Women empowerment in Technology research paper

SPECIAL REPORT ON

Digital Literacy for Women & Girls

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 1

2011 AlliAnce For Women in mediA FoundAtion BoArd oF directors Chair VALERIE K. BLACKBURN CBS BROADCASTINg, INC. LOS ANgELES, CA Chair-ElECt/ViCE Chair KAy g. OLIN LOCAL FOCUS RADIO ATLANTA, gA trEasurEr KRISTEN WELCh DISCOVERy COMMUNICATIONS, INC. SILVER SpRINg, MD trEasurEr-ElECt SARAh FOSS LIFT INDUSTRIES, LLC RIChMOND, VA immEdiatE Past Chair SyLVIA L. STROBEL, ESq. ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITy MEDIA MCLEAN, VA dirECtors ChRISTINA ANDERSON NATIONAL CABLE & TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION WAShINgTON, DC LISA C. DOLLINgER SAN ANTONIO, TX MIChELLE DUKE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS EDUCATION FOUNDATION WAShINgTON, DC CAROL gROThEM CAMpBELL MIThUN/COMpASS pOINT MEDIA MINNEApOLIS, MN CAROL hANLEy ARBITRON, INC. ChICAgO, IL JONELLE hENRy C-SpAN WAShINgTON, DC LAURIE KAhN MEDIA STAFFINg NETWORK SCOTTSDALE, AZ CORNELIA KOEhL hARpO, INC. ChICAgO, IL BRIDgET LEININgER CNN ATLANTA, gA BONNIE pRESS NEW yORK, Ny hEIDI RAphAEL gREATER MEDIA, INC. BRAINTREE, MA DEBORAh J. SALONS, ESq. DRINKER BIDDLE & REATh WAShINgTON, DC KEIShA SUTTON-JAMES ICBC BROADCAST hOLDINgS, INC. NEW yORK, Ny JENNIFER ZEIDMAN BLOCh gOOgLE NEW yORK, Ny

Increasing Digital Opportunity for Women By Erin M. Fuller, CAE

I n 1995, Nelson Mandela said that “In the twenty-first century, the capacity to communicate will almost certainly be a key human right. Eliminating the distinction between the infor- mation-rich and information-poor is also critical to elimi-

nating economic and other inequalities…and to improve the life of all humanity.”

Sadly we are not there yet, and it’s too often women who are short- changed when it come to access to communications, information, and technology in particular. The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) issues this Special Report to shine a light on digital literacy, with a particular focus on media. This Special Report addresses the gender-based knowledge divide, with a specific focus on girls, women and workforce training. In absolute terms, women have less access to and use information and communications technologies less than men. As a result, a stereotype has been developed that women are rather techno- phobic, have less interest in, and are less capable using technology. One set of opinions and explanations for why this is ranges from to the types of toys that children play with—dolls vs. video games—to software and technology design.

Contrary to those kinds of claims, careful and broad-based statistical tests in 25 dif- ferent countries have revealed that the reason why fewer women access and use digital media is a direct result of their unfavorable conditions with respect to employment, education and income. Therefore, women have and use less digital media not because they are women per se, but because social practice provides them with less employment, less education and less income, which again leads to less digital media access and usage.

When controlling for these variables, women turn out to be more active users of digital tools than men. In other words, the fact of being a woman contributes positively to using digital media. Women, traditionally thought of as being better communicators than men, seem to have a natural proximity with these new tools for communication. So a different way to view a “digital-gender-divide” is as a “digital-gender-opportunity”

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AlliAnce For Women in mediA FoundAtion HonorAry trustees DAVID J. BARRETT pRESIDENT & CEO hEARST TELEVISION INC. pIERRE C. BOUVARD SVp TRA, INC. “ThE RIghT AUDIENCE” MARK gRAy pRESIDENT KATZ RADIO gROUp CAROL hANLEy ChIEF SALES OFFICER ARBITRON, INC. TED hARBERT ChAIRMAN NBC BROADCASTINg JOhN hOgAN CEO CLEAR ChANNEL RADIO ERIK LOgAN pRESIDENT hARpO STUDIOS ABBE RAVEN pRESIDENT & CEO A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS pETER h. SMyTh pRESIDENT/CEO gREATER MEDIA, INC. SIR hOWARD STRINgER ChAIRMAN & CEO SONy CORpORATION OF AMERICA DENNIS SWANSON pRESIDENT OF STATION OpERATIONS FOX TELEVISION STATIONS

LAUREN ZALAZNICK ChAIRMAN NBCUNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT & DIgITAL NETWORKS AND INTEgRATED MEDIA PuBlisHer ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 1760 OLD MEADOW ROAD, SUITE 500 MCLEAN, VA 22102 703.506.3290 • 703.506.3266 fax WWW.ALLWOMENINMEDIA.ORg President ERIN M. FULLER, FASAE, CAE EFULLER@ALLWOMENINMEDIA.ORg executive vice President AMy LOTZ, CAE ALOTZ@ALLWOMENINMEDIA.ORg

coordinAtor KATE NISWANDER KNISWANDER@ALLWOMENINMEDIA.ORg editor ANDy SChWARZ ASChWARZ@ALLWOMENINMEDIA.ORg mAnAging editor KATE O’DONNELL KODONNELL@ALLWOMENINMEDIA.ORg Advertising sAles ELIZABETh JOhNSON EJOhNSON@ALLWOMENINMEDIA.ORg cover design, lAyout And Production MOON DESIgN

for women. If women are provided with digital tools, it represents a tangible opportunity for women to tackle longstanding challenges of gender inequalities, including access to employment, income, education and health services.

We also know that that once digital media penetration reaches almost universal access (above two-thirds of society), the digital divide with reference to gender is becoming less and less attenuated, and even turns around. The U.S. Department of Commerce showed, between 2001 and 2004, women used the Internet by one percent more than men. 2009 Census data suggests that the gender divide in the U.S. has become nearly nonexistent; 73% of female citizens three years and older could access the Internet from their home, compared to 74% of males. Additionally, 68.8% of females three years and older were able to access the Internet from some location (either within their household or outside), compared to 67.9% of males. Similarly, in China, between 1997 and 2002 the percentage of Internet users who are women rose from 12% to 39%.

So we are using it—but are we controlling what is now, essentially, the means of production? A Miami University team of researchers found that girls may avoid science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers because they are “perceived as less likely than careers in other fields to fulfill communal goals (e.g., working with or helping other people),” according to the abstract in Psychological Science, the journal of the Association for Psychological Science. So we like to update our status on Facebook, but we view the actual creation of Facebook, or a search engine, or an app to be the opposite of “Living Social”—a solitary career that is unfulfilling.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said earlier this year that “Equal rights for women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century.” So we need to ask ourselves: how are we contributing to getting that important, essential work done? AWMF developed this Special Report not only to explore how women and girls can harness the power of technology, but to inspire them to achieve the digital literacy, technical prowess, and clear vision necessary to influence the development and use of informa- tion and communications technologies. We appreciate your support of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, your interest in this topic, and your own commitment to seek ways to ensure women and girls have equal access to what have become essen- tial tools for professional and personal success, engagement, and digital citizenship.

Thanks to our partners at AT&T for supporting the digital publication of this special report.

Erin M. Fuller, CAE, serves as president of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. Follow Erin on Twitter: @erinmfuller

73% of female citizens three years and

older could access the Internet

from their home, compared to

74% of males. 69%

of females three years and older were

able to access the Internet from some location compared to 68% of males.

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2011 Special Report on Digital Literacy for Women & Girls

4 The Power of Digital Literacy for Moms Moms using social media have unprecedented connections, communities—and influence. By Kelly Day

5 Reaching Students in the Digital Age Tools, techniques and engagement at the touch of a finger. By Kelli Campbell

6 The Next Big Digital Breakthrough Examining the when, where and why of the technological landscape. By Sarah Foss

9 Students Receive New Outlook on Digital Literacy Learning to be aware of and make the most of digital opportunities. By Kate Coates & Rikki Jo Holmes

10 The Four Essential Components of Digital Literacy how to ensure our children have the skills to thrive in the 21st century.

12 Girl Scouts of the USA Tackles Online Safety and Cyberbullying A century-old organization has reemerged as a leader in issues that impact the healthy growth and development of girls. By Laurie Westley

13 Inspired Girls: From Bully to Leader Workshops teach girls to use technology in a safe and meaningful way. By Lisa Nicole Bell

14 House Rules for Digitally Literate Girls providing parents with a set of guidelines for the entire household’s digital success. By Ms. Twixt & Gayle Trotter

15 Providing Opportunity through Digital Literacy Initiatives how one technology company is focused on bring change through innovation. By Beth Adcock Shiroishi

16 Honey, Your Digital Life is Calling Think fast. Write fast. Answer immediately. Can you keep up? By Jeanne Wolf

18 Programs Promoting Critical Thinking: Applying Digital Literacy to Journalism and Media Education Digital literacy emerges as a critical component of news and media literacy education. By Janet Liao

21 What It Means to Be a Woman Who Uses Social Media Women think and learn differently than men—so women should use social media differently than men. By Lena West

22 Wendy Aylsworth: Leading the Technology An illuminating conversation with an executive who is leading the way for women in technology. By Andy Schwarz

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The Power of Digital Literacy for Moms

o BY KELLY DAY

Moms using social media have unprecedented connections, communities—and influence.

The Power of Persuasion From getting mashed peas out of bibs to family friendly movie picks, moms turn to one another for advice based on experience. And almost half of social media moms say that they have made purchases based on a recom-

Over the last ten years, digital literacy and fluency in social media have empow- ered mothers through the ability to share and connect on social media platforms. Online communities, formed for support and information sharing around a range of topics, have shattered geographic bar- riers between moms, as well as the barri- ers between moms as consumers and the brands they support.

Communities of Parents Social media gives moms the power to connect other women outside of their immediate circle of friends and family for a whole host of reasons. In addition to sharing tips and advice and personal experiences with par- enthood, moms inundated with choices about products and services can easily digest the numerous options available to them with input from their networks and online communities. Online communities of other moms from diverse geographic and demographic backgrounds can provide per- spectives on a range of parenting issues that might be missing from one’s physical com- munity. TLC’s Parentables blog, for example, connects readers to a diverse group of blog- gers who write about topics from home- schooling to childhood cancer to how to pick a paint color. The bloggers may not always agree with each other, but the blog provides a constructive, respectful forum for readers and bloggers to learn from each other and make more educated decisions.

mendation from a personal review blog. (NDP Group, “Social Media Moms: How Networking Impacts Purchasing Behav- ior”). Faced with a multitude of product choices—from Boppy pillows to burping cloths—and a laundry list of decisions to make when raising a child, women have become more empowered by their con- nections to social media, and have also become better equipped to make educated decisions.

Highly Sought-After Consumers The ability to share on social media platforms

A blog provides a constructive, respectful forum for readers, and bloggers to learn from each other and make more

educated decisions.

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 5

t BY KELLI CAMPBELL

Tools, techniques and engagement at the touch of a finger.

has turned moms into smart, savvy consum- ers, often with networks of followers who trust their recommendations. As a result, marketers have been forced to develop smart, savvy pitches (and products) to satisfy the network of women with whom they actively seek to engage. En masse, social media moms are giving women a seat at the conference room table—even if it’s all from the comfort of their laptops and smartphones. The numbers are power- ful: 90% of moms are online (compared to 76% of women) (eMarketer, Understand- ing How New Moms Share). Brands wisely recognize the huge impact moms in the digital space can have on their reputations, and are now actively courting the digital mom seal of approval.

Transparency Vocal moms on social media platforms make it difficult for brands and agencies to get away with bad pitching or, even worse, a poor product. We’ve all witnessed the fallout from a blog post about a shoddy product or rude mar- keter, as negative posts make their way around the blogosphere. Companies are on the hook for their products, as well as their outreach methods, and must work hard to stay on the good side of this massive network of consumers. Brands with Twitter accounts and Facebook fan pages must be transparent about their products and responsive to their critics, as their custom- ers’ complaints are now visible on very public platforms.

Creating a Strong Online Reputation To be an effective mom in social media, cred- ibility and reputation are key. As mentioned above, endorsing quality brands makes all the difference in making recommendations that people trust. Creating a positive online persona, by being tasteful, thoughtful and smart about posts and other content also contribute to a strong online reputation. Writing about topics and issues that you care about passionately will make you a more genuine, persuasive communicator. Finally, working constructively (and trans- parently) with brands will increase your social media currency among the compa- nies willing to put resources into reaching this key demographic.

Kelly Day is Executive Vice President and General Manager of Digital Media and Commerce for Discovery Communications.

Today’s students are very much at home in an electronic world, having grown up emailing, texting and surfing the Internet. And increas- ingly, educators are turning to educational technology in order to engage these students. For example, large touch screens that work with projectors and comput- ers—called interactive white- boards, or “action boards”—are replacing chalkboards in many classrooms. With this technol- ogy, teachers and students are able to view and interact with digital media presentations and control computer applications with the touch of a finger.

Educators are also increas- ingly using podcasts to share lectures, in- terviews, discussions, and assignments with students at any time. They can also be a tool for publishing student-generated content. Even smartphones are being used to improve student achievement. In one recent experiment, 9th and 10th grade math students were given smartphones equipped with special programs to help with their algebra studies. The study found that the students using the phones performed 25 percent better on the end-of-year exam than students without the devices.

No matter what methods teachers and administrators use to engage today’s stu- dents, high-quality digital content is criti- cal. Today’s classrooms are dynamic places,

and teachers are challenged to spend as much time on instruction as possible. So when a student asks a question like “How did Madeline Albright become so success- ful?” or “What does a Maasai tribe woman wear?,” a library of digital media like Dis-

covery Education can help answer through engaging content that makes students want to learn even more. Dis- covery Education produces several products like Dis- covery Education STREAM- ING and Discovery Educa- tion Science Techbook, the in-classroom digital video- based learning resources sci-

entifically proven to increase academic achievement.

The benefit of digital learning is having material that is current and relevant. When the scientific community determined a few years ago that Pluto was no longer a planet, all the hard-copy media libraries and all the textbooks referencing the solar system were instantly outdated. With a digital library hosted online, content changes can be made quickly and seamlessly, making sure students and educators have the most up-to-date information.

Kelli Campbell is Senior Vice President of Discovery Education.

Reaching Students in the Digital Age

No matter what methods teachers use to engage today’s students, high- quality digital

content is critical.

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W BY SARAH FoSS

Examining the when, where and why of the technological landscape.

The Next Big Digital Breakthrough

is one of those digital executives who really has built entire brands and cam- paigns for the largest of international business on the backbone of digital technologies.

The question? What is the next big thing in the digital world? We assumed this all- inclusive problem-statement would also cover:

● What are trends in technology today? ● How do these affect women and girls

differently? ● What are the benefits of this next big

thing? Gallagher wanted a baseline for today.

Of course, to best speak about the future, it would be helpful for the audience if we understood each speaker’s view of the present. He started, then, with the seem- ingly innocuous question: What devices do you have, and how do you classify your use of technology today?

Each categorized herself as a light to mod-

When I attended the final session at AWM’s Symposium on Digital Literacy for Women and Girls, I had, like many, a preconceived notion of what I would be my takeaways. It was one of those sessions that had a gran- diose title (to keep folks after lunch), top tier talent (with a broad base of experience), and a big headline that could be plastered across any of today’s magazines.

I was wrong. The speakers? Moderated by Frank Gal-

lagher, executive director of Cable in the Classroom, these heavy-hitters were from a cross-section of the media landscape:

● Randa Minkarah, senior vice president of revenue and business development, Fisher Communications. Minkarah is building the digital business for Fisher across a variety of platforms for this not-so-traditional-anymore media company.

● Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, vice president and director of the media & technol- ogy institute, Joint Center for Politi- cal and Economic Studies, spends her time understanding and researching trends that either are about digital—or residual impact from/with digital.

● Lisa Weinstein, president, global digital and search, Starcom MediaVest Group,

erate user of technology—across both per- sonal and work applications. Like many of us in the room, they tote their “brain” and/ or “lifeline” of a smartphone everywhere. Additional digital accoutrements included: an e-reader, a very old MP3 player (couldn’t figure out how to transfer the files to an iTouch), an iPad, multiple laptops, and apps that ranged from business travel “godsends” to games for kids at home. Whether email, social media or device, though, there was 100% consensus: they do not mix their personal and work usage and devices. (If they do, it is for an unique reason!)

But, did Weinstein, the president of a digital business, really say she only has TWO devices? Hmmm…this panel was getting interesting already!

More than halfway through the one-hour panel, we were still discussing usage, devices, and the state of the current digital world. How were we going to get to the future— when we are still discussing the present?

Then, the light bulb went off. We were discussing the next big thing! Control.

Technology is so pervasive now that the only way to harness its power and manage it (without it managing us) is through control. Each of the highly-experienced digital experts on the panel were sharing

the aWmF symposium on digital literacy for Women & Girls was held tuesday, september 13, 2011 at the Chicago tribune Building.

