CDD Weekly Class Reports Uhuru 10-9-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru/October 9, 2010

OPENING COMMENTS:
Hunter and I had another great class and all of the students were extremely focused throughout the class, learning about public speaking, the Internet, and finished their papers.

ATTENDANCE:
9 students attended the class and two students were absent.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
We went over the paper stressed that they must complete it by Tuesday’s class. We also talked about graduation and told the class that as long as they completed their paper and attended the remaining classes, they would graduate. We also told them that one student would be chosen to read their paper at graduation, which caused some nervousness, but overall excitement in the class.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Hunter covered the topic of Public Speaking going through various examples of how the students should present. Many of the students were nervous about presenting, but Hunter gave great tips to help them calm down and focus on presenting to their peers. He went through different topics like eye contact and speaking clearly and loudly, which the students later utilized during lab time.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
I reviewed the Internet section in Module 3. Many of the students were excited to go on the Internet, but it was clear that most students knew how to use it already. We went over the address and task bar and also visited some websites, like Google. Overall the lesson was very brief and we helped some students individually who did not know how to use the Internet.

LAB TIME:
During lab time, we spent half the time working on paper and the other half of the time practicing presentations. Almost everyone had already completed his or her papers, with the exception of a few students. While we were helping students individually, they appreciated our input on their papers and were happy to share them with us. During the presentations, everyone gave great constructive criticism to the students who presented.

FINAL NOTES:

Everything went really smoothly, and as long as everyone who is still attending the class completes their papers and attends the last two classes, I think this class is going to do well. Everyone is very social and they feel comfortable with themselves to share their stories with their peers. Positive attitudes all around!

CDD Weekly Class Report Uhuru 10-5-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru, 10-5-10


OPENING COMMENTS:
This week’s class over all was again energized and engaging, students seemed to look forward to the computer discovery test and were well prepared.

ATTENDANCE:
10 attended class. We were told that Charlene hurt her foot, but did send in another resident from the center to let us know that and ask if she could make up the test on Saturday.


INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Julian took roll call. We discussed what we would be going over in the class. There were a lot of questions regarding the papers.


1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Jane reviewed materials discussed in module 2, discussing a bit more on cutting and pasting.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
We passed out the tests. As the students were done, we collected them. Juliane wrote them all on the board, and we had all the students come up and match them all before we passed them back. Half of the students got 100%.

LAB TIME:
In Lab Time Juliane wrote out a cover page on the board as I went around the room and showed the students how to set this up in word, and begin typing their papers in their computers. The remaining of lab time, Juliane and I both worked with students on their papers.


FINAL NOTES:
In tonight’s class, the students were very engaging. They really enjoyed the way we went over the tests on the board together as a group. We had teams, the boys against the girls (the girls won), they really seem to understand the discovery terms, not just memorizing them, but also understanding what they mean. Most of the papers are just about completed; they also seem to understand how to work the tools on Word in order to complete their papers. The ones who understand it more are very helpful and supportive to the ones who are more challenged. (I love seeing that).

CDD Class Report Walden House 10-5-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, 10-5-10

OPENING COMMENTS:
Chairs were set up at the computer workstations with a white board for lecture.

ATTENDANCE:
Attendance was taken and the notebooks handed out. The room was full, with 14 students in attendance.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Students were given test over Discover terms.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Soni introduced students to various fields in IT. A motivational lecture to continue learning IT skills was also given.


2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Break was given and Tests were graded. Review of Second module was briefly given. Class broke up and went to work on their papers on the lab computers


LAB TIME:
Students were helped individually if it was identified that they needed help on outlines and/or paper. Soni and Joe went around class helping students that were in need and tried to review Module 2 skills with them.

FINAL NOTES:
To conclude, all books were returned and students were reminded to work on their papers and that it was due next Tuesday with an oral presentation. Overall, the class was excited and eager to learn more, many promising to study and work on their papers for the next class.

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 9-28-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
CH/9-28-10


7:00 to 7:10- Jordana took roll and handed out the workbooks. After writing the evening’s schedule on the board, she gave a brief talk on the topics for the evening. Eleven students were present and on time. Two students Erica and Aysha are no longer coming to class. Erica dropped the class and Aysha went home.

7:10 to 7:30 - Review and Outline Assignment
The outlines were collected. A few students shared and discussed their outlines. Jordana used the outlines presented to demonstrate how to turn outlines into an essay.
The class was reminded that the papers would be due on lesson 9.

7:30 – 8:00 – Computer Discovery
After reviewing the items presented on Module 1 on Saturday, Beverly went over the last 5 computer terms and reminded the students that they will be tested on all Computer Discovery Terms next week.

7:50 – 8:00 - Break

8:00 – 8:50 - Lab Time
The class worked into two groups to allow each student use of a computer. Beverly worked with the group at the computers. After making sure that each student understood the computer modules, students went on to work on Mavis Beacon. Jordana worked with the alternate group to help them begin turning their outlines into their actual papers.

8:50 – 9:00 –
Beverly led a final QA.

FINAL NOTES:
The class was attentive and on task the entire time. Students were reminded about their Computer Discovery Terms test next week and were also reminded about the due dates for final presentations and papers due.

CDD Class Report Uhuru 9-18-09

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru/9-18-10


Opening Comments:
Hunter and I had an excellent time working with the students on Saturday. We explained to the students that because of the issues that occurred in the last class, the groups would be split into male and female separate by the front and back of the classroom. We are not sure if this change is what resulted in an excellent class or if the students just brought a new attitude with them; every single student was well behaved and everyone seemed very eager to learn. Hunter and I had a great time working with the students and teaching them today.

Attendance:
13 students attended the class. One student was sick and could not attend.


INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Hunter and I introduced ourselves by telling them about our work experience and also explaining why we were volunteering with CDD. We made it a point to tell the students that without computer knowledge, they would have a very hard time finding a good job and that these skills would definitely help them in the future. I think the students appreciated our different perspectives of how we used computers in our work. We also went around the room and had each student introduce themselves and why they were taking the class. The students had a variety of answers and many of them had very specific goals in mind after they completed the class.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
We reviewed the first six Discovery Terms by playing a matching game on the board and having the students come up and match the words with their definition. We also mentioned that they should copy down the words and definitions because there would be a quiz in a couple of weeks.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Hunter reviewed the first half of Module 1, which focused computer basics and understanding the desktop. Everyone was taking notes throughout the class and many students had questions about the material being covered that Hunter was able to answer very thoroughly.

LAB TIME:
During lab time, many of the students played with the computer to visually experience what they had just learned. Many of the students also started working on their outlines for their paper. Hunter and I walked around the class room to help students organize their thoughts and write them down in an outline format. Some of the more advanced students typed up their outlines, but most wrote them by hand.

The middle computer in the last row did not work and the first computer in the second row did not have a mouse, which made it extremely hard for that student to follow the class. We showed him some shortcuts so he could follow along, but I think it is extremely important for that computer to have a mouse so the student can follow along better in the next class.

FINAL NOTES:

Before class started, an old student stopped by to say hello, and I believe this was the student that gave the speech at the last session’s graduation. She mentioned how giving that speech really helped her increase her confidence.
The students in the class today were really great. Everyone was very open when they had questions or didn’t understand the material. In the beginning some students were chatty, but immediately stopped when we told them to pay attention to us. Although there were a couple of students who were more advanced than others, they did not disrupt the class and worked independently on their outlines. During lab time we both had a great chance to speak with many of the students and learn more about their goals after they graduated from class and got out of their program. Overall it was a very productive class and the students seemed to get a lot of it.

CDD Class Report Walden 9-15-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, Tuesday, 9/15/10

Opening Comments:
Chairs were set up in a semi-circle with a white board for lecture. Ralph Mendoza, Center Vocational Manager, gave a brief introduction to the students.

Attendance:
Attendance was taken and the notebooks handed out. The room was full, with 14 students in attendance.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Both Joe and Soni took turns reviewing their backgrounds and introducing themselves to the class. Soni also gave an overview of CDD and the course.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
The students shared their familiarity and experiences with computers. The class, overall, had a very low level of exposure with computers, with only three having worked with them before. An overview of the format of the course was explained, reviewing the student paper and presentation. The rules and regulations were read aloud, with course requirements shared with the class.


2ND TOPIC COVERED:
The computer discovery terms were covered, also using the workbooks to follow along. The case of a non-working computer was opened by Joe, and displayed at the front of the room. The first six discovery terms were introduced, with each part displayed and defined. Having the terms written on the white board helped students to follow along and were used to wrap-up and review, with short definitions for every term.


LAB TIME:
A brief introduction to the keyboard and mouse was covered. Students then broke into groups and turned on the computers. Each station set up their user names on Mavis Beacon, then practiced typing,


FINAL NOTES:
To conclude, all books were returned and students were reminded of Saturday class from 11 to 1. Overall, the class was excited and eager to learn more, many not wanting the class to end. Several students mentioned they would be practicing their typing when they get a chance.

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 9-15-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help/ 9-15-10


Opening Comments:
Our class went very well and all students were cooperative and involved in the learning process.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Ryan had everyone take their seat and took roll. Both he and Beverly introduced themselves and told why they volunteered. He led student introductions and the assignment of Student Manuals. Two groups were created for lab time.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
An overview of the course was begun by Ryan. Beverly joined in the discussion of today’s topics, which included and introduction to the requirements of the 500-word paper. Both Beverly and Ryan went over the general class outline, reviewed class rules and gave an explanation of the required assignments and tests.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Both Beverly and Ryan led an explanation and discussion on the written paper and presentation assignment. We explained the paper and included some group brainstorming on general and individual goals. We discussed the benefits of working in teams and giving oral presentations.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS:
-- Beverly led the discussion of the first 6 terms while Ryan provided actual visuals when appropriate followed by a brief review of using the mouse. Followed by lab time for all students.

LAB TIME:
Most students were new technology users. The class was divided into two groups to allow each student use of a computer. Beverly worked with the group that took time to work in pairs to explore ideas for their papers. Ryan worked with others at the computer. Most students worked on Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.


FINAL NOTES:
Since this is a relatively small class, we were able to provide extra attention to all students in need of it. At the end of the class we had a Q&A period and collected all workbooks.

CDD Course Report Uhuru 8-10-10

Instructor End of Course Report


Center Name: House of Uhuru

Beginning Date: July 6, 2010

Graduation Date: August 10, 2010

Names of the four Instructors: Peter, Hunter, Juliane


The session consisted of 10 classes, with classes held on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings at the House of Uhuru. The teacher's team only consisted of 3 instructors, Peter, Hunter and Juliane. Peter taught on Tuesday's evenings. Juliane started in class 4 and also taught with Peter on Tuesdays. Hunter joined in class 6 and completed the team. Peter and Hunter already are experienced instructors and and knew how to lead through the class. They were a good support for Juliane, as she never taught before. But at the end of the session the three instructors turned out to be a very good and balanced team.

Though there were several technical difficulties in the beginning, at the end the computers worked pretty good and all the students got their opportunity to work on a computer to internalize the applications just learned in class. Out of 10 students in the beginning, we have 7 students graduating. They all are proud that they accomplished the outline, the computer discovery terms test, and the paper with the presentation. All of them seem to have gained confidence and knowledge working on a PC and they enjoyed the class.

Gregory was one of the students with no or little computer experience. Step by step he got more understanding of how to use the computer and at the end he was very confident in working by himself, he was even able to search the internet for schools he wants to contact to enroll after he gets discharged. Rickey as well did not have any or only little computer experience. He was a very quiet student but always very thankful for help and assistance.

Michele, Kyle and Victor already had some experience and were very confident in using the computer. But as they didn't use the computer in quite a while, they appreciated this course as a refresher and to be up to date with Windows 98 and later Windows XP. They understood everything they were taught right away and absorbed new information gratefully. These 3 students also were the nominees for the student presentation at the graduation ceremony.

Deanna and Shanae both liked working for themselves, but whenever they had questions they asked for help and appreciated it. Shanea sat next to Rickey and also tried to help him, whenever she could. She was very thoroughly working on her paper and cover page and was even concerned she might not graduate as she missed half of the 9th class. Deanna turned in her paper in the 10th class as before she had some medical issues and didn't finish the paper. She was very proud of her plan for success and couldn't wait to present it to the class.
The working, as well as the learning atmosphere was great and as a result of this atmosphere it was a very successful session for the students, but also for the instructors.

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 8-3-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help / 8-3-2010


Opening Comments:
Jordana and I both arrived about 20 minutes early to class. We put the agenda on the board as usual, and Jordana put the Santa Monica graduation information on the board as well.

Attendance:
Ryan took attendance. The entire Socorro class was a few minutes late because they encountered traffic on their way to the Cri-Help facility. But all the students arrived in class by 7:10 PM. Only Araceli did not show up.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
We told the class what the agenda was for tonight. Some people were nervous about the presentations and had questions. A few were very excited to present.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Ryan reviewed the 1st half of the Internet. Jordana continued with the 2nd half of the Internet. Some students had some questions afterwards, but most seemed focused on the paper presentations.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
During the paper presentations, several people were excited to read, and Ibra was the 1st to go up in front of the class. Everyone was very respectful and cheered each other on. The students encouraged each other to go in front of the class; even if they were nervous or felt that their paper wasn’t good enough. One of the students that had a very good paper was Ray Campos. His paper was several pages long, and it was well written. It stuck to the computer topic very well and was cohesive. One student’s paper that surprised me was Robert Atkinson’s. Before class started, Robert told me that he couldn’t read. When he wrote his paper, he dictated it to someone and someone wrote what he said. He asked for help and if I could read his paper to the class, so I did. When I read his paper, it talked about his hardships and how being illiterate shaped him. Everyone was very moved afterwards and several people came up and hugged him. I think I also noticed that he started to cry (or at least had a tear in his eye) after I finished reading his paper to the class.

In all, 12 students who finished their papers presented. Another 4 students were almost done but wanted to add more. They still wanted to present, so we allowed them to present in class. However, I informed them that they still needed to complete their papers and re-present again on Saturday to get full credit. Those 4 students were Kevin, Anna, Eddie, and Magarita. Two other students did not present tonight, Danny C and Chris.

LAB TIME:
There was only 15 minutes left for the lab after the presentations. A few students were able to complete their blogs during this time. The students who were not done with their papers continued to work on them during this time.

FINAL NOTES:
We told the class the information about the Santa Monica graduation ceremony and that they could bring friends and family to the event. We collected the papers of the 12 students that presented. The other 6 students still have their papers with them and need to present on Saturday. Because I will be working remotely and not in the office on Wednesday, Jordana volunteered to scan the papers since she has access to a scanner. She will also bring the papers to the Thursday meeting to give to Micah and Renee, so that they can bring it to the Saturday class.

Overall, everyone did a great job in the presentations. Several students shook our hands at the end of the night.

The top students we nominate for Cri-Help (in order of preference):
1. Ray Campos
2. Robert Atkinson
3. Matthew Humphries
4. Ibra Taylor

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 7-31-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help / 7-31-2010


Opening Comments:
I arrived at 10:30 to try installing the GoodSearch toolbar and to test the Internet. A few computers were not connected to Ethernet cabling. I resolved that problem; all but 1 were connected and working. The last one, I got connected during the break. Renee arrived on time.

Attendance:
Renee took attendance. Robert came in nearly 15 minutes late. He decided to leave class since we told him he wouldn’t receive attendance credit. Matthew Humphries showed up in class today. Araceli did not.


INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
We answered a few quick questions about the timing of presentations and due dates for the final essay. Everybody was excited to be introduced to the Internet today. We specified that their browsing would be limited to the websites from the list Soni sent out.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
I covered public speaking, some tips they should use when presenting their papers to the class, and if they’re selected, when presenting to the group as a whole. I talked how important a skill it was, and that speaking slowly, clearly, and loudly enough was very important.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Renee covered the Internet lecture. Some of the terminology in the material itself confused the students; we took extra time to explain what an Application was, and what a Search Engine did. We also touched momentarily on the basic structure of the Internet, which seemed to make those unfamiliar with the Internet less intimidated by it. We also explained E-mail by comparing it to snail mail.

LAB TIME:
At lab time, I focused on reading through and providing feedback for everybody who had a draft of their essay. As a general theme, people needed to focus more on specifics they learned at CDD and in particular, how computers were going to help them achieve their goal. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most students really were focused on their future plans; only a handful focused extensively on their history. Alex, one of the students whose outlines I had taken with me, was particularly focused on his past because he didn’t have the guidance of an outline. I selected a few parts of his past that he could include in his final piece and helped him to flesh out his outline (which I returned) so he could re-write it before Tuesday. I think that Molly’s is going to be particularly impactful if she can just pick a draft and stick to it. Ibra’s is coming along very well, but he needs more concrete information from his tech side. Chris’ outline is excellent and he has a lot to say. Ray had left his draft in his sponsor’s car but said he’s confident of it. I wish I could read it; I think it’ll be great. Jesse’s has a very solid body and conclusion but he needs to introduce himself and his essay better. Those are about all the specifics I could think of; everybody else’s was mostly general feedback. Anna never came to my side of the classroom; I haven’t read her essay. She seemed to be on the computers the whole time, but Renee and I didn’t notice until class was over.

[From Renee]
Lab time started rough for group 1. The Internet, which was working perfectly all morning, wasn't working when group 1 started to use it. So I had them go back into mavis beacon. The Internet was repaired and then the students started working on the internet. I showed them how to type a site into the address bar, how to use the search function, I had them navigate to monster.com and search for jobs in Los Angeles. I sent them to the CDD website, some entered in posts for the blog, they were very uneasy, some were not wanting to use their real names and were making up stories, we then ran out of time.I did the same things listed above with group 2. Regarding the blog posts, some were able to post a blog, some were not, and the CAPTCHA was a big hold up. This Lab session was very hectic. The students were very excited about using the Internet. I learned from this session that in Lab they should have a print out in front of them, a check list of things to do and they should check them off after they have done them, then at random, I go over and ask them to perform a task they have checked off. If anyone is not doing something from the checklist, they are made to get off the computer and work on their paper or leave class. It was very hard to make them stay on track with the lessons when all they wanted to do was surf the Internet. Since the class is so big, it's hard watching everyone. Also, there is a real problem with the more advanced students, being able to do these lessons easily and then doing something else and negatively influencing the other students (with less skill).

FINAL NOTES:
Overall Renee and I concluded after class that it went well. It’s a larger class but we’re working very hard to impose good structure on the students’ time. It seems to be working very nicely.

CDD Class Report Uhuru 7-28-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru, 7-20-2010

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Six of eight students were present at the start of class. Prince and Shanae came in late and were marked absent. Michelle left halfway through the class, as she was not feeling well, and was also marked absent. Six of eight students turned in completed papers. Prince’s paper is nearly complete; he still needs to add a conclusion. Deanna has only finished about half of her paper, and said that she would complete it by Saturday. All papers were collected at the end of the class, except for the incomplete ones. The students were reminded about graduation on Tuesday (transportation will be provided and to please dress conservatively).

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Peter reviewed several Internet topics, including the browser buttons and the concept of a web browser. He then explained how to set a home page, and how to print web content.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Chase, Rickey and Gregory performed their presentations. All students were critiqued by the class and by the instructors for their delivery and content.

BREAK
Break went as planned, for 10 minutes. All students arrived back from break on time.

LAB TIME:
Kyle, Victor and Shanae gave their presentations, and were critiqued. The class was very supportive of all students giving presentations. After the presentations, the students practiced typing and used the Internet.

FINAL NOTES:
The notebooks were removed from the classroom, and Peter will bring them to the meeting on Thursday. Deanna and Prince were reminded that if they do not complete their papers by Saturday, then they will not graduate.

CDD Class Report Walden House 7-24-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, Saturday, 7/24/10


Opening Comments:
Chairs were set up with a white board for lecture.

Attendance:
Attendance was taken and the notebooks. Frank DeLeon came up to me and asked if he could be excused from the class because he wanted me to give him a note to excuse him from class to go to a baseball game.I explained that if he left he would be marked absent and that I would not be excusing him to go. One of the staff members happened to walk in while I was talking to Frank and he also, explained to Frank that the computer class was a priority at the center not the baseball game. He then told me that a list of the names on our roster had been given to the driver so that the students in the class would not leave for the game. All the students that were in class had their outlines although, many had questions that Austin I went over with them.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
I introduced the topics that would be covered during the class in Module 2 and MS Word

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
I briefly went over the last 5 discovery terms and also covered the First half of Module 2. I explained about running various programs at once and the cascading and tiling windows.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
During the end of Module 2 I started feeling ill and one of the staff – Steve helped answering some questions from the students about the material.

LAB TIME:
Austin got to class very close to the break time, and after apologizing to the class for being late he excused the class for the 10 minute break. After returning from the break, Austin gave a brief introduction about himself and reminded them about the Discovery Term quiz on Tuesday. After answering a few brief questions about the outline and quiz, Austin instructed the students to use the computers for lab time.

During lab, Austin and myself assisted students still working on their outlines as well as instructed students to begin familiarizing themselves with MS Word. A few students began to create their title pages with Word. Many students had started to write their papers and were excited to share their current work with the instructors.

FINAL NOTES:
Overall a challenging class since I was by myself for the first half. However, it was encouraging to see that most students had begun writing their papers in their spare time as well as demonstrating the introductory concepts of MS Word.

Note from Austin:
Maria did extremely well with the class for being alone for the lecture portion. Most all students I talked to had a completed outline and had begun work on their papers. There were periods of time where some students were joking and repeatedly asking to use the restroom, but for the most part the class was kept under control and focused on completing the MS Word exercises.

CDD Class Report Uhuru 7-20-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru, 7-20-2010

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Nine of ten students were present at the start of the class. Michael Alcantera has dropped the course. The workstations do not have Mavis Beacon or MS Office installed, so capabilities are somewhat limited. Peter started off the class by giving an overview of today’s lesson.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Juliane reviewed the outline process, and discovered that 8 of 9 students had completed their outlines. Wayne did not complete his outline, as he expects to leave the center next week. Five students presented their outlines to the class, and the outlines were critiqued by the instructors and students. The outlines were all within the scope of the paper. Some outlines were structured more like the actual paper (in complete sentences, etc) and this was pointed out to the students.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Peter reminded the students that there will be a quiz on the computer discovery terms next week. He then went over the last five discovery terms, using examples for each term. The class seemed to comprehend the terms. Peter briefly reviewed all 17 terms, in preparation for the quiz.

BREAK
Break went as planned, for 10 minutes. All students arrived back from break on time.

LAB TIME:
The students continued to work on their papers, using Wordpad or by writing them on paper. Juliane took the time to review some of the basic components of Windows with Wayne, since he is the least experienced user in the class. Peter assisted the students with various issues in Wordpad (formatting, etc) and showed them how to adjust the settings in the Control Panel.

FINAL NOTES:
Two of the students, Deanna and Prince, were talking during the lab and were being somewhat of a distraction. They were told to begin working on their papers. It was a successful class, but the issues with the lab still need to be sorted out.

CDD Class Report Walden 7-24-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, Saturday, 7/24/10

Opening Comments:
Chairs were set up with a white board for lecture.

Attendance:
Attendance was taken and the notebooks. Frank DeLeon came up to me and asked if he could be excused from the class because he wanted me to give him a note to excuse him from class to go to a baseball game.I explained that if he left he would be marked absent and that I would not be excusing him to go. One of the staff members happened to walk in while I was talking to Frank and he also, explained to Frank that the computer class was a priority at the center not the baseball game. He then told me that a list of the names on our roster had been given to the driver so that the students in the class would not leave for the game. All the students that were in class had their outlines although, many had questions that Austin I went over with them.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
I introduced the topics that would be covered during the class in Module 2 and MS Word

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
I briefly went over the last 5 discovery terms and also covered the First half of Module 2. I explained about running various programs at once and the cascading and tiling windows.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
During the end of Module 2 I started feeling ill and one of the staff – Steve helped answering some questions from the students about the material.

LAB TIME:
Austin got to class very close to the break time, and after apologizing to the class for being late he excused the class for the 10 minute break. After returning from the break, Austin gave a brief introduction about himself and reminded them about the Discovery Term quiz on Tuesday. After answering a few brief questions about the outline and quiz, Austin instructed the students to use the computers for lab time.

During lab, Austin and myself assisted students still working on their outlines as well as instructed students to begin familiarizing themselves with MS Word. A few students began to create their title pages with Word. Many students had started to write their papers and were excited to share their current work with the instructors.

FINAL NOTES:
Overall a challenging class since I was by myself for the first half. However, it was encouraging to see that most students had begun writing their papers in their spare time as well as demonstrating the introductory concepts of MS Word.

Note from Austin:
Maria did extremely well with the class for being alone for the lecture portion. Most all students I talked to had a completed outline and had begun work on their papers. There were periods of time where some students were joking and repeatedly asking to use the restroom, but for the most part the class was kept under control and focused on completing the MS Word exercises.

CDD Class Report Walden 7-20-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, Tuesday, 7/20/10

Opening Comments:
Chairs were set up with a white board for lecture. The discovery terms were written on the board with short descriptions.

Attendance:
Attendance was taken and the notebooks handed out, including the new book I brought to replace the one which fell apart last week. Edward Ntuk came in to notify me he had dropped the class with Walden House Staff. I was told by WH staff, two students would be very late, I marked them absent (Ruben Casey and Aaron Thomas), only Aaron came in at 8:30 to show me his outline, which he will hopefully get credit for on Saturday. Lastly, Herver Fetheroff (student in wheelchair) arrived late at 7:10 after I saw him in the hall when I walked in. During class lecture, he interrupted by heading out the door, then ten minutes later tried to return. I did not allow him to stay or disrupt the class as he has in the past.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Due to the large number of students to the class, I reminded them that class was from 7 to 9pm and they need to stay the entire class to get credit.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Students participated in a group as we used the white board to do a matching exercise as a group. Taking the time to explain definitions as we went along, the students demonstrated a good understanding of the terms.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
The class submitted their outlines for review. Many students needed assistance during class time (David, Frank, Lamar, Arthur, and Aaron Thomas) and did not immediately get credit for their outlines. We did a group exercise to review how to brainstorm and create an outline.

LAB TIME:
A list (from the back of module 1) was written on the board for students to ensure they could complete the exercises of: minimize, maximize and help menu. Half of the class worked at the computer on these exercises and on typing, the other half worked on their outlines. I called the students to help them, one at a time, and was able to work to complete all of the listed students’ outlines with them, staying a little after to finish working with the tardy student, Aaron Thomas.


FINAL NOTES: To conclude, students were reminded to study for the matching quiz. All books were returned. Students were eager to start writing their papers from their outlines, so look forward to Saturday’s report as to their progress

CDD Course Report Uhuru 7-17-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru/7-17-2010


Opening Comments:
Loryn and Juliane substituted the class for Jeff and Peter.


Attendance:
Before class, 2 students showed up and informed us that they would not attend, but they changed their mind and showed up on time. In total, 8 students were attending the class.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Loryn started the class with introducing herself, afterwards Juliane introduced herself. After reminding the students that their outlines are due the following tuesday, they asked questions about the outline and Loryn took the time to explain the purpose and structure of an outline. The students then seemed to understand it. She also pointed out that the outline should be in handwriting as it is not sure if the printers will work to print the outlines the students started to write in word pad.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
After her introduction, Juliane reviewed the computer discovery terms 7-12 by pointing them out in the open computer model. The students said they understood everything and didn't have any questions.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Loryn then explained the second half of module one to the students. Step by step she covered every topic and explained some of them by drawing on the white board. The students didn't have any additional questions and understood everything.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS:
no additional topics were covered.

LAB TIME:
During lab time the students continued working on their outlines and several students asked for help. Once again the instructors reminded the students to make sure they also handwrite the outline as there is not a guaranty that the printers will work. Rickey still seemed to have some problems with his outline.
Those students not working on their outline were asked to do the suggested lab exercise for class 4 (creating, deleting and restoring a folder). Wayne seems to feel insecure using the computer.

FINAL NOTES:
Offer It was a good class without any problems.

CDD Class Report Walden 7-17-10

Walden House
Tuesday, 7/17/10


Opening Comments:
Chairs were set up with a white board for lecture.

Attendance:
Attendance was taken and the notebooks handed out. The room was full, with 14 students in attendance. I was informed by a staff member that Kirklan Stevenson would no longer be attending class. My teaching partner Delaram did not show up to class so I covered both topics.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
I gave an overview of what we would be covering class and reminded them that their outlines would be due on Tuesday

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
During the first part of the lecture the second set of 6 computer discovery terms were reviewed including video card, sound card, modem etc... The students seemed to understand them pretty well. They also, seemed to grasp the difference between computer hardware and software. The first half of module 1 and any questions that the students had were answered. One student brought up a question about Apple computers I explained that it was a different type of computer with different software and that type of computer was not covered in this class.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
The second half of module one was then covered the help index tab and it was explained that there was a slight difference in the look of Windows 98 and XP. They also learned about the help search function and how to print something from the index. In addition the concept of working with different windows was explained and the students learned about maximizing and minimizing windows and how to close them and shutdown the computer.

LAB TIME:
At the beginning of lab time the topics in module 2 were covered in a more hands on approach. The students opened up the help menu and maximized and minimized Windows. The students were then divided up and some worked on their outline while others used Mavis Beacon and then switched off. During this time I went around and answered any questions that students had both about their outlines and the computer use. One student was having trouble writing his outline because he felt uncomfortable with his inability to spell. I explained that he should still write it even though it would have spelling errors.

FINAL NOTES:
To conclude, students were reminded that they needed to finish their outlines All books were returned. Aaron Robinson was still concerned about the fact he was marked absent last week although he did come to class late, I reminded him again of the class rules. When passing out the notebooks at the beginning of the class I believe it was folder 60 came apart. Many of the holes in the hole punched papers are broken and the order of the pages was jumbled. So I was unable to give it out to the student.

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 7-17-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help/July 17, 2010


Opening Comments:

Renee and Micah arrived on time and began class. Everybody was already seated and prepared. Micah did a quick introduction.

Attendance:

Renee took attendance. All students were present at the beginning of class on time with the exception of Eddie Aguilar. Some students were a few minutes slow in returning from break, and Micah explained to students during Lab that timeliness is critical.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Renee began with a quick review of the class expectations and a short discussion of the Outline. We reminded everybody of the paper's title and that the outline is due Tuesday.




1ST TOPIC COVERED:

Renee started off material in the class with a review of the Computer Discovery Terms 7 – 12. After asking the class, we decided it would make sense to assign analogies to each of the terms. Once we did that, we had the entire class engaged in understanding the terms. They all remembered the clever analogies used for the first few terms and were comfortable with the format.

Video card = eyes
Sound card = ears
CD/DVD Drive = sketchbook/flipbook
Power supply = heart
Monitor = TV (difference: resolution (dots on the screen))
Modem = telephone

2ND TOPIC COVERED:

Micah continued with the rest of Module 1. We did a quick check for understanding of the material presented Tuesday; students were comfortable with that material. To review the 2nd half of the material, we used the board to draw examples. The students really seemed to like learning and expressing the functions of the various parts of the diagram in unison.

Micah drew a Desktop with a start button, taskbar, and My Computer/Mavis Beacon icons. He pointed to each item and asked the class to name each one. Then he drew a window of My Computer, and asked students to name each part of that screen (IE, titlebar, minimize button, maximize/restore button, close button). He made a picture of what the screen would look like after each button was pushed. At the end the class was able to reliably say the name of the function together of each component on the screen. (IE, point to minimize button ( _ ) and everybodfy would say “minimize – put it to the taskbar”).

ADDITIONAL TOPICS:

We covered the basics of how resolution works to help students understand the differences between TV's and computer monitors.

LAB TIME:

We split the students into the groups and group A went on the computers first, and group B worked on their outlines, then they switched at the halfway point. Renee spent time with the students on the computers while Micah did the outlines.

On the computers, students demonstrated their understanding of what the buttons did (minimize, maximize, restore) by using each function under Renee's supervision. Students also practiced deleting and emptying the trash can. Advanced students went on to Mavis-Beacon.

The other group continued with working on the outlines. Many students had already completed an outline; some hadn't started. We reinforced with each student that the outlines would be due Tuesday. One student, (Ibra, I believe) needed more individual help with his outline. I told him to work on what we went over in class and that somebody would help him individually on Tuesday. He did have the outline started and made some progress during class.

FINAL NOTES:

Micah is working on contacting Cri-Help to request a work order to get the Internet fixed. Micah also requested a clock be installed in the room so we can keep track of time without pulling out our cell phones during class.

Group B started on the computers this time and I feel that both groups got roughly equal time. We had to start late by about 5 minutes for the 2nd half of the class because many students had not returned. We were very specific in notifying students during Lab that tardiness returning from break would not be tolerated in the future.

The group seems to be dedicated and interested in the material. Matt is definitely the most computer-literate in the group, but his typing skills are nonexistent; we believe that during lab time he should usually be allowed to go straight into Mavis Beacon to get the most from Lab time.

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru, 7-13-2010

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Nine students were present at the start of the class. Peter introduced himself to the class, and explained his background. Midway through the class, Wayne informed us that he would only be enrolled in the class for the next two weeks, as he is leaving UH afterwards. The students also said that Michael Alcantera has dropped the course. The main issue encountered was that the computers are not completely setup and need some additional work. None of the computers have Mavis Beacon or Microsoft Office installed. Three computers do not boot up, and one (first row, far right) does not have Windows XP installed. There are seven usable computers total, for the nine students.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Jeff started by reviewing some of the topics in module one, including cutting/pasting and minimizing/maximizing. He then explained that outlines are due in a week, and went over the concepts and purposes of an outline. He reviewed the sample structure of the outline in the workbook, and gave some examples of how it could be filled in. The students seemed to comprehend this topic, and many began working on their outlines during the lab.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Peter quickly reviewed the first six computer discovery terms. He then explained terms 7-12, providing analogies for each computer part. Example: Video card is like artist painting a picture, in that it is responsible for the display of all colors/graphics. The students seemed to understand the functions of the parts, and had good follow-up questions about each part.

BREAK
Break went as planned, for 10 minutes. All students arrived back from break on time.

LAB TIME:
Since Mavis Beacon was not accessible, the students worked on typing their outlines using Wordpad, or wrote them on paper. Jeff and Peter went around the room and assisted the students with creating their outlines, and with several Wordpad formatting issues. A few of the students completed their outlines, and started typing their papers. The features of Wordpad are basic, and did not offer many of the features that the students normally have (double-spacing, centering, etc).

FINAL NOTES:
No disciplinary issues were encountered. Other than the issues with the lab, it was a successful class.

CDD Class Report Walden 7-10-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, Tuesday, 7/10/10

Opening Comments:
Steve one of the staff members at Walden explained that there was such a low turn out for the class because it had not been announced the previous week that the class was starting on Tuesday. Since, we had so few people Steve asked if we would be able to allowed to add anyone else. Delaram spoke to Kathleen and another student Greg Moobley was added to the class.

Attendance:
Because, of the confusion on Tuesday an announcement was made over the WH speaker today to notify the students the class was starting in the computer lab. Two of the students listed on the roster Calvin Booker and Victor Lopez came in and said they did not sign up for the class. Another student Ray Davenport came in to say he was dropping the class. Jose Padilla was not aware that class had started last week he came in but had to leave at 12. He was marked absent. Greg Moobley requested to add the class during the break. He only attended the lab time and was marked absent as well. We had a total of 10 students in attendance.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
The instructors (Maria & Delaram) introduced themselves to the class, and explained their backgrounds and why they were volunteering to teach the course.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Maria reminded the students about the paper and that they should beging thinking about their topic. She went on to review the First 6 Computer terms using one of the old computers to point out the parts to them again. The students seemed to understand all the terms and found the analogies Micah had provided last week very helpful. Some of the students who had very little experience with computers were much more confident after learning some of the terminology.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Delaram covered the 1st 13 pages of Module 1. She had them read from the workbooks and explained some of the basic concepts in using Windows. She explained about the desktop and taskbar. She also, explained multitasking and how to maximize, minimize and close a window. They seemed to understand the explanations well.

LAB TIME:

All of the computers booted up with no issues. The students turned on the computers they all worked on their typing skills with Mavis Beacon. There were not enough computers for each student in the lab and a few the students that were more experienced with computers paired up with other less experienced ones which was very helpful. Delaram and Maria walked around to make sure that all students had any questions or were having trouble using the computer

FINAL NOTES: No disciplinary issues were encountered There is still one computer that is not working. It has a sign that says no power supply

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 7-10-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help/July 10, 2010



Opening Comments:

Marlaina and I met up at 10:15am and we set up the class. Unfortunately, neither one of brought the lesson plan, and the internet wasn’t up and running, so we were not able to follow the lesson plan exactly as we should have.

Despite the minor setback at the beginning, we were able to run the class fairly smoothly and over all it went very well. The students were very kind and appreciative and really want to learn.

Attendance:
Juliette Hayes did not show up again and a student mentioned she thought Juliette may have dropped the program all together. Adolpho Ortega did not return from break.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
I did an intro and Marlaina did an intro and we went around the room and had the students introduce themselves one at a time.


1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Explain who covered this topic and any issues with the students on the topic.

We reviewed the computer discovery terms. Marlaina then went over Module 1 and demonstrated the techniques from the workbook by using a computer, the students seemed to enjoy that.

Unfortunately, since we didn’t have a lesson plan on hand, we didn’t know how far along we were supposed to go in Module 1. Instead of going through to page 13, we ended up stopping at page 8.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:

I went over the rules and regulations again with the students and inquired about how the essays were coming along. Most indicated they were coming along a few stated they hadn’t yet started theirs but have been thinking about it. The students asked about the possibility of seeing examples of essays and we said that we would see what could be done about that.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS:

Students asked about the mentoring program and about jobs and internships. One asked about volunteering for CDD when class is over. We told them that we would make sure that information would be available to them soon; hopefully at the next class on Tuesday.

LAB TIME:

We split the students into the groups and group A went on the computers first. The students opened and closed programs, I taught them about multi-tasking, how to switch between windows, they seemed to be relieved that it was such an easy concept. They all picked it up very well. They opened Mavis Beacon back up and continued where they left off. I noticed some have very good typing skills already, while others had a harder time grasping the concept of typing, i.e. hitting the keys too hard, holding the keys down too long etc…

While I focused on the students on the computers, during that time Marlaina primarily focused on the students that weren’t on a computer. She went around the room and spoke to each student about their plan for success. She also pointed out that they will be responsible for making an outline for their paper and that it will be due in a couple of weeks. Some of the students started working on their outlines right away while others started the brainstorming process.

FINAL NOTES:

Other than the fact that we didn’t finish Module I on the right page, there were not any major issues. The students really enjoyed the lab time the most.

Just a couple of things to keep in mind:

Kevin and Jessie tend to ask a lot of off topic questions.

Adolpho Ortega did not return from break and left a folder of personal paperwork in the class. I turned it into the front desk.

The computer closest to the front of the class against the wall on the entry side of the lab was acting up when Mavis Beacon was opened, but worked well using any other program.

CDD Class Report Uhuru 7-6-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House Uhuru/7-6-2010


Opening Comments:
No unusual or concerning incidents happened. The students seemed to be engaged and respectful.

Attendance:
We had 9 students attend class this evening. Kim was told by one of the counselors that there might be as many as 13 students, but this was all that were in class today. All of the students were timely, both at the beginning and after the break.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Jeff did the overview of the class, and since the class size was small we had time to do short intros from all the students as well. Both Jeff and Kim provided brief introductions and backgrounds of themselves.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Jeff covered Rules and Expectations and Paper/Presentation and making an outline.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Kim covered Computer Discovery and using the mouse.

LAB TIME:
We used this time to cover more questions the students had about our background, and also address more in depth what we expect to cover in class and more specific questions about computers.

FINAL NOTES:
In gauging the computer experience with the students, it seems that a lot of them have had at least a little computer experience, with some actually owning newer computers but not necessarily knowing how to use them well.

CDD Class Report Walden House 7-6-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, Tuesday, 7/6/10

Opening Comments:
The students were excited to start learning, and were enthusiastic about the material.

Attendance:
Because it was the first class, an announcement was made over the WH speaker system to notify of the class being held in the computer lab. We had a classroom of 7 students to start the first session from the student roster of 16. Attendance was taken and the notebooks handed out.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
The instructors (Soni and Micah) introduced themselves to the class, and explained their backgrounds and why they were volunteering to teach the course.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Soni explained the purpose of the class, gave an overview of the format of the course, and explained the student paper and presentation. Students reviewed the eight rules that the class must follow and the basic expectations regarding class attendance and punctuality.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Soni explained some of the differences between computer hardware and software. Micah covered the first six discovery terms (case, motherboard, processor, memory, hard drive, and cables). The students followed along with a computer used to demonstrate in the front of the class. The case was opened and each part was displayed and defined. Micah was able to give some useful additional analogies for each part.

LAB TIME:
Soni gave an explanation of how to use the mouse and keyboard. We covered the difference between left-clicking and right-clicking, how to double-click, etc. All of the computers booted up with no issues. The students turned on the computers and opened Mavis Beacon. There were enough computers for each student in the lab. A few of the students had issues getting to the first lesson (couldn’t double-click the program icon, or had problems getting through the new user wizard) but were given addition help to get to the practice section. Micah and Soni walked around the room to make sure that all students had the correct position on the keyboard. Most students were diligent about sticking to the home row position when typing.

FINAL NOTES:
No disciplinary issues were encountered. Student, Arthur Huff, has a hearing aid, so things did need repeated a few times. However, his interruptions to the lecture got a little distracting to the other students, so recommend repeating to hold questions until the end of each section. Also, to note, one student is in a wheelchair for room set up. An additional student, Aaron Robinson, was “supposed to be on my roster” and will be speaking to WH staff to ensure that he is enrolled in the class. Lastly, after class, Soni and Micah stayed for a half hour organizing the stations, there are now four and four on each side of the room (rather that 3 and 5). Also, there is one computer station not working, which is indicated by the power source sitting atop the case.

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 7-6-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help/7-6-10


Opening Comments:
Please offer notes here about unusual or concerning incidents that took place in our class. Take extra space as needed for all sections.

I thought the first class went very well. The students seemed genuinely excited to be there.

Attendance:
Point out any issues with attendance or new/dropped students.

No issues this week.


INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Speicify who did the overview and any new Intros for either Instructors or Students

Ryan and I shared the introductions of ourselves then gave the students a chance to do their own intros. He did most of the initial class overview.



1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Explain who covered this topic and any issues with the students on the topic.

We discussed the class essays (mostly covered by Ryan). Students asked a lot of questions and seemed a little nervous about the idea of writing an essay, but seemed to like the idea of learning to express themselves better.




2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Explain who covered this topic and any issues with the students on the topic.

Ryan and I shared going over initial vocabulary terms. Some students had some trouble with the technical aspects of the computer components, while others were familiar with basic concepts and were asking advanced questions.


ADDITIONAL TOPICS:




LAB TIME:
What was covered in lab time the general status of the students’ capabilities.

In lab time students practiced opening and closing windows and started working on Mavis Beacon. The ones I observed had very beginner level typing skills, and some asked if they were allowed to practice typing between classes.

Non-computer students seemed to be having a little trouble getting started brainstorming about their papers. Some were still stressed about the vocabulary words and were talking about that more.

FINAL NOTES:
Offer any additional issues you would like to point out to the next team.

No major issues, the group seemed great and eager to learn!

CDD Graduation Ceremony 6-1-10

Graduation Event Wrap Up




Session Beginning Date: April 27th 2010

Graduation Date: June 1st 2010

Location: Santa Monica Recreation Center

Time: 7:00pm

Emcee: Wendell Bennett

Guest Speaker: Kathy Porter

Keynote Speaker: David Schumm

Names of Instructors:

Cri-Help- Smriti Raghunathan, Ryan Bailon, Wendell Bennett, Robert Sandoval

Walden House- Peter Downey, Soni Nagatani, Derin Oyekan, Agreja Sharman

House of Uhuru- Chris Liu, Micah Roth, Jeffery Charlot, Victor Acevedo








We quietly took our seats in among an audience of a hundred or more. It was the first of the month, a warm June month and by the looks of the audience, they were enjoying the weather outside. Another quick six weeks had gone by, and we had, seating in the front rows a new graduating class with stories to tell.

As the audience began to arrive the evening’s Emcee, 1st time Instructor Wendell Bennett, announced that the event would soon be starting and asked that everyone please find a seat. Wendell then commenced the ceremony with an introduction by congratulating all of the Graduates. He then offered some thoughts on what he enjoyed about teaching and the importance of the graduates continuing on with their success.

He then introduced the first speaker, longtime supporter and CDD Board Member, Katy Porter. Katy shared her passion for CDD with the audience and how inspired she is with their hard work toward a brighter future. Ms. Porter then offered some background about the night’s Keynote Speaker. Katy explained that David Schumm was a good friend and colleague. That she and David both were established members of Toastmasters and that David was also a supporter of CDD. Katy then introduced David Schumm to the audience.

Mr. Schumm’s began by congratulating the Graduates. David then began sharing important words of advice. He started first by referring to Maximus Decimus Meredius, the fictional Roman General from the movie, “Gladiator”. He quoted the General’s famous statement; “What we do in Life echoes in eternity”. The point being of the importance of making careful choices at this time in the their lives. The Speaker discussed the non-fictional historical figure of Abraham Lincoln.

David displayed the words of the Gettysburg Address on a screen in front of the audience so that everyone could read along as David discussed the speech as a way to motivate the Graduating class.

Mr. Schumm’s speech was well received by the audience. After a round of applause, the MC introduced our first Student Speaker, Arsen Altounian from Cri-Help. Arsen’s story was dramatic and a great example on how positive change can take place when one dedicates him or herself to improving the future. After listening to details of Mr. Altounian’s prison life and how he overcame ‘Lifer’ Status, we learned of his plans to start a company, of his family and eventually how he plans to give back to the community. We were all moved by his story. The following two speakers, Lariza Lara from House of Uhuru and Rodney Jackson, had similar stories reflecting their positive change that included CDD as an important positive step.
The evening wrapped up with all the Graduates being called out by name to receive their Certificates, event photographer, Mark Hanauer snapping photos as the students strode proudly to the stage. The ceremony closed with graduates, their families and CDD Members, enjoying refreshments and the joy of another successful session ending and celebratory ceremony

CDD May 1st Newsletter Article 2010

CDD Computer Training
Our Services Needed Now More than Even
By Kathleen Patton

Every day we hear news of another round of budget cuts. Quoting a CNN Article from March 21st, 2010,”Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is proposing "painful" layoffs and service cuts to close a $485 million budget deficit as the city struggles to cope with an economy beat down by a recession.”

At a time when the need for services and support are increasing, important programs are, being eliminated. Upmost on the mind of our CDD Members is how these cuts effect our students and centers. I have to report that, unfortunately, each center is being hit hard and are feeling the pinch.

One reason they are so dramatically effected is that our partner centers, Cri-Help, Soccorro, Walden House and the House of Uhuru are not the “Betty Ford” Centers in our city. They do not have big names behind them or multi-million dollar budgets. Yet our centers support the most at-risk population of our community. These are adults with few resources or opportunities available. The Centers take these adults in crisis and when possible charge a reasonable fee. Too often though the client is unable to pay any of the fees having been without a job due to a long incarceration or years of battling their addiction. But when a person is reaching out for help is the time support should be available. Our Center partners, in the past, have been there to catch them before they fall permanently through the cracks. They have been able to do this due to the foreword thinking and progressive policy in California, which provides funds to people in crisis, who are unable to pay.

The state of California has been a model state in understanding the importance of timing to someone seeking to go into recovery. The state have put in place a varitable network of Recovery Centers and Halfway Houses over the past forty years. These crisis centers have aided thousands of people put the pieces back together and go on to live valuable lives. No doubt the state would look very different had these programs not been available. The result would be more people in prison; a greater number of Californian’s livingon the streets or worse.

CDD is also on an important turning point. Over the past several months, funds have been dramatcially reduced to our Centers, with more cuts very possibly planned. Each of our Centers are reporting having fewer clients enrolling due to an inability to pay for treatment. The Centers are being forced to lay off staff and reduce the important programs so badly needed by their clients. This has also resulted in fewer students enrolling in and benefitting from taking the CDD Computer Class.

Compounding the situation is a new law recently passed which will dramatically cut the prison population. An article from the Los Angeles Times on January 26th, 2010, quotes “State prison authorities Monday began reducing the number of parole violators sent back behind bars and offering inmates more opportunity to shorten their sentences, as part of a plan to decrease the prison population by 6,500 inmates over the next year.” (Patrick McGreevy) As of March of this year several thousand prisoners have been released early back into society. While CDD wholeheartedly supports early release programs, we do so when coupled with job training, mentoring and recovery programs (where needed) in order to assure these adults a successful transition. Without these program it could well be a recipe for failure.

CDD is working hard to find ways to take up the slack. We are fervently seeking grants from a number of donors as well as backing from our local representative. We need to expand our services at this crucial time. It is non-profit organizations and private groups who are expected to fill in the wholes created by the cuts to these social programs. But without funding we too cannot succeed. CDD has already a long list of centers waiting for our services. Our model of offering training while people are in recovery has proven to be highly successful. We are able to both propell our students upward at a crucial time in their recovery process and keep costs low by utilizing already exsisting recovery centers. CDD has built an amazing group of passionate volunteers who have become experts in transitioning students back into society. Being 100% volunteer based, CDD by far is the most cost effective, as well as experienced in transitioining struggling adults back into society But we cannot grow without additional funds.

How you can help CDD- You can help by donating your time, computers and money today, at www.cddnp.org. Hold a Computer Drive in your office or neighborhood. We can help you plan and impliment this project. Host a Fundraiser. We have many ideas of hosting a fun and successful event. Please write to us anytime with your suggestions and feedback at info@cddnp.org. Thank you for your ongoing support for our students and the CDD Program.

CDD Course Report Walden 6-1-10

Instructor End of Course Report


Center Name: Walden House

Beginning Date: April 27, 2010

Graduation Date: June 1, 2010

Names of the four Instructors: Soni Nagatani, Agraja Sharma, Derin Oyekan, Peter Downey

The Walden House course consisted of two class sessions per week, for six weeks, with 15 students enrolled for the start of the course. Course topics included hardware components, including the monitor, processor, mouse, keyboard, learning how to type, using the Internet and the basic components of Windows. In order to graduate, the students were required to write a 500-word essay, and present their essay in front of the class. This was the first class being taught at the new Walden House facility.

With a few exceptions, the students had very little experience using computers at the start of the course. Some expressed feelings of intimidation from never having used a mouse and keyboard. Despite this, the students expressed much enthusiasm and a desire to gain the knowledge necessary to become proficient with computers. During the first couple classes, the “intimidation factor” started to disappear as the students learned the basic parts of a computer, and learned how to type properly using the instructional typing software. As the course progressed, the students opened up more and started asking questions which demonstrated how they were catching on to the material. For example, Rodney asked how he could copy pictures from a digital camera onto a hard drive. The students eventually took a quiz on the computer hardware terms, and all but two passed with scores over 85%.

Another very positive aspect of the course was the written essay requirement. The announcement that students were required to write a 500-word essay was not well received at first, but once the students created their outlines, the ideas and words started to flow. Because the students had to write most of their essays outside of the classroom, completing their papers really showed their dedication and devotion to graduating. Nearly all of the students had their entire essays written before the final class. When the time came for students to present their papers in front of the class, it was very inspiring to hear about their goals and aspirations. James talked about how essential it is to learn technical skills as part of any career, and how he plans to use computers in his job search. Eric discussed his former fear of technology, and how he now has an email address and is creating his own resume. It was assuring as an instructor to hear how computer skills will help the students with their future lives.

Unfortunately, only half of the original class went on to graduate, with the other half of the students dropping the course for various reasons. However, the students that did graduate really appeared to have a sense of accomplishment by the end of the course, for having achieved so much over such a short period of time. Teaching this course was an enjoyable experience, and the students seemed very grateful at graduation for having the opportunity to take a course with CDD.

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 5-29-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help/05/29/2010


Opening Comments:
Rob reminded everyone that graduation is this Tuesday coming up and that you must dress nice and presentable. We made copies of both the picture of the center and the directions to the facility and handed them out.


Attendance:
Everyone was there and accounted for. We passed the attendance sheet around as well as the sheet for them to write their names for their certificates. Also on that sheet they had to put down Y/N if they completed their paper.


INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Rob went over the Email vocabulary. He wrote them on the white board and gave the students the chance to tell us the definition. Every single student participated, there were questions asked and there were even students helping other students out.



1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Here we listen too 4 people present their papers. This went very well. It was touching and everyone was really listening and paying attention to the speaker.


LAB TIME:
Lab Time was used for students that wanted too type their paper and also I made sure that everyone wrote their blog. Some students had questions about emailing and I showed them my email address and how to compose a letter and carbon copy etc.



ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

ONE OF THE STUDENTS (BELINDA) ACTUALLY NEEDED A PUSH TO COMPLETE HER PAPER. HER EXCUSE WAS THAT SHE HAS A JOB AND COULDN’T WRITE IT. AT THAT TIME I TOLD HER THAT “ YOU KNOW IF THERRE IS NO PAPER YOU DON’T GRADUATE” , SHE THEN REALIZED THAT SHE PUT SO MUCH HARD WORK TO GET where SHE IS IT WILL BE A PITTY NOT TO GRADUATE. SHE ENDED UP FINISHINH HER PAPER IN CLASS AND PRESENTING IT.

CDD Class Report Walden 5-25-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Walden House, 5-25-2010

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
We had 7 students in attendance, and all 7 students stayed for the entire class. Shannon was marked absent. Peter handed out binders and started off the class. All students had completed at least 50% of their papers and the majority appeared to have over 500 words (in writing). Peter explained that today’s class would focus on completing papers.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Five of the students volunteered to make their presentations, including Eugene, Eric, Rodney, James and Eric. All of the students gave complete presentations except for Eugene, who had only half of his paper completed. Eugene was asked if he could present again this Saturday, after he completed his entire paper. All students made a significant effort in their presentations to be aware of the best practices that Soni had explained in the previous class (keeping eye contact, speaking loudly and clearly, etc). Some students, especially Rodney, provided feedback after each presentation. The instructors decided that Rodney had the best speech so far, as it was delivered well and was the most complete in terms of content.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
The students were directed to the computers and instructed to work on finishing their papers. All students began typing what they already had completed in writing. Soni and Peter explained several new functions of Word individually to the students, including page breaks, centering text, spell checking, word count, and spacing. Lamar had already worked on his paper in previous classes, and finished typing it before the break.

BREAK
Break went as planned, for 10 minutes. All students arrived back from break on time.

LAB TIME:
The students continued to work on their papers. Anthony was having issues typing his paper, so Soni stepped in and typed the first 250 words. At the end of the class, all students had over half of their papers typed.

FINAL NOTES:
Lamar had completed his paper early, and was asked to practice using the Internet. He was caught several times visiting questionable sites containing pictures of women, and was asked to stop each time. Please take note of this for the next session.

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 5-18-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help / 05.18.10

Opening Comments:
Class began on time. Robert gave an outline of what would be covered in the class. The students were reminded that there will be no class on Saturday and that the papers and presentations are due next Tuesday. Attendance was taken and the workbooks were handed out.

Attendance:
Everyone was present.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Robert reviewed the computer discovery terms and went over presentations emphasizing public speaking (eye contact, clear voice, etc.). Some students presented their papers as an example.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Smriti reviewed the first half of module 2 and covered the rest of the module.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS COVERED
After break, students were given the quiz. After that Smriti reviewed and covered the rest of Microsoft Word.

LAB TIME:
Because of the extra material that needed to be covered (due to the fact that there will be no class on Saturday), lab time was cut short. We had a total of twenty minutes for lab. Students who had completed writing their papers were asked to go to the computer so that they could start typing their papers. The rest of the students were asked to work on their papers.

FINAL NOTES:
Most of the students seem close to completing their papers. We are not sure if they will all be able to get them typed since not having a class on Saturday makes a big difference. The students are interested in learning and seem to enjoy the class.

CDD Class Report Uhuru 5-15-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru, Tuesday, 5/15/2010

Opening Comments:
Class started at 11 am. We had a classroom of 7 students. Thus students expressed excitement over their coming presentation and had a volley of questions regarding it, and the essay.

Attendance:
We had 7 students in attendance, the 2 missing students were out on family leave, or had various other approved activities by the facility.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
The class started by reviewing the coming schedule, reviewing the discovery terms, informing students about their presentations, and looking over and assisting with essay introductions. In addition to reviewing the maximize, minimize, and close features, we reviewed the beginning of the module and covered the material with some difficulty due to the incogruencies between the text and the Operating System.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
The first thing we did was review the basic concepts, clarified the discovery terms, and then informed the students about their presentations. We also took this time to tell the students that there would not be a class for the 22nd of May, and that they were still expected to be up to date with their assignments.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Participation from the students was fantastic, the students demonstrated with ease a basic understanding of the discovery terms. We then quickly went over individual questions and concerns to help clarify what the expectations of the students were.

LAB TIME:
Lab time was spent clarifying the module and opening up and working with Microsoft word. Introducing the purpose of creating a header and a footer, in addition to changing fonts, and font sizes. In combining tasks from the module we introduced cut, copy and paste, and reviewed the minimize, maximize, and close functions. Jeffery was great in using a scrapbook analogy to help students relate the cut copy and paste commands to real life.

FINAL NOTES:The students are on a great course to completing the course, and have demonstrated a incredible understanding of the concepts and operations

CDD Class Report Uhuru 5-8-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
House of Uhuru, Tuesday, 5/8/2010

Opening Comments:
We had a classroom of 12 students in this session. When I asked the students about their missing peers, we were informed that some students had dropped the course in the prior session.

Attendance:
Of the 12 attendees, They managed to show up on time and full of interest to continue the course. Jeffery took attendance, and I handed out the notebooks accordingly.

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:
Both Jeffery and I reintroduced ourselves to the class, and briefly went over our weekly routines and defined our choice in volunteering to be instructors. