media Branding in the age of Obama”. You can get a copy from Amazon.com. If you have further questions about this article I can be reach via email at kai.dupe@kaidupe.com.

Hotep,
Kai

Science and Technology Committee Hearings

2010-05-19T14:48:00.001-07:00

2010 Best Companies for Blacks in IT

2010-05-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is from the Blacks Gone Geek Blog:
http://blacksgonegeek.org/2010bestompaniesforblacks.aspx

BiTwise May 2010 Connect

2010-05-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the inaugural meeting of BiTWISE (The Idea Exchange for Black Software Engineers) at Microsoft’s campus in Las Colinas. Here is a description of the group from their LinkedIn profile:

Calling all black software engineers: BITwise wants you! Join a community of like-minded individuals to help build an online home for African Americans at the leading edge of software development. Come to BITwise to learn about useful events, share information and resources, pose questions, get answers, and mentor the next generation of black software talent. BITwise is sponsored by Microsoft, a company that understands the needs of developers. We want to work with you to create a resource that will reflect your voice and give you an online place to call home.

Are you BITwise? Join the community. Share your experience. Make a difference.

In my 20+ years as a software engineer, I have never been in room full of Black software engineers. It was a great feeling. In fact, in the course of my career I have not come across 10 Black software engineers total in all of the IT departments that I have worked.

The fact that there were 75 to 100 brothers and sisters on the Microsoft campus was very exciting. It also highlights the issue that too few of us are pursuing careers in this lucrative field.

This fact was demonstrated when one of the featured speakers asked, “How many of your are the only black person in your IT department or have been at some point in your career?” I do not wish to exaggerate but I believe everyone’s hand was raised. This must be changed and I applaud companies like Microsoft for taking the lead on diversity and inclusion.

It was so nice to see these brothers and sisters, some of whom represent top technical talent and leadership at a prestigious technical company such as Microsoft. I could not help but to think about the impact such a collection of talent could have on our young people.
I spent a portion of my evening mentoring a young brother named Brian. I enjoyed talking with him and sharing with him what I could to help him along his way. I hope to start a mentor relationship that will be helpful to him in his future endeavors.

BiTWISE is off to a great start. I would LOVE to see the community grow. This is an important first step in bridging the gap between the technical thought leaders of today with the next generation of technical talent we need to lead us into the future.

Are you BitWISE?

Hotep,
Kai

Are We Teaching Speaking Skills?

2010-05-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I served as a judge of a speaking contest that was held at Concordia University in Austin, Texas. I was asked to evaluate the original speeches of 7 high school students. I was blown away. The students were incredible. I congratulate them all. We were asked to rank the students from 1 to 7 with 1 representing who we thought gave the best speech. Each of them could have been ranked number 1.
These students were that impressive. As I sat there watching each of the students, I noticed none of them were black. There were a couple of Latino students however. Now, this is not to say there were no African American student participants, as I only judged in my group, although I do not remember even seeing any African American students roaming the campus during my 3 hour visit.

I usually write in this space about the dearth of African Americans taking part in the information society. However, today I pose a different question. My question today is “Are African Americans also behind when it comes to teaching our young people speaking and presentation skills? What do you think?

Hotep,
Brother Kai

Digital ToolBox

2010-05-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

As someone who is pushing for the need for technology adoption in communities of color, I thought I would share a few of the tools I am currently using to make my life easier. Hopefully, some of these tools can help you as well. Here they are:

Document Management:
http://www.dropbox.com/
As a doctoral student I am collecting many documents as sources for my dissertation. dropbox allows me to store and track these documents. It also provides synchronization between my office desktop pc and my Macbook.

Source Management:
http://www.easybib.com/
Each time I collect a new piece of information from a book, article or online source, I am able to immediately catalog it here. Also, this software can produce a reference list of my citations automatically.

Amazon Kindle Reader:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311
I own a Kindle 2. I love it. As a doctoral student in the dissertation phase, I probably purchase a book each week. As you might imagine, this can begin to take up quite a bit of space which is why I love my Kindle. It allows me to store many of my books on one device. The Kindle Reader improves on that flexibility. I have 3 versions of the reader, Macbook, PC, and iPhone. Using the Kindle I am able to read a Kindle version of
my books while sitting at a desk or waiting in line to renew my vehicle registration.

Google Alerts:
http://www.google.com/alerts
I use Google Alerts as a form of reputation management as well as to find sources for my dissertation. I have several alerts setup. One of them is an alert that sends an email to me whenever my name ‘Kai Dupé’ is added anywhere on the web. Another alert that I created is on keywords that I use for my research such as STEM, Blacks, Minorities. Using this tool allows my name to be tracked and delivers articles to my inbox while I am sleeping, working out, or working to grow my other businesses.

Audible.com:
http://www.audible.com/
As I have blogged here before I am a huge proponent of using audiobooks to learn. audiobooks allow me to consume knowledge while I am working out or during my weekly commute. I use iTunes for this purpose as well, but I if I can not find something on iTunes I can certainly find it on Audible. Audible is for audiobooks what Amazon is for print books.

Warmest Regards,
Kai Dupé

Advice to information technology students seeking experience

2010-04-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was part of a very good conversation on LinkedIn. For those of you who are unaware of LinkedIn it is one of those social networking sites where people connect, in this case mostly for business purposes on the web. This discussion started as a result of a student who posted this query:

Obviously as an upcoming graduate, I'm starting to scope more and more through job postings and job descriptions for the types of "entry level" positions most preferred/likely/suitable to the start I'm looking for. But here's my problem/concern: everything I find prefers or requires experience of 2, 3 sometimes 5-7 years experience. What and where are the entry level positions for new entrants? Seeing this so often in a field that has a higher demand than selection makes me wonder if I could be unexpectedly faced with having to avoid the catch 22 of a degree w/ no experience, yet needing experience to get a foot in the door.

This query generated quite the discussion. These posts were entered by professionals in the IT industry, which is great, and a appropriate use of technology. The student did precisely the right thing when faced with such a question. She found a community of practice in the domain where she needed help. Because of technology and a site such as LinkedIn, she was able to tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience without ever having to leave her home.

My advice to student was to find a mentor. I believe learning your craft in an apprenticeship is one of if not the best way to learn. Here are a few of the ways I suggested she go about securing such a relationship.

· Volunteer (find an organization you believe in that has the role you seek experience).

· Work without pay (Work for a company and gain experience instead of pay).

· Contact the outreach department of companies such as Microsoft or Eli Lilly and find out if they have internships available. These are two I mentioned because they partner with Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA).

· Find a Mentor (Locate an individual who is in your field. Offer to meet them over lunch or coffee or meet them in Facebook. Tell them what you are trying to achieve in terms of gaining experience and see if they would be open to a mentor /mentee relationship. I have done this several times and most professionals in Information Technology would not have a problem spending a few times a week helping a young technologist gain the experience they need to be successful.

When I completed my undergraduate degree and began my job search, not having the relevant experience was huge obstacle for me. Lets do our part to make sure those who are pursuing careers in information technology are not in the same boat of disadvantage I and many of my contemporaries found ourselves.

Hotep,
Brother Kai

Authentic Technology Integration in Urban Schools

2010-04-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

Last night I was watching an episode of CSI. I have been a fan of CSI for many years. My wife and I used to watch the show religiously. We would plan our Thursday night around its 8 PM CST time slot. Of course, that was before the children. Since I spend my weeknights on the road I was able to catch an episode of CSI last evening.

The show has always in my opinion been one of the most innovative shows on television, but last night’s episode was unusually interesting. The show opened with the CSI’s teaching a course on forensics. The students were working in a fabricated crime screen and the objective was to teach forensic practices.

It wasn’t long before one of the students complained of being bored and not happy with an exercise that was not authentic. She wanted to solve a real crime and be in a real lab. For the rest of the show the students were in the actual CSI lab, working with the CSI staff, examining actual evidence, and following the practices of CSI professionals.

They were allowed to come to their own conclusions and determine what next steps the evidence suggested they follow. It was very interesting to watch how engaged the students were as they used actual equipment and examined real evidence on their way to solving a crime that mattered to real people.

The moral of the story is that education and anything else that you want to matter to people has to be authentic. No one wants to do busy work and no one wants to solve problems that do not matter to anyone. This is what makes learning meaningful. It has to have purpose.
This is one of the things that I feel must be changed in learning organizations whether it is school or a corporate training facility. The learning must be situated in authenticity. This is one of the problems with integrating technology into the schools.

The schools struggle to integrate the technology naturally, and in some cases they restrict it’s use to the point that the student’s experience is nothing like the real world experience of using the same technology. Can you imagine browsing the web, and not being able to navigate to Facebook? Not so authentic.
This is exactly what is going on in some schools, not all, but some. Certainly it is the case in most urban schools. I can attest to this fact because I have given many presentations in urban schools only to have the highlight of my presentation land with a thud because I was unable to navigate to Facebook or Twitter due to district restrictions.

Even my 2 year-old son prefers playing with daddy’s iPhone as opposed to his imitation toy-version of a cell phone. He can tell immediately that whatever this thing is that I gave him is not the real thing. He wants the real thing! Don’t we all. I know I do. So, did the young student in the episode of CSI.

We need to cease restricting the use of technology in urban schools. The conventional wisdom is that these restrictions enhance learning, if last night’s episode of CSI or the latest reports on student learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) is any indication, it maybe that these limitations are a hindrance to student learning.

Have you ever used the word geek to describe someone who knew very little about a particular subject?

2010-03-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to speak at Microsoft’s Student Minority Day 2010 organized by Blacks @ Microsoft (BAM). The event was held in Dallas at Microsoft’s Las Colinas campus. The goal of the event is: to provide area high school students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds with information about exciting tools, resources, and career opportunities available to them in high technology. You can read more about BAM here.

During the event, I was able to talk individually to many of the students and counselor’s regarding their attitudes toward technology. Although many of them are engaged in the social and entertainment aspect of technology, I also sensed, as I have before, from many in communities of color, the attitude that if one is interested in a career in technology, it makes you a geek.

As long as we view technology this way it is only go to serve as a deterrent to getting more of our people to adopt technologies that can enhance our lives. Let us be clear about something. Everyone is a geek or nerd about something. Isn’t that interesting. Have you ever thought of it that way?

Here is a suggestion. Why don’t we stop using those words and replace them with the words expert or guru. When we use the word geek don’t we really mean expert? Have you ever used the word geek to describe someone who knew very little about a particular subject? I don’t think so.

Oprah Winfrey is a business nerd. Lebron James is a basketball nerd. Jay-Z is a rap nerd. I am talking about their knowledge, not how they look. Tiger Woods, Lebron James, and Jay-Z are nerds. They are just cool nerds. They are proof that you can be cool and be a nerd at the same time.

When we use the word nerd, we think of someone whom all they do is spend all of their time and energy doing on particular thing. We just happen to associate that one particular activity with computers or studying.

But when someone such as Jay-Z spends all of him time in a studio flowing or writing lyrics do we call him a nerd? This is to the young brothers and sisters out there. You can be cool and also be an expert. I am. And so is, Lebron James, Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey.

Bring your swagga to the party and be not afraid.

Hotep,
Kai

Diversity, African American employment, jobs, careers - Find Jobs - Computer Science Grads with OO Programming Experience Jobs in Boston, Massachusetts - Cannon Search Partners

2010-03-25T14:55:00.001-07:00

Diversity, African American employment, jobs, careers - Find Jobs - Computer Science Grads with OO Programming Experience Jobs in Boston, Massachusetts - Cannon Search Partners

Posted using ShareThis

Single Gender Schools

2010-03-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to Dr. Mateen Diop's work on Single-Gender schools. We mentioned this book on The Diop and Dupe Show last week and I wanted to try out the new Amazon feature on this site as well. I am currently reading this book. It is basically a dissertation but it is still very interesting and gives parent something to think about when it comes to their children and education.

Hotep,
Kai

African American Scholarships

2010-03-24T06:33:00.001-07:00

Here is the list of scholarships that I posted on "How To Be A Strong Black Man"

1) Bell Labs Fellowships for Under Represented Minorities http://www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/CRFP/info.html

2) Student Inventors Scholarships http://www.invent.org/collegiate

3) Student Video Scholarships http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html

4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships http://www.coca-colascholars.org/p rograms.html

5) Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships http://holocaust.hklaw.com/=2 0

6) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships http://www.aynrand.org/contests/
7) Brand Essay Competition http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002 Rules.htm

8) Gates Millennium Scholarships (major) http://www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=12

9) Xerox Scholarships for Students http://www2.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/about_xerox_detail.jsp

10) Sports Scholarships and Internships http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html

11) National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ) http://www.nabj.org/html/studentsvcs.html%C2%A0 tw.html

13) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm

14) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships) http://www.finaid.org/

15) Presidential Freedom Scholarships http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships/

16) Microsoft Scholarship Program http://www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships/minority.asp%21%C2%A0 _search.jsp

18) Hope Scholarships &Lifetime Credits http://www.ed.gov/inits/hope/

19) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students http://www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm

20) Multiple List of Minority Scholarships http://gehon.ir.miami.edu/financial-! assista nce/Scholarship/blackhtml

21) The Roothbert Scholarship Fund htt! p://www .roothbertfund.com

22) BOEING scholarships (soma e HBCU connects) http://www.boeing.com/ /companyoffices/educationrelations/scholarships

23) Easley National Scholarship Program http://www.naas.org/senior.htm

24) Maryland Artists Scholarships http://www.maef.org/

26) Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship (for AA students in South Florida ) http://ww/ w.jackituckfield.org/

27) Historically Black College & University Scholarships http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm%C2%A0 larships.htm

29) International Students Scholarshi ps &Aid Help http://www.iefa.org/

30) College Board Scholarship Search http://cbweb10p.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/html/fundfin d01.html

31) Burger King Scholarship Program http://www.bkscholars.csfa.org/

32) Siemens Westinghouse Competition http://www.siemens-foundation.org/

33) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds http://www.lulac.org/Programs/Scholar.html

35) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid http://www.aflcioorg/scholarships/scholar.htm

36) Federal Scholarships &Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm

37) Scholarship &Financial Aid Help http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm

38) Scholarship Links (Ed Finance Group) http://www.efg.net/link_scholarship.htm

39) FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form &Info) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

41) Scholarships and Fellowships http://www.osc.cuny.edu/sep/links.html

42) Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies http://www.paralegals.org/Choice/2000west. htm

43) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships ( for study around the world) http://www.sit.edu/stud! yabroad /packard_nomination.html

44) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities http://ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1html

45) INROADS internships http://www.inroads.org/

46) ACT-SO bEURoeOlympics of the Mind 'A Scholarships http://www.naacp.org/work/actso/act-so.shtml

47) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships http://www.baeo.org/option s/privatelyfinanced.jsp

48) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing

http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html

49) Graduate Fellowships For Minorities Nationwide http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/list.phtml?category=MINORITIES

50) RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS AT OXFORD http://www.rhodesscholar.org/info.html%C2%A0

The National Urban League produces iPhone app

2010-03-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

On Monday (March 1, 2010), I received an email from The National Urban League. The email was from Marc Morial. Mr. Morial is the current president of The National Urban League. The purpose of the message was to announce the centennial celebration of The National Urban League.

The National Urban League has been pulling people out of poverty and placing them on the road to empowerment for 100 years. No doubt this is to be celebrated, but this is not the part of the message that caught my attention. I was ELATED to see that the National Urban League is launching their “I AM EMPOWERED” campaign.

The organization is using mobile technology in the form of apps for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry mobile devices. This application is a way to stay connected with The National Urban League and your friends and colleagues who are working toward the goals of this initiative. I think this is a great idea and a wonderful use of the technology.

I am so proud to see this organization embrace and utilize this new technology to further their mission. Let us take note and follow the lead of The National Urban League. We have only scratched the surface of what we can do to improve our lives and further our work by using the emerging technologies of the day.

You can read more about this initiative at http://iamempowered.com/

Hotep,
Kai

100,000 iPhone Applications!

2010-01-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

Recently tech tracker website Gizmodo reported that 100,000 applications are now available for the iPhone. Earlier this week, Apple has been reported that iPhone customers have downloaded 3 billion applications since it launched the App Store, a marketplace for these applications that do everything from play games to translate words. I thought to myself that is a lot of money. How many of those 100,000 applications do you think were developed by African Americans? How many of the 3 billion downloads can be attributed to African American CONSUMERS. What are the percentages and how do they compare? I would love to have the answer to these questions. What do you think? If anyone has this information, please respond. My guess is that the percentage of downloads far outpaces the percentages of applications developed. And we need to change that!

Warmest Regards,
Kai Dupé

Two Cultures: Which group are you in?

2009-12-24T13:58:00.001-08:00

In the early 1960s, the professors John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz developed BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) at Dartmouth College because they thought educated people, and future leaders of America, should have some first-hand experience with computing. They were influenced by C.P. Snow’s “The Two Cultures” and the concern that the rise of computing would divide the population into two groups — those who understood the strengths and weaknesses of modern technology and those who were passively ruled by it.

Kai

This is the time to PRODUCE

2009-12-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

Many of my friends are aware that I am currently doing research to answer the question: Why Are Blacks Underrepresented in Careers in Computing? Many of them do not feel that there is actually a digital divide. In fact, even my wife and I recently had a conversation where she informed me that she did not believe it was an issue and she cites that most of her friends are very active on Facebook. But being active on Facebook is not the premise of my argument. Recently when the PEW Center reported that African Americans are ahead of the curve in terms of using mobile devices are participating in mobile computing, I heard from many of my friends again. Many of them wrote, see I told you. Black people use technology. They say Black people are all over the Internet and mobile computing.

Allow me to take this moment to respond. Humans in general are very social beings. African Americans are probably more socially oriented than any other ethnic group. So, I am not surprised at all black folks are ahead of the game in being in on Facebook and using mobile devices. But how many of us are producing mobile content? How many of us have started companies to produce applications for the iPhone and Android? Where are those stats? We have always been HUGE consumers. It has been reported for years that Black folks spend more money at the movies then any other group. We are also known to buy more records. This is all entertainment. Is anyone PRODUCING content for movies other than Tyler Perry and a few others? Do we own record companies, not labels, not studios, companies.

We are huge CONSUMERS. What I am advocating here is that we become PRODUCERS. And my research project is to find out why we do not pursue the skills to become PRODUCERS. Did you know that Facebook was created by a young college student? Where is the young black college student from an HBCU who is producing a Facebook or a Twitter? Why are our young people NOT represented in this space? Where are the black people who are innovating in this space the way we innovate in music, hip-hop, jazz, athletics, dancing, and acting? Please do not get me wrong. I know that we have a few, but we are underrepresented. And my question is why?

So, I am not impressed with the PEW study. Those numbers do not surprise me. It is the same as the movie numbers and the record sales numbers, we are just using a different medium to do the same thing, consume.

Hotep,
Kai Ajala Dupé

My job is to teach literacy, and technical literacy is an important part of that today,” Lawson said. “It’s not just about reading and writing anymore

2009-10-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a great article regarding a teacher using iPods to teach literature to his students. Here is a quote from the article:

“My job is to teach literacy, and technical literacy is an important part of that today,” Lawson said. “It’s not just about reading and writing anymore.”

Click here to read the full article.

Can someone tell me again why school districts in San Antonio outlaw the use of technologies such as Kindles and Second Life?

I would love to hear from ya.

Warmest Regards,
Kai Dupué

Top Ten Technology Skills

2009-10-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Click here to read a great article about the latest ranking of technology skills.

Thoughts from my personal journal that are relevant to this conversation

2009-10-21T05:39:00.001-07:00

I started this online journal back in 2005 as part of a course I was taking in the doctoral program at Pepperdine University. Today I am starting to write in it a new as I reflect on my life in the early mornings as I rise. I have become an early riser and thoughts pop into my head about my life and where I want to go. I intend to use this space to capture those thoughts and ideas and reflect upon them weekly. Today I want to capture a brief thought I had about my career in Information Technology. I have been a software programmer since 1987. In recent years, I had decided that I no longer had any passion for this field and I began to search for a new passion. That journey is another story. But recently, while writing my dissertation and studying the history and application of computing and problem solving something came to mind. Perhaps I still like problem solving and computer science--the practice of solving problems with the aid of a computer--but maybe I need a problem that has meaning for me. Something that I am passionate about solving. For years, I have solved problems for organizations that I care very little about. That thought generated another one which was. What problems do I care about? Well my dissertation is centered around the problem of "Why Are There So Few African Americans in Information Technology"? African Americans have a myriad of problems that need solving, and I have always resonated with those who have taken up this quest. Leaders such as Dr. King and Malcolm X. Can I use computing and my vast experience with technology to solve a problem that has meaning for African Americans? If I can do that then maybe I would have meaning in my work. I see the root cause for many of the problems that plague the African American community as being the way we think. I understand why many of us think the way we do and I am not interested in analyzing that here, however, can technology be used in a way to persuade, to change our way of thinking. Recently, MIchael Lang of Black Digerati introduce me to B.F. Fogg's work and his book Persuasive Technology. He suggests that technology can be used and is being used precisely to that end. I have much more to think about.

Warmest Regards,
Kai

A Nation at Risk

2009-10-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

“The people of the United States need to know that individuals in our society who do not possess the levels of skill, literacy, and training essential to this new era will be effectively disenfranchised, not simply from the material rewards that accompany competent performance, but also from the chance to participate fully in our national life.”

The above quote is from a report that was published in 1983. The report is entitled A Nation at Risk. It was published by the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The sentiment above is why I started this blog and why my purpose in life is to do my part to make certain that communities of color do not become even more disenfranchised.

Stay Tuned,
Kai

Cursive may be a fading skill

2009-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I had a conversation on my Blog Talk Radio Show (The Diop and Dupué Show) regarding technologies such as the iPhone and the Kindle and how they will change schooling. Dr. Diop posed the question: “Do you think in the future schools will continue to teach cursive writing?”

My answer to the question is a resounding No! Why should they? Cursive writing is simply a form of communication or writing using the tools of the day. The tools of a different era were the pen and pencil. After the pen came the typewriter and now the computer. Why would we continue to teach a skill that is based on a fading technology? Pencils and pens, just like a computer, are tools used to write.

Some argue as you can see from the article posted here, that “In the age of computers, I just tell the children, what if we are on an island and don't have electricity? One of the ways we communicate is through writing,” she said. This is not a good argument. What if we are on the same island and there are no pens? Same problem.

You should not look for the context in which your tool of choice works. What if we are on an island and there is nothing to write on. I can go on and on. The fact of the matter is tools used to write will continue to change. Why are we not still writing using clay or blood the way it was done in ancient times? The answer is we have created or invented better ways to communicate and write.

Prepare for the future, and do not be shocked when your child comes home the way the ones did in the above referenced article and informs you that he or she is not learning how to write cursive anymore.

Hotep,
Kai Dupué

Digital Nomads

2009-08-14T06:20:00.001-07:00

Asked where her co-workers were, Moysey said: "I don't know — because it doesn't matter anymore."

I love the above line. As I continue to point out in this space, how we live our lives is changing everyday as technology continues to penetrate every facet of human activity. We need to make sure we are embracing technology and taking advantage of the benefits of using it. The article reference above can be read by visiting this link.

You no longer have to live in the same city where you conduct your work. And even if you live in the city where you work you no longer have to drive into the office. Become a digital nomad and work when and wherever you want.

Kai

Imagine Cup 2009

2009-08-05T12:21:00.001-07:00

Here is another opportunity to enter the Microsoft sponsored ImagineCup competition. Click here for more information.

Stuck in the Shallow End

2009-07-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Stuck in the Shallow End

The more I study why there are not more African Americans in the field of Computer Science, the more I realize like most of our ills, it has to do with lack of opportunities and social conditioning.

I had my suspicions before, but after reading Stuck in the Shallow End by Jane Margolis I am completely on board.

If you are reading this blog post and you do not believe in this notion of getting our people, especially our young people, involved in learning computer science and participating in the digital society I strongly suggest that you read this book.

Dr. Margolis makes the case much better than I can at this point, but I am very pleased to have come upon a book that A) illustrates that our lack of participation in this area is a problem not only for African Americans but also for America and B) Provides reasons for why this is the case.

As someone who has a degree in Computer Science and has spent twenty-five years developing software this question has plagued me for years.

This book has helped to convince me that much of the issue here is economic. Not that one can’t aspire to learn despite economics, of course they can. But how a group’s economic position drives, policy, expectations, and beliefs, which play a huge role in what opportunities are presented.

Lack of opportunities to learn why computer science is important and what it can do for you is at the core for the lack of diversity in this field. For a great article on how race comes into play check out this article by Claude Steele.

Stay tuned, there is definitely more to come.
Kai Ajala Dupé

Print Is Dead

2009-07-17T11:26:00.001-07:00

Oh I say and I say it again Print Is Dead!

Check out Harvard's latest move.

A Kindle in every backpack

2009-07-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

It seems that I have made the case before for distributing Kindles (or some other digital book reader to students) for some time. I guess the idea has caught on. Read more...

Google Voice

2009-07-16T09:12:00.001-07:00

Google is about to release a service that enables users to have one universal phone number. For more information please read the article here.

Apple Tablet

2009-07-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Is Apple about to release a tablet PC?

check out the article

IT jobs available despite economy

2009-06-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

I have been a software developer, software entrepreneur, computer scientist, and information technology professional since 1986. During this time, I have never gone more than 3 months without a job. And the one time I went 3 months was by choice. I decided to take a few months away to collect myself. We are told that our current economy is the worst in the history of the United States since the great depression. Yet, recently I have read from more than one source that the present economy is not dampening the digital economy. This recent article reports how they are plenty of IT jobs available.

If you are looking for a career, please consider a career in information technology. The field needs the diversity and it is a very rewarding, lucrative, and maybe even recession-proof choice.

Kai

Ujima Fundraiser

2009-06-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ujima Magazine is the premier source of empowerment and community in Austin. On Friday, June 26, 2009 Ujima will be having a Wine Tasting Fundraiser. The event will be held at Green Pastures Restaurant at 811 West Live Oak. The restaurant is located at
811 West Live Oak.

Tickets are $25.00 per person and $40.00 for a couple. There will be Hors d'oeuvres And Desserts • Choice Wines • Gourmet Coffee Bar.

Please take a moment to drop by and support the premier information resource for the Black community in Austin.

Kai

Apple spurring a wireless digital divide?

2009-06-22T06:35:00.001-07:00

I just read an article from USA Today that reported some cell phone carriers such as John Rooney, CEO of U.S. Cellular, are claiming that exclusivity deals such as the one that is in place between Apple and AT&T are creating a wireless divide. Do you buy this? I have not made up my mind as of yet but it seems to warrant discussion. What do you think? Here is the article.

Jott for iPhone

2009-06-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend as I was waiting for my friend to arrive in Austin and join me on an adventure to Lockhart, Texas to check out their world famous BBQ, the thought occurred to me. I reflected on how much I LOVE being prepared and how much I truly enjoy refining the processes in my life. It does not really matter what the task. One example of this is my weekly commute between Houston and Austin.

When I first started commuting, since I had never done it, I was always frustrated by not having what I needed to make the drive go smoothly. For example I always found myself listening to a wonderful audio book (Blink by Malcolm Gladwell comes to mind) only to notice that my iPhone battery was about to die. How frustrating! Another example would be forgetting to pack the auxiliary cable needed to use my iPhone to listen to the audio book in the first place.

But as I continued to commute, each time I would refine the process. I would do a better job of planning. And it is joyous to me when the next time my iPhone says, “hey I know you are enjoying Blink, but I am about to power down. I smile and reach into my bag and pull out the charger that I purchased for just such an occasion. I LOVE it. As I continued to think about this it occurred to me that technology or using technology rather is a huge part of how I simplify or refine the processes in my life. Of course, at the core of this conversation is planning and organization, but I guess my point is I utilize technology in support of these two.

Those who continue to suffer the frustration of a lack of planning and/or organization when they are so many tools to help us to be more organized always baffle me. One of my new favorites is an application called Jott. Jott is like having a personal assistant. I absolutely love it. Jott is a voice recorder and voice-to- text application. It is so helpful in keeping me organized and allowing me to capture random thoughts from my head and get them somewhere that I can reference later.

One of my favorite ways of using Jott is while I am commuting from Austin to Houston on Friday afternoon. It never fails that while I am driving some idea or some task that I need to take care of pops into my head. Without Jott, I have to try and write it down while driving. Everyone should agree this is not a good idea! The other option is to try and remember the idea until I can stop and record my brilliance on paper. Of course, as soon as you stop your flash of brilliance has left. Pobrecito!

Enter Jott. This Friday when this wonderful idea arrives, I will simply grab my iPhone and press the Jott button and speak into my phone’s microphone. Jott will record my idea or thought, convert it to text and send it to me via email. Alternately, I can ask Jott to post my thought on my Google calendar, my Twitter account, or post it on my grocery or to-do list on Toodledo.com.

Sometimes while driving, I will think of something that will make my commute on Monday better. I simply Jott the idea and implement it over the weeked before I am back in the car on Monday morning. How wonderful. Problem solved! This is a wonderful piece of software combined with the power of mobility. I use Jott on my iPhone but it is also works on Blackberry. You can learn more about Jott by visiting http://www.jott.com.

Hotep,
Kai Ajala Dupé

A Time for DSL

2009-05-28T07:00:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of weeks ago I was in San Antonio visiting my sister and mother. During the visit, I asked my sister if she had seen the recent videos and pictures of my children that I had posted. She said no. I said ok. Let me show them to you. So, off we went into her bedroom to use the computer. When I attempted to navigate to the site (http://www.myfamily.com) that I use to store and distribute all information regarding the events and activities of my family to my broader family and friends it took forever. I quickly became frustrated. I asked my sister, “Is this what you go through each time you use your computer?” “Yes”, she said. I asked what is this a dial-up connection? Again she replied, “Yes”. I almost passed out. Listen people. No more dial-up!!! Repeat after me. NO MORE DIAL-UP.

When I asked her why she was using dial-up she told me she could not afford a DSL connection. I said how is that when a DSL connection is only about $14.00 a month? Just to be sure I did a quick search to find a few DLS prices. Sure enough, ATT offers Basic DSL for $19.95. I asked my sister could you afford $19.95 a month. She said “No I can’t.” “Ok”, I said. Here is what you do. You simply must have the fastest Internet connection that you can afford. This is no longer an option. This is not a luxury. The access and opportunities you are granted by having a high-speed connection to the Internet are mind boggling, and for many black people to still be living as if DSL is not available borders on insane. Ok, maybe that is too strong. But I am trying to make a point.

I told my sister. You are paying for something right now that you are probably paying more than $19.95 per month that does not afford you the same value that a fast DSL connection would provide. I suggested that she go through her monthly expenses. I am quite sure that she will find some expense that she is paying for that can probably be done for free using the web and her computer with a high speed Internet. One easy example would be mailing your bills. Stop paying for stamps, envelopes, etc to pay bills. Stop paying for a subscription to your newspaper that you can read online. Stop paying for software to run on your computer such as word that you can use on the web via Google for free.

We found several examples of monthly expenses that could be eliminated and done for free using her computer and a high-speed connection to the Internet. Please stop saying you can’t afford DSL and let’s get on with the business of joining the 21st century. If you feel that you truly can’t afford to pay for DSL, I would suggest you try the exercise described above.

Warmest Regards,
Kai Ajala Dupé

Blog now available at Amazon Kindle Store

2009-05-14T06:04:00.001-07:00

Last night I received notification from the Amazon Kindle store that this blog, Where Are Blacks in Technology has been approved. I am very excited about this. Those of you who have made the move to purchase a Kindle can now subscribe to this blog. I believe the cost is $1.99 but it allows you to have the content with you wherever you go whether you have access to the web or not. How cool is that? I have subscribed to several of my favorite blogs and newspapers and I immediately began the research to determine how to make this blog available. If anyone else has content (blog, newspaper, magazine) content that they would like to make available on the Kindle please drop me a note here at the blog or email me at kai.dupe@kaidupe.com and I can help point you in the right direction.

Warmest Regards,
Kai Ajala Dupé

2009-04-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Recently I entered into a partnership with a seminar company. I decided to partner with this company for two reasons. First, I love to speak. Second, I love to provide individuals with information and resources that enhances their personal development.

I absolutely love to help people to transform their lives to reach their full potential. There are very few things in life that give me more personal satisfaction. The other reason is that this company provides me with the opportunity to sell resources that help people to improve their lives.

Currently, I do not have any resources of my own to sell. The opportunity to work with this seminar company allows me to place products + information into people's hands that will help them to reach their goals. I have decided to teach Excel. I chose Excel because I have close to 25 years of experience in the information technology field as a software developer and my Masters degree is in educational technology.

In fact, it has been my social experience within this workspace that has led to my starting this blog. I have been asking this question for more than 2 decades now, "Where Are Blacks in Technology". My new seminar experience has been much of the same.

Since March, I have been out on two trips to conduct Excel training. During that time I have only come into contact with two African American attendees. These seminars have each had more than twenty people in the room. I have seen two Black people out more than 120 seminar attendees.

During my first seminar, I thought ok, no problem maybe it has to do with the region. I was in South Texas. But, then on my second trip, I only had one person in the seminar and this was in the Dallas area, where I lived for over 10 years, so I know there is a significant population of Black people

Where are the Black people? Why are we not attending affordable, quality training that is being delivered right in your own backyard? You do not have to travel and you can learn the basics of a very popular product, one that can land you a job for an affordable price.

If you are interested in training in Excel 2003 or a myriad of other topics, please Google seminar companies or visit the websites of National, Dale Carnegie, Fred Pryor or SkillPath and see what kind of training is coming to your area.

This is a great way to establish new skills that may put you over the hump on your next job interview or helping you to run that small business more effectively.

Warmest Regards,
Kai Ajala Dupé
http://www.kaidupe.com/twitter