Technology is so pervasive now that the only way to harness its power and manage it (without it managing us) is through control.

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 7

business statistics, industry research, and personal anecdotes that helped shine light on the growing opportunities as well as risks and frustrations that we, as a digital society, have with digital technologies. These experts were sharing insights into how to better grapple with the complete control— or complete lack of control—that we have with digital.

Control—whether for digital or not—of course, requires three key tenets: knowledge, understanding and choice.

To have digital literacy requires each participant to actively seek knowledge to help sort through the multitude of digital options. And, what is right for one person isn’t for another. Managing businesses, ac- cording to the panelists, is altogether dif- ferent! Minkarah shared that it took a large amount of training and knowledge distri- bution to move her sales team from a tra-

ditional media world to a digital one. But, Fisher Communications felt it important to share this knowledge with the traditional team. Their philosophy was to harness the relationships and traditional media experi- ence of her team, and teach the digital part.

Turner-Lee stated that our society—and world—is “…moving from the social web to the exchange web.” Knowledge is the only way to find how to harness the op- portunities and avoid the pitfalls of this new “exchange world.” Assuming that the digital platforms will go through a tradi- tional maturation phase (like past media) is unrealistic. The digital world changes too quickly. Each of us must take responsibil- ity for soliciting knowledge and knowing where to find information.

To be digitally literate assumes that one will not just find the facts, but seek deeper meaning, impact, and understanding. How

people and businesses behave is still radi- cally different as most apply their own inter- pretation of opportunities and risks. And, no surprise, this behavior is highly influenced by generational differences.

When Fisher Communications wanted to create a digital innovation team, Minkarah approached her digital natives: the Milleni- als. Their understanding of the digital world was so different than most of the manage- ment team’s that they literally provided a whiteboard, Mountain Dew, and left the room. Media in their digital universe had different impact and meaning on their lives; thus, they came up with ideas that she— and others—never would have imagined. Her premise was to build new services and products for the next generation of media consumers—and it worked.

“Social media,” said Weinstein, “is not a media channel. It goes through every part

Being digitally literate enables each individual and business to make appropriate decisions around opportunity, risk and consequences.

During the AWMF Symposium on Digital Literacy for Women & Girls, Randa Minkarah, Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee and Lisa Weinstein participate in the panel “The Next Big Thing in the Digital World.” Some symposium attendees were surprised by the direction this discussion took.

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of your business.” According to Weinstein, there is a fundamental shift in understand- ing for how businesses need to view digital environments. “We’ve come from an age of one-way communication where companies controlled their brands,” she said. Now, in the digital era, most clients understand that the digital universe offers two-way commu- nication with their consumers; it is these consumers that now, in effect,

Finally, choice. Being digitally literate enables each individual and business to make appropriate decisions around oppor- tunity, risk, and consequences. Once an individual or business has knowledge and understanding, only then can each make good choices about the use of technology. Each panelist admitted that they look at a candidate’s social media and online pres- ence. It’s a mistake, they reminded the audi- ence, to assume that the personal Google+, LinkedIn or Facebook pages will not impact the hiring process. (So think twice about discussing your last employer online…)

Facebook was an easy target for highlight- ing good choices. According to Weinstein, 8% of all digital dollars this year will be spent on Facebook.” Your personal information is providing a platform for highly targeted advertising. The more you share, the more targeted (and valuable) are the ads. Your per- sonal information, in most cases, is being sold back to the advertisers. Making the choice to control your own information is a compli- cated job on Facebook. Constantly changing their rules, it is the best example of how one must stay on top of knowledge, understand- ing, and actively managing choices.

All of the panelists agreed that they do not personally use geo-location services like FourSquare, but navigation and mapping? Bring it on. Turner-Lee stated that this digital breakthrough is where much of the regu- lation is focusing. It’s a perfect storm of privacy and access; there are a number of safety concerns for those who announce where they are at any given time. For in- stance, it’s not just a far-fetched paranoia to imagine a stalker finding patterns in a young woman’s whereabouts given constant updates online. This, potentially, has great

impact on how any person makes choices about safety, security, and sharing.

Of course, two of the highlighted “next big things” were all about access and choice. Minkarah showed the audience how her smartphone became a television receiver with an over-the-top (OTT) antenna. She shared how she can catch her favorite pro- grams anywhere with this coming service provided by local television broadcasters.

Weinstein said that the new-new Silicon Valley catch phrase “SoLoMo” is where the money is—or will be going. Private equity firms are investing in almost any business that has a model of “social, local and mobile.” There is an attraction to the many revenue- generating opportunities from connecting consumers and businesses in socially engag- ing, locally relevant, and one-the-go ways. And, while this will provide a multitude of conveniences for the modern consumer— there are risks and consequences as well.

Of course, all of this talk about and around control led to an important question. To plug or unplug? Is there a way to tackle that ques- tion? Yes, if one realizes that we do have a number of choices around how we consume, engage, and distribute information in an overly saturated information world.

So we determined that the next big thing in the digital world is our need, desire, and

connection to gaining control of our digital use and technology. Being wired or unwired assumes that one can be in a business envi- ronment or active in the community and have that choice. It became clear from the panelists that this choice doesn’t reflect reality. We are in a digital world. That’s the fact.

But, we do have options. Turner-Lee re- alizes that how she views the digital world is completely different than her children (who can navigate quickly anywhere!). But, her goal is to help them understand how it impacts them to make the best choices.

Minkarah has a simple philosophy: every- thing online about her needs to be able to pass the “HR test.” Her brand is something she guards fiercely—and thus, her choices reflect this.

And, Weinstein? Suddenly the fact that she only has two devices made a lot more sense.

Sarah Foss is CEO of Lift Industries, a business trans- formation consultancy for media and technology com- panies. She is also a moder- ate user of technology, has five devices, and would rather lose her wallet than her smartphone. Foss serves as the Treasurer- Elect on the AWMF Board of Directors.

We determined that the next big thing in the digital world is our need, desire, and connection to gaining control

of our digital use and technology.

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 9

a BY KATE CoATES & RIKKI Jo HoLMES

Learning to be aware of and make the most of digital opportunities.

Students Receive New Outlook on Digital Literacy

During the second session, we really got a wake-up call on how important it is to build a good reputation. We never realized how vital it is to build name awareness through technology, which will ultimately help build our reputation before meeting a future employer face-to-face.

Growing up in this digital generation, we are constantly seeing how social media such as Facebook and Twitter are playing a huge role in both our lives and careers. Students, as well as professionals, are now going to these media sites to stay informed about what is happening around them and it’s something that will continue to develop as we start our careers in the real world.

But probably the biggest thing that we all need to remember is what Randa Minkarah

As students walking into the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation’s Sympo- sium on Digital Literacy on September 13 in Chicago, we didn’t know quite what to expect. We knew it would be a great networking experience; however, beyond that we were still unsure of how this would really relate to us as students. But it turned out to be five hours filled with interesting insights from panelists and great lessons to be used in our everyday lives.

It’s amazing to us that we are still faced with this concept of gender division. As both women and students, we are saddened by this phobia that women can’t handle technology as well as men, and we want to see this change! We believe AWMF Presi- dent Erin Fuller’s message at the beginning of the conference should be something all women should ask themselves in order to see this change: “The question isn’t what are we going to do, it’s what aren’t we going to do?” As young women looking to go into the media world soon, it’s up to us to change people’s concept of women, and the only way to do that is to prove them wrong with our success.

It was brought to our attention that women today are looked at more as com- municators rather than creators. We women need to be out there creating technology, and not just consuming it, as Dr. Terry Steinbach pointed out. We realized that we need to step up and bring more awareness of digital opportunities for women such as ourselves.

said: “We are all learning this together.” We can’t be afraid of this new technology and what may come in the future, because there will always be new developments and ideas. There is always room for these new ideas and what better way than to have it come from young women such as ourselves?

It was inspiring to also have so many people in the room willing to speak with us and be so open with answering the numer- ous questions we had. We truly look up to these women—and men—as role models and feel so lucky to be a part of such a sup- portive and encouraging group. We walked away from this event knowing that it’s ok to ask questions and to always be open to learning new things. Even something as simple as keeping our own last names was something that never crossed our mind, but is something to be considered.

There was such great advice directed towards us students throughout the day and we really took to heart everything that was said during the AWMF Symposium on Digital Literacy.

Kate Coates and Rikki Jo Holmes are members of the AWM Central Michigan University Student Chapter Executive Board They can be reached at kate.coates@cmich.edu and holme3rj@cmich.edu.

Members of the AWM Central Michigan University Student Chapter contributed the youth perspective and gained valuable career advice at the AWMF Symposium on Digital Literacy for Women & Girls.

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C How to ensure our children have the skills to thrive in the 21st century.

The Four Essential Components of Digital Literacy

tial for our kids to succeed—in school and in the 21st-century workplace. They must understand computers, technology applications, and media production tools that will have an increasingly influen- tial role in their lives. Using technology in the classroom can also deepen and enrich students’ engagement with tradi- tional studies.

Encourage creativity and innovation. The digital world offers kids unique op- portunities to create and share content. All kids must be able to understand and employ ever more powerful media tools— and apply them in creative new ways. This creativity should be encouraged, along with a clear understanding of the differences between creating, altering, and borrow- ing content.

Deepen young people’s communication and collaboration skills. The increasingly mobile digital media world offers an ex- plosion of ways for kids to connect, com- municate, and work together. Kids must learn new rules of proper communication and collaboration if they are to convey and absorb ideas in a responsible, effective, and pro-social manner. After all, with these opportunities come risks. For example, given the impact that cyberbullying has on students and school communities, schools play an important role in helping students and families safely navigate the digital world.

Common Sense Media recently issued the white paper Digital Literacy and Citizen- ship in the 21st Century to outline the four essential components of Digital Literacy and Citizenship and to frame the ways that they prepare children to learn and grow in the 21st century. To survive and thrive, today’s students must be digitally literate, which means being able to use and understand digital technologies These new media literacies must become integral parts of their education, both for traditional studies (reading, writing, math, science) as well as for the 21st-century skills they will need to succeed (creativity, innovation, communication, critical thinking, civic participation, collaboration). Ensuring that our kids are prepared for the future requires the following essential initiatives:

1 Redesign education to include Digital Literacy and Citizenship in every school

in America Incorporate new media literacy into exist- ing curricula/courses. New media literacy should be integrated into the curriculum of every school in America. In our inter- connected online world, kids must be able to use digital tools to gather and apply information, to evaluate that information intelligently, and to create content ethically.

Teach basic technology skills in schools. Technological literacy is essen-

2 Disseminate Digital Literacy and Citizenship curriculum to all schools

Common Sense Media and other education groups have already developed curriculum resources and tools for Digital Literacy and Citizenship. While more than 12,000 schools have used Common Sense Media’s curriculum tools, every student must know how to use digital media effectively and responsibly. Schools across the country must have access to lessons and resources that reflect the dynamic media landscape and get the time and support they need to incorporate the lessons into existing cur- ricula at each grade level. Funding tech- nology resources in under-served schools and communities is crucial to combating the digital divide and essential to ensur- ing that every child has the opportunity to master 21st-century skills.

3 Fund professional development and training opportunities for educators

Teachers across the country need training in the fundamentals of Digital Literacy and Citizenship. Teachers must under- stand today’s technologies and applications, as well as what their students are doing with them, if they are to successfully teach 21st-century skills and ethics. Teachers also need guidance about how to connect formal learning environments (schools)

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 11

with informal learning environments (af- ter-school programs, libraries, homes) as digital media and technology continue to break down the walls between the two. To encourage efficient and effective programs:

● Create a national Digital Literacy Corps. This program would mobi- lize knowledgeable youth and adults to provide professional development and training for educators to improve their facility with technology, media, and the basic tenets of digital learning.

● Provide professional development and support through existing structures, including state departments of edu- cation and community college and university systems.

4 Educate parents about digital technologies, use, and ethics

A parent’s job is to protect and guide. Parents desperately need to understand not only the technologies that inform their children’s lives, but also the issues around behavior and responsible use. In a world that is con- stantly developing, the first course of action should be to give parents the information and tools they need to teach their children about responsible, safe, and ethical behav- ior in the digital world. Schools as well as community programs (e.g. Boys and Girls Clubs), after-school activities, and parent engagement networks (e.g. PTAs) can facili- tate the dissemination of this information.

Like the digital world itself, the concepts of Digital Literacy and Citizenship are complex and changing, and this paper is intended for constant updates and revi- sions, which can be found at www.com- monsense.org/digitalliteracy.

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technol- ogy. Through their education programs and policy efforts, Common Sense Media empowers parents, educators, and young people to become knowledgeable and re- sponsible digital citizens. More than 1.6 million people visit the Common Sense website, www.CommonSense.org every month for age-appropriate media reviews and parenting advice.

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, we challenge our supporters, stakeholders and community to help create a rich and vibrant future for our organization. Your contribution to the AWM Foundation allows us to maintain and expand our stellar PSA campaign, support emerging media professionals with scholarships to further their career development and our continued work to celebrate and promote the best of media by, for and about women.

Recognition Legacy Supporters will receive recognition and thanks in designated publications, including the AWM and Gracies websites, as well as a distinctive recognition certificate.

___ YES! I would like to support & build AWMF. My commitment is below.

___ YES! I would like more information on the AWMF Legacy Campaign. Please contact me.

Name(s)

Company

Address

City State Zip

Phone

Email

I (please print name as you would like it to appear)

would like to gift/pledge the following:

q Friends of AWMF ($5,000) q Supporter of AWMF ($1,000)

q Other $_______ Total Pledge: $ ________

q I would like to remain anonymous. q Please invoice me.

q Please bill my credit card: ___ American Express ___ Visa ___ MasterCard

Name as it appears on the card

Account Number Expiration Date

Signature

Send to: AWMF Legacy Campaign 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102

Please note: these funds are unrestricted. Alliance for Women in Media Foundation is a 501(c)3, tax ID 52-1193933.

For more information call 703-506-3290 or email info@allwomeninmedia.org

Celebrating 60 years

Join Our Legacy Campaign

12 2011 sPECial rEPort on diGital litEraCY

K BY LAURIE WESTLEY

A century-old organization has reemerged as a leader in issues that impact the healthy growth and development of girls.

Girl Scouts of the USA Tackles Online Safety and Cyberbullying

Girl Scouts has also created innovative programming to promote online safety. The “Let Me Know” campaign (LMK) in- cludes an interactive website for parents and girls, as well as an e-newsletter for parents. The e-newsletter and parent site are designed to provide parents with guid- ance and also serve as a tool to help families have open and honest conversations about the dangers that lurk in cyberspace.

Furthermore, our award-winning new pro- grammatic “Journey” series help girls develop healthy relationships and avoid online threats. For example, our cadette “Amaze” journey helps girls navigate the “twists and turns of getting along.” It includes sections on cliques, conflict resolution, bullying and cyber relationships—all designed to help girls develop the life skills they need to manage these very real problems in their lives.

Kids today spend upwards of 10 hours a day engaged in recreational media, and with the advent of laptops, smartphones, tablet computers, and online learning, there is an urgent need to ensure we are giving girls the tools to be healthy, smart, and safe in this online environment. New challenges, such as cyberbullying, make it critical to equip girls with the skills they need to be good online citizens.

The Girl Scout Research Institute’s (GSRI) groundbreaking original research report Feeling Safe found that nearly half of all girls (46 percent) define safety as not having their feelings hurt. Moreover, girls’ number one concern (32 percent) was a fear of being teased or made fun of, and 38 percent of girls surveyed worry about their emotional safety when spending time with their peers. Girls who feel emotionally unsafe are more likely to feel sad, have trouble paying attention in school, get low grades, and have trouble making decisions. Unfortunately, the digital universe is often a fertile breeding ground for gossip, teasing, and ridicule—the type of threats girls fear most.

Girl Scouts works with Members of Con- gress, State Houses, and the White House on legislative initiatives to help girls feel safe. Last year, a teen Girl Scout delivered testimony to the U.S. House of Representa- tives Committee on Education and Labor on her experiences with cyberbullying. Our efforts seek to ensure that bullying policies address not only physical violence, but emotional and social aggression as well.

For nearly 100 years, Girl Scouts of the USA has been serving girls in communi- ties around the world. As our girls—and our world—have changed, so too has our organization, tackling complex issues that impact girls’ healthy growth and develop- ment. Increasingly, our girls’ lives are lived in tandem with a robust online presence. From understanding and building relationships with their peers, to tackling self-esteem, to learning about health and safety, to recre- ation and discovery, girls are going online. And we are going with them. Visit www. girlscouts.org.

Laurie Westley is the senior vice president of Public Policy, Advocacy, and the Research Institute at Girl Scouts of the USA.

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 13

m BY LISA NICoLE BELL

Workshops teach girls to use technology in a safe and meaningful way.

Inspired Girls: From Bully to Leader

their job hunt as an adult. As they connect the digital dots, they develop a more so- phisticated approach to their interactions with technology.

Role Playing The role playing exercises help girls understand that what happens online has offline implications. Girls use hostile means of resolving issues online during the first round of the exercise. After learning about methods of socially con- scious communication, they replay the same incident using the new skills they’ve learned. The result is an organic under- standing of conflict resolution and the intel- ligent use of social networking platforms.

Interpersonal Education As the world becomes more connected through tech-

Mia Escobar is a southern California eighth grader who is active on social networks. She and her friends were using a fake Myspace page as a means of bullying and ridiculing a girl in their school. This behav- ior changed when she took a seven-week Inspired Girls workshop. After understand- ing how harmful her actions were, Mia decided to remove the page and encourage her peers to talk their issues out instead of bullying each other.

Inspired Girls International was started as a vehicle to empower girls with action- able content. Realizing that very little content was designed to empower girls beyond self-esteem, the team set out to design multimedia presentations and tools to help girls understand how to use the Internet, new media and mobile media as a resource to further their personal and academic goals.

Digital Literacy The bedrock of these presentations is digital literacy. As middle school and high school students, girls rarely comprehend the possible implica- tions of their actions in the digital space. The workshop educates them on social net- working platforms, mobile devices and In- ternet safety. Most girls in the United States have a cursory understanding of technol- ogy since they were raised around comput- ers, mobile phones and tech devices. The digital literacy portion of the workshop helps girls understand what can happen if they send racy photos via their phones or what an ill-intentioned tweet can mean for

nology, offline and online relationships are being molded by the devices we use to connect. As the next generation of business owners, mothers and leaders, girls need interpersonal tools to navigate a complex landscape. The workshop focuses on net- working strategies, relationship building, and conflict resolution. Girls learn how to create connections with people online in safe and meaningful ways, and then build those connections into sustainable relationships. They learn how to deal with their peers in healthy ways when resolving conflict or handling disagreements both online and offline.

As girls continue to use the Internet and digital platforms for communicating and connecting, they will need training and tools to keep them safe and encourage positive interactions. The success of the Inspired Girls workshop is being replicated across the country at after school programs and one-day events.

The next generation of feminine leaders will need a bevy of skills in order to fully take advantage of their new opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. Ongoing digital lit- eracy education ensures that girls use their keyboards and gadgets to make a positive impact on the world.

Lisa Nicole Bell is CEO of Inspired Girls International (www.inspiredgirlsonline. com). She can be reached at lisa@lisanicolebell.com.

Girls learn how to create connections with people

online in safe and meaningful ways and then build those

connections into sustainable relationships.

14 2011 sPECial rEPort on diGital litEraCY

h BY MS. TWIXT & GAYLE TRoTTERProviding parents with a set of guidelines for

the entire household’s digital success.

House Rules for Digitally Literate Girls

help to mitigate the morning scramble and ensure sleep, but it prevents the late-night, unmonitored text sessions.

● An ostrich strategy won’t work when it comes to technology. If you don’t know how to text, learn; if you don’t know what Facebook or Twitter are, spend some time poking around on those sites; and if you don’t know what you don’t know, ask other parents what they’re monitoring online.

● Some of the best ways to parent include modeling the behaviors we want to see in our children. While we often think of that in the context of manners, speech, and ethics, the same applies to online behaviors.

● Focus on the positives of technology and what it offers to your kids; girls especially need to be comfortable with technology in today’s world.

You are the parent, you are in charge. Trust but verify: ● There are settings on every major browser

that enable “safe search”—which is es- sentially search result listings of ques- tionable sites or sites with adult content being blocked from display. Clearly this is a form of censorship, and it’s not too different from the settings on one’s cable box that block out channels based on a parent’s preference.

● Parents should check the browsing history on all computers in the home regular-

How can you let girls become digitally proficient without being exposed to the dangers on the Internet? In a word: slowly. Kids should be taught to go online in stages appropriate to their age, and parents need to monitor their children’s activity online. Here are some tips for parents: ● Create a family technology policy. Ar-

ticulate clearly what your expectations are with respect to how mobile phones, television viewing, Internet browsing, YouTube watching, texting, etc., are ac- ceptable for your family. You should share and discuss this policy with your kids so that they are clear on the behav- ior expectations and the reasons why. The ethics you enforce in real life abso- lutely extend to your kids’ digital lives.

● One rule in our household is that all browsing MUST happen at the dining table or living room; computers are not allowed in bedrooms. Publicly viewed screens have a “fresh air” effect on browsing.

● If your kids are under the age of 13 and want to join Facebook, consider setting up a Facebook account for the entire family instead of each member of the family. Check your privacy settings fre- quently on Facebook (the default set- tings change often).

● Another household rule with mobile phones that you might find helpful: store all phones in a central place (i.e., NOT in the child’s room). Not only does it

ly. Not only is this a list of where your kids have gone online, but it provides insight into the kind of information they are looking for and what they really use the Internet for (so you can tell if “online research” includes Facebook or not).

● Parents should “Google” their kid’s names a few times a year to keep tabs on what information strangers can find about your child.

● With mobile phones, most major car- riers offer text plans that not only help you to budget text usage but also monitor the texts. Some carriers charge a fee while others do not—it varies a great deal. You can also look for a plan option that backs-up the information on a phone (very helpful for the address book feature) and monitor photos taken with the phone.

By day, Ms. Twixt runs the digital strategy practice of a consulting firm and is a mother to three tween-age girls and a baby boy. Ms. Twixt is a blogger and online columnist for the Examiner. She earned her MBA from Yale and makes her living advising Fortune 500 com- panies on social media and digital strategy. Gayle Trotter is a lawyer, mother of six, and blogger on politics, culture, and faith. You can read her work at http://www.gayletrotter.com.

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 15

BY BETH ADCoCK SHIRoISHI

d How one technology company is focused on bring change through innovation.

Providing Opportunity through Digital Literacy Initiatives

with 96% of school age girls using the Inter- net to complete a homework assignment.3 Teenage girls are more likely than their male counterparts to use social networking sites;4 therefore, it is imperative that these girls are digitally literate.

AT&T also is pleased to support One Economy, an initiative that stimulates broad- band adoption in low-income communi- ties by delivering free or discounted broad- band services to low-income users using a shared access strategy. Supplemented by funding from AT&T and other partners, One Economy and the Broadband Opportunity Coalition will use a recent Broadband Tech- nology Opportunities Program grant to install and provide two years of free broadband to approximately 27,000 households, while providing localized content, digital literacy training and a public awareness campaign on the enormous benefits of broadband.

These initiatives are also fundamental to reaching a smaller, yet still significant number of women and girls that are non-adopters. According to research by the FCC, 57% of people who are non-adopters of broadband Internet are women.5 The Internet provides a roadmap to remarkable opportunities for the economic advancement of women around

Digital literacy in this day and age is as funda- mental as literacy itself. Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in our society and economy, especially in women’s lives. For example, women who are also mothers are often the family organizer, financial manager and schedule handler, so products and ap- plications can make life more manageable. In a broader context, access to the Internet and digital technologies provides tremendous op- portunities for the empowerment of women and girls—from expanded education options to health applications to career enhancement. 65.8% of women age 25-to-34 report using the Internet for health research,1 and women are more likely than men to use the Internet for education.2

AT&T has a strong commitment to pro- moting the digital literacy of women and girls. We are honored to work with several organizations who share this common goal, such as Girls Inc., which provides vital educa- tion programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. Girls involved in this initiative are able to express themselves, connect with each other and grow in a safe and supportive en- vironment. Just as important, girls across the country are increasingly utilizing technology,

the globe. Studies show that women in de- veloping countries are overcoming centuries of disadvantage by using the mobile Internet to build small businesses and improve their quality of life. The economic empowerment of women in these countries has an exponential social effect, since women reinvest 90 percent of their income into their families and com- munities, compared to only 30-40 percent reinvestment by their male counterparts.6

AT&T is committed to helping ensure that women and girls receive the education and support they desire and need to be active par- ticipants in the digital economy. We are proud to partner with Girls Inc., One Economy, AWMF and other innovative initiatives that recognize the tremendous opportunity to empower women and girls with technol- ogy, accelerating their economic and social development, educational attainment and communication between families and com- munities.

Beth Adcock Shiroishi is vice president of Sustain- ability & Philanthropy at AT&T Services, Inc., and president of the AT&T Foundation.

1 Fiore, K. (2011, July 25). Women surf web for health info more than men [Supplemental material]. MedPage Today. Retrieved from http://www.medpagetoday.com

2 Abraham, L.B., Mörn, M. P. & Vollman, A. (2010, June). Women on the web: How women are shaping the internet. Retrieved from http://www2.comscore.com/l/1552/nontheWeb-comScore-English-pdf/R1VBS

3 Girls Incorporated. Girls and information technology. Retrieved from http://www.girlsinc.org/downloads/GirlsandIT.pdf 4 Girls Incorporated. Girls and information technology. Retrieved from http://www.girlsinc.org/downloads/GirlsandIT.pdf 5 Federal Communications Commission. (2010, February). Broadband adoption and use in America. (OBI working paper series No. 1). Retrieved from

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-296442A1.pdf 6 Bennett, J. & Ellison, J. (2010, July 6). Women Will Rule the World. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com

16 2011 sPECial rEPort on diGital litEraCY

Y BY JEANNE WoLF

Think fast. Write fast. Answer immediately. Can you keep up?

Honey, Your Digital Life is Calling

who won’t give you “that look” to catch you up. Best to pick someone who doesn’t mind after hours phone calls. It’s those late-at-night computer crashes or click mistakes that make us give up. Don’t want to burden your friends or reveal your inad- equacies? Almost every software program comes with a tutorial. Use it. There are also many online message forums where you can connect with people who know what they are doing and are willing to help you. Or, actually read the manuals which come with your programs and devices. Why not take a class? There are many available for all age groups online and at community centers and local colleges. Ask questions when you buy your digital equipment, make sure it is right for your needs. Train yourself to use the tools you have. There is no option here.

You have to be technologically skilled to be part of the “there’s an app for that” era and participate in the conversation. If you know the inner workings of things like servers and back up drives you will be even more indispensable and earn new respect. The best job insurance is being the most knowledgeable and competent.

Your digital life is calling. It’s fun. It’s con- founding. It seems to take time you don’t have. I hate to break it to you, but you have to make the time for it. Digital literacy for females is a necessity.

If you are only hooked into fashion and gossip sites, you may look great and be able to keep up the pop culture conversation, but it’s not enough. If you’re only proficient at the computer programs you need for your job, not enough.

You have to go way, way past that. Just look at the current job listings for journal- ists. Just about every newspaper, magazine, TV, and radio station is now a “multimedia” “on the web” company. Don’t whine about how you’re “just a writer” or how you’ve done “just fine” without technology for years. The paradigm has truly shifted. In the words of today’s career opportunities for journalists: Do you “have a basic under- standing of HTML and related web author- ing tools and software?” Or, “Familiarity with most major Internet search engines and fluency in electronic newsgathering techniques, including quickly navigating the Internet?” Can you, “Employ videos, graphics and photos into the storytell- ing and expand its reach through social media.” How about, “Record interviews for podcasts; Develop original web content?” And never forget, “Understanding of SEO a plus.”

Notice that you’re lagging behind in digital savvy? Seek out a friend or a teacher

A reporter’s mentality helps. As a jour- nalist, I can tell you that there is no such thing as “knowing enough” or finding out soon enough. You want to be ahead of the pack. It is wise to keep up with the news. Stay plugged in. No, you don’t have to take every phone call from your smartphone during dinner. Yes, you have to make those thumbs fly and you have to have an inti- mate relationship with Google. You have to truly comprehend that most things you want to know are available with strokes and searches. If you need to concentrate on extra work time or mommy time, digital know-how can earn you extra hours. Put your shopping skills to use. Just about ev- erything you must have can be delivered to your door with an Internet search. Don’t think, “I have to see it.” Almost all of it is returnable.

Here’s some more advice on living a digital life:

● Control your fascination and your addiction to checking email. On the other hand, I don’t think it’s relax- ing to be “out of reach”—it’s better to know, but be discriminating about your replies and reactions.

● Your digital knowledge is a huge part of your image and your effectiveness. Speed and adroitness can get you noticed.

● It is not cute to be out of the loop. The more you can do for yourself, the more you can accomplish. Digital

There is no such thing as “knowing enough” or finding out soon enough.

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 17

competence is imperative if you expect to compete and excel in any career.

● You can’t be a stranger to the digital and social networking culture. But, woman and girls should know, we never have to “do it” like everyone else.

● Digital proficiency can take you far. You must use those gadgets and appli- cations to add to your inventory of ca- pabilities. It’s smart to at least explore video games, wireless transmission, music downloads, and YouTube. But, we multi-tasking females know that you can’t become a time slave to any of those things.

● Conquer as much technology as you can. Digital up-to-date-ness should be a necessity and a sport. The digital world has made it possible for every- one to have their say or their video.

● That aside, while you whip out your Kindle or iPad, remember females know about “accessories” and we should use them to compliment the way we send messages and the way

we enhance our capabilities to adopt to the ever changing, ever exciting world.

● Always keep in mind that your digital life may not be totally private. OK, you know not to send risqué videos or impulsive jpegs of your body parts. But, be aware that the way you com- municate on the net should be creative enough to challenge you to more than a misspelled missive or a hasty LOL. Every message you “send” shines a light on who you are. If you are “yel- lular,” your most intimate conversa- tions are out in the air for all to hear.

● Become creative and confident in the way you employ digital literacy. Your emails and the documents you compose should reflect your intel- ligence and your style. You can press erase and spell check, but you cannot take back posts you’ve sent out for all to see.

● Digital savvy is one more way to dem- onstrate our intelligence. Be prepared for the reality that whichever machine

you are familiar with and whatever you purchase in the digital world, to- morrow there will be a smarter smart- phone, a better “must have” software program, a “do more” device.

At a recent Alliance for Women in Media event, a soon-to-be college graduate came up to me. It was obvious that I’d been out of school for a while. She timidly asked, “How did you get so good at computers? Why were you able to catch up?”

I gave her the only accurate answer, “Motivation is the key. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can be trained when necessity calls. We all can learn what we absolutely need to know faster and with more intensity than what we could have ever imagined.”

Jeanne Wolf, Host of Jeanne Wolf’s Hollywood, is a well- known entertainment journal- ist—reporter, writer, producer and editor—who covers every aspect of show business for TV, radio, news- papers, magazines and the Internet.

18 2011 sPECial rEPort on diGital litEraCY

K BY JANET LIAo

Digital literacy emerges as a critical component of news and media literacy education.

Programs Promoting Critical Thinking: Applying Digital Literacy to Journalism and Media Education

teens—are particularly effective in engag- ing young women in critical thinking and news literacy skills, while preparing them to excel in the workplace where they can apply journalism and media-production skills. Below are three excellent examples of programs that are doing great work ap- plying digital literacy to journalism and media education.

1 Digital Literacy Meets News Literacy Activity at the intersection of

digital and news literacy can be measured by how young people access and engage with news and information. Youth today are online, and not just for entertainment—it

Key trends in youth media consumption indicate a prime opportunity for educators to utilize digital literacy training to meet young people where they are. According to a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study, 8 to 18 year-olds now spend 7 hours and 38 minutes using entertainment media in a typical day, or 53 hours per week.

News literacy anchors the McCormick Foundation’s strategy of building a more informed, news-literate and engaged citi- zenry, especially in young people. The Jour- nalism Program views digital literacy as a key component to news literacy education in Chicago. We partner with organizations that impact youth, as well as ones that spe- cifically address opportunities for girls and women, to become more civically engaged through hands-on journalism, media pro- duction and news literacy education.

Along these lines, we are seeing the im- portant role that digital literacy plays in engaging students around critical thinking, news literacy and media production skills. We are also seeing that infusing digital lit- eracy education into youth journalism pro- grams—especially programs designed for

is also a place where they get their news. For example, older teens are more likely to use the Internet as a source of health information (62% have done it), especial- ly older girls (66% of 15- to 18-year-old girls). In fact, 15- to 18-year-olds are more likely to have looked up health informa- tion online (62%) than to have watched TV (49%), listened to the radio (45%), or posted videos (22%) online, according to the 2010 Kaiser report.

However, just because young people are accessing news and information online, does not necessarily mean that they know how to navigate the multitude of sources and information available. Without train- ing, digital natives may be fairly comfort- able in the digital world, but they will not necessarily master the nuances of infor- mation sources nor have the skills to be leaders in the online world.

That is where news literacy education comes into the picture. “Until students learn some of the basic structures of the digital world,” says Peter Adams, Chicago program director of the News Literacy Project (NLP), “teaching them how to

Just because young people are accessing news and

information online, does not necessarily mean that they know how to navigate the multitude of sources and

information available.

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 19

conduct nuanced and often complex as- sessments of journalism can be difficult.”

News literacy is focused on analyzing the practices of quality journalism and using these practices to define and develop a set of skills and expectations in consumers. Among the objectives of NLP is to give students the critical thinking skills to be smarter consumers and creators of news information in a digital world. Teachers are provided with lesson plans and journalist presentations that will make news literacy part of their ongoing curriculum.

Lessons in news literacy often start with digital information, such as the relationship between advertisers and specific web prop- erties, what cookies are and how they work, how to effectively search and what search engines do and how to evaluate search results and know the difference between relevance and credibility. “This is not to suggest that students who are not digitally literate cannot learn anything about news literacy,” Adams says. “After all, many of the standards that we explore and teach students to expect in their news pre-date the Internet, but it is clear that the more

digitally savvy students tend to absorb more news literacy skills more quickly.”

Students who go through a news literacy course show significant knowledge gains in identifying media bias and source reli- ability, and are significantly more likely to feel a free press is important, according to results from an evaluation of its programs in 2010 conducted by NLP and New York- based Philliber Research Associates.

By helping young people understand what they can believe, as well as the im- portance of stopping misinformation, news literacy is an essential tool in navigating news and information, whether it’s online or in print. “The best part about my job is watching teens’ preconceptions about journalists—that they are this removed, inaccessible, almost inhuman force of es- tablishment power that lies and distorts at will—fall away as they work through their news literacy units” Adams says. “Not only do they begin to ask much more nuanced and productive questions about the news process, and their active roles as consum- ers, they also begin to really understand the difficulty of producing quality journalism.”

2 Journalism and Digital Media Training for Underserved Girls

While research show that young people’s online activity trends toward digital and increased multitasking, inner city girls and young women often lack appropriate technology and media training. Chicago- based Beyondmedia Education is address- ing this critical gender gap by training young women in journalism, media and technology skills.

The gender gap is even more profound in communities of color, where young people are less likely to have access to comput- ers, according to Salome Chasnoff, artistic director and founder of Beyondmedia. “As media technologies advance, disparities in access to these technologies increase, posing unique challenges to underserved youth,” Chasnoff says.

In Girls! Action! Media! (GAM) work- shops and projects, youth participants gain a wide variety of digital skills. Participants learn how to operate video cameras, still cameras and audio equipment, diverse soft- ware applications for editing their media,

Throughout 2011, critical issues that affect women were addressed at AWMF Symposia. Pictured at the Symposium on Digital Literacy for Women & Girls are Erin M. Fuller, AWMF President; Clark Bell, Director, Journalism Program at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation; and Valerie K. Blackburn, AWMF Chair.

20 2011 sPECial rEPort on diGital litEraCY

About the Robert R. McCormick Foundation The Robert R. McCormick Foundation is committed to fostering communities of educated, informed and engaged citizens. Through philanthropic programs, Cantigny Park and museums, the Foundation helps develop citizen leaders and works to make life better in our communities. The Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation is one of the nation’s largest foundations, with more than $1 billion in assets. For more information, please visit www.McCormickFoundation.org.

the various techniques of digital storytell- ing and how to create short media pieces to disseminate on digital platforms.

Participants learn the most effective way to tell the stories that are significant to them, through their own voices and in their own style. They also experience the importance of telling under-represented stories for themselves, their communities and diverse public audiences. They analyze and create media, and learn how to use social media in creating and disseminat- ing information.

One major component of the GAM program is the Dreamcatcher and Chain of Change media production and digital storytelling programs. Through these two programs, Beyondmedia has provided more than 600 young women aged 12-21 with journalism and media training since 2010. Dreamcatcher workshops focus on video storytelling and experience the importance of telling under-represented stories for themselves, their communities and diverse public audiences. Chain of Change works in underserved communities and organizes youth workshops to collectively strategize around how to end violence through the creation of media.

GAM participants’ future paths are as diverse as the populations they serve. Some pursue higher education and professional careers with a focus on media and tech- nology, according to Chasnoff. “They gain communication and critical thinking skills that often leads to and supports increased feeling of self-confidence and self-worth,” she says.

Program assessments show that partici- pants use all these skills in their everyday life, not just in their school or career paths, and they also use them to help tell other people’s stories. Participants have improved interpersonal relationships at home, school and work. They are able to advocate for themselves and become peer educators, confident in speaking out accurately about what is important to them and the identi- ties they represent. “Most importantly, they become life-long political and social agents for change,” Chasnoff says.

3 Minding the Gap: Digital Literacy and Girls in Gaming

Another organization that is creatively using digital literacy to engage girls is Chicago’s Columbia College’s Interactive

Art and Media (IAM) Department. IAM hosted a 3G: The Future of Girls Gaming and Gender Summit, a four-day initiative in August 2010 that convened 40 urban teenage girls with five leading women game designers and scholars for intensive dialogue, inquiry, game play and rapid prototyping.

Women and girls, as well as youth of color, are seldom-heard voices in the world of game design, according to Mindy Faber, IAM academic manager who developed the conference and workshops. “Digital gaming is rapidly becoming a powerful platform for delivery of news, information, culture and education, particularly among youth,” Faber says.

One of the goals of the program was to teach young women to create more globally and socially-conscious games through a three-day game workshop lab, that included creating an avatar, design and brainstorming and game design sessions, all rooted in research, writing and critical thinking skills. One team came up with

a concept called Glop Ogus, challenging players to think about conservation and how they see the environment.

Among the program’s goals was to show that girls can create better and more gender inclusive games for the future. The program also provided a valuable look at the varied gaming styles and preferences that girls have and how learning game design can engage girls in critically thinking about social issues, strengthening their digital literacy and skills and building their con- fidence in using advanced technologies. “It is hoped that 3G will help change the public conversation about girls, gaming and gender,” Faber says.

The ultimate goal of the McCormick Foundation Journalism Program is to boost civic engagement by strengthening the quality of journalistic content, enabling audiences to better understand the value of news and fostering an open and free en- vironment for journalism to thrive. Digital literacy is an important component in de- livering news and media literacy educa- tion, and engaging girls to think critically and effect change through the media they produce.

Janet Liao is program officer of journalism at Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Women and girls, as well as youth of color, are

seldom-heard voices in the world of game design

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 21

i BY LENA WEST

Women think and learn differently than men—so women should use social media differently than men.

What It Means to Be a Woman Who Uses Social Media

I’ve decided to step out and say what few people are willing to say: professional women need to approach social media

differently than males. This is not based on some “shrink it

and pink it” mentality that I’ve adopted or a desire to rehash male/female dy- namisms. This idea comes from YEARS

of working with (for the most part) only women business owners—and ac-

tually BEING a woman business owner myself. Call it generalizing or gender-based stereotypes

(or any other politically correct label you want to give it), but women think differently and we LEARN different- ly. Period. I’ve seen it

every single day for the past 14 years I’ve been

self-employed. Women invented social media. After

all, who recommends more products and services than women? No one. If we’re the originators of “word of mouth,” shouldn’t our businesses and careers benefit from it?

Here are a few reasons why women need to approach social media usage differently:

● Women don’t have time (or the incli- nation) to “poke around” or “figure it out.” We’re not crazy. We recog- nize the value of social media, but we need to use marketing tools that get a measurable amount of progress in a reasonable amount of time.

● From a time management perspective alone, women need to do the right

things, at the right times for the right reasons to get the right results. No matter how much we’ve ‘evolved,’ women are still responsible for the bulk of child and family care. We have friendships to maintain, lives to shape and lead and oh, there’s that minor matter of personal time.

● Social media lends itself to the way women naturally communicate and share ideas. Historically, most story-

tellers are women. Women exchange “secrets” to build trust, not men, and these nuances carry through online. (The good news is you get to define whether a “secret” is something mar- ginally personal or soul-bar- ing.)

Here’s what I know for sure: One-size-fits-all only

works for baseball caps and t-shirts. Just as women need to examine their finances differently and we tolerate medicine dif- ferently; when we understand that if we approach social media differently, we’ll have much better results than using one- size-fits-all-guy-centric methods.

Lena L. West is the CEO & Chief Social Media Strategist at InfluenceExpansion.com, a social media consulting firm that helps women business owners to leverage social media to EXPAND their influence, EXPLODE their income and ROCK the world.

Women invented

social media. After all, who recommends

more products and services

than women?

22 2011 sPECial rEPort on diGital litEraCY

W An illuminating conversation with an executive who is leading the way for women in technology.

Wendy Aylsworth: Leading the Technology

to being elected as the Engineering Vice President for four years.

Q: Technology is changing so quickly. How does a standards-setting or-

ganization keep pace?

Aylsworth: It is, indeed, challenging to achieve consensus in a short time to keep pace with changing technology. Fortunate- ly, the ability to conduct work via electronic meeting rooms with participants dialing in from all over the world, along with non- real-time electronic correspondence, has aided in streamlining the work of SMPTE to get documents balloted and published more rapidly.

Wendy Aylsworth, Senior Vice President of Technology, Warner Bros.,

oversees the establishment of new technologies for Warner Bros. pro-

duction divisions and assesses the impact of emerging technologies on

content creation and distribution. Aylsworth is currently the elected

executive vice president of Society of Motion Picture and Television

Engineers (SMPTE). She acted as Engineering Vice President for the

past three years, and chaired of SMPTE DC28 in the prior four years,

which generated the initial D-Cinema standards created for industry.

AWMF had the opportunity to discuss everything from the latest

technological innovations to why the digital space needs more women

with Aylsworth:

Q: Can you tell us about some new technologies that you are using at

Warner Bros.? What can we expect to see in the next year?

Aylsworth: Stereoscopic 3D has seen a renaissance with the advent of D-Cinema technology and Warner Bros. has rapidly adapted to this exciting art form in all aspects of production, post-production, and distribution. Filmmakers are experi- menting with the best ways of using this technology and there has been recent strong interest in increasing the frame rates of the motion picture camera capture and projection to enhance the sense of realism in 3D movies. Changes over the course of this next year should allow this artistic preference to become a reality for consum- ers to enjoy.

Warner Bros. is continually looking at new ways to make content available to con- sumers in an easy and convenient manner, and UltraViolet is a new initiative by many cooperative companies to meet that goal. Families will be able to share and enjoy their Warner Bros. content next year on a variety of their favorite consumer devices. Working hard over the past year to create a production process for UltraViolet content, Warner Bros. recently announced its first two Blu-Ray titles that can be shared across multiple home and mobile UltraViolet devices at no additional cost.

Q: You were recently elected execu- tive vp of the Society of Motion

Picture and Television Engineers board of directors. Congratulations! How did you get involved in SMPTE?

Aylsworth: My early interfaces with SMPTE were attending SMPTE confer- ences to learn more about television en- gineering as I moved into that part of the business. That led to further involvement in the conferences, writing papers and co- ordinating sessions, and later being elected as a Regional Governor of the Board. When Digital Cinema started, I began attending the standards meetings on this topic and ultimately chaired the Technical Commit- tee on D-Cinema for four years, which led

BY ANDY SCHWARz

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION 23

Q: You’ve done a lot of work with the transition from analog to digital

cinema. How does digital cinema change the entertainment world?

Aylsworth: Beyond the advantages in ste- reoscopic 3D projection, digital cinema is allowing greater commonality in the pro- duction process of digital television, digital cinema, and digital mobile content forms. This is important so that we can streamline our production process while increasing distribution methods to a rapidly growing number of consumer devices. Further, digital cinema has permitted the ability of a wide variety of art forms to be seen on the cinema screen—from sports, to rock concerts, to ballets and television shows, digital cinema projection systems provide greater flexibility for cinema theaters.

Q: Can you tell us what to expect as far as bringing 3D to our homes?

Aylsworth: While consumers have em- braced 3D movies at the cinema as a cost for one specific performance, successful uptake in the home, which requires pur-

chase of a system of 3D components, has been a bit slower. There are many more factors involved, so this is not necessarily a surprise. Over the next few years, the cost of 3D displays and glasses will continue to decrease while the volume of content will continue to grow. Simultaneously, stan- dards will be developed to permit these double images to be displayed over all types of networks on a plethora of devices. These sorts of infrastructure changes will ultimately permit easier consumer deci- sion-making on the value of buying a 3D system for the home.

Q: It seems like men dominate the technology side of the media busi-

ness. You are the first woman to be elected to the position of SMPTE’s ex-

ecutive vp—does this signal a change in women’s participation and influence on technology?

Aylsworth: The sciences and engineering technology continue to lag in attracting women to those college majors, but the numbers continue to steadily grow. Hope- fully, my presence as executive vp will act as an encouragement to young women that there are exciting and fun technical careers in the entertainment industry.

Q: What advice do you have for women who want to make a career

in entertainment technology?

Aylsworth: Women who have natural inclinations in math and science and are also a good social communicators have the core ingredients needed to succeed in en- tertainment technology. Much time is spent being the communication bridge between the engineers that make technical tools for entertainment production and either the creative or the business personnel actually doing the production. It is important to un- derstand the artists’ goals in order to find/ develop the right technology tools to achieve their vision, and it is likewise important to develop technology tools to help streamline the business sales and distribution aspects of a company. These require strong skills in patient communications with both technical and non-technical personnel.

Q: What do you recommend for women trying to enhance their

Digital Quotient? What are three pub- lications, web sites, or apps you read to get a sense of the changing media environment?

Aylsworth: The Wall Street Journal Tech section and the New York Times DealBook are two favorites of mine for a general over- view of technology, while both the NAB and the CEA Smartbriefs are great for technol- ogy more specific to entertainment. Finally, I’m a big fan of Google Alerts, setting up alerts on a topic that is of particular inter- est while I’m working on it.

Andy Schwarz is the Director of Media Relations for the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation

Women who have natural inclinations in math and

science and are also a good social communicators have the core ingredients needed to succeed in entertainment

technology.

24 2011 sPECial rEPort on diGital litEraCY

By Valerie K. Blackburn

T he Alliance for Women in Media Foundation is led by a group of smart women looking to hold smart conversations that lead to a push for societal change. As an organization founded as American Women in Radio & Television 60 years

ago, we realize that the shift from conveyance to content means that meaningful, influential, remunerative career opportunities in media now rely upon a proficiency in technology. As we work with our partner organizations—the Girl Scouts, Dove’s Self Esteem Move- ment, the Ford Motor Company Fund, the National Middle Schools Association, among many—we see that when women consider careers in media, they focus on what is in front of the camera—or webcam—rather than designing the system that delivers that content. We believe that needs to change to ensure women continue to make strides within our industry.

Earlier this year, AWMF held a Symposium on Women’s Media Ownership in Wash- ington, D.C. With less than 5% of television stations and less than 1% of radio stations owned by women—and when you look at women of color, the percentages drop beneath whole numbers—we took a look at what that means in terms of economic empower- ment and community impact. In September we held a Symposium on Digital Literacy for Women and Girls, which thanks to Kate Coates, Rikki Jo Holmes and Sarah Foss, was covered in this Special Report. Later on this year, on November 2nd, we hold our final Symposium of the year on Media Branding to Women. In an era of mommy blog- ging, espnW, and almost total integration of advertising across so many platforms, it is an interesting time to be a woman—someone that controls over 80% of the purchasing decisions made in this country.

AWMF continues to push for progress and influence change. AWMF recently ac- cepted FCC Commissioner Genachowski’s invitation to continue our service on the Commission’s re-chartered Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communica- tions in the Digital Age (“Diversity Committee”). Sylvia Strobel, Esq., Immediate Past Chair of AWMF, joins with other high-level leaders in the communications industry to make recommendations to the FCC regarding policies and practices that will further enhance the ability of minorities and women to participate in telecommunications and related industries. We are pleased and proud to serve on the Healthy Media Commis- sion, founded by the Girl Scouts of the USA and co-chaired by actor and activist Geena Davis and former FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate. Our president, Erin Fuller, represents the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation with this esteemed group, and we look forward to encouraging the adoption of their final recommendations in 2012.

But we still have a lot of work to do. The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation harnesses the promise, passion and power of women in all forms of media to empower career development, engage in thought leadership, and drive positive change for our industry and societal progress. We hope that you will help promote women in the media industry through your example, industry influence, mentorship, and continued support of AWMF.

Valerie K. Blackburn is the Market Controller (Los Angeles) for CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Radio). Blackburn serves as the Chair of the 2011 AWMF Board of Directors.

New Ways to Promote Women in Media

We see that when women consider

careers in media, they focus on what is in

front of the camera— or webcam—rather than designing the system that delivers

that content. We believe that needs

to change to ensure women continue to make strides within

our industry.

www.AllwomenInmedIA.org

Celebrating 60 years

Thank you to our Symposium Sponsors

www.AllWomenInMedia.org

Digital Literacy for Women & Girls Symposium

Silver Sponsors

In-Kind Silver Sponsor

130 years and counting... At AT&T we’re proud of the pioneering women who always saw beyond tomorrow, and who helped shape the culture of our company.

We salute the Alliance for Women in Media for its outstanding efforts in empowering women, driving positive change, and promoting digital literacy for all women.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.

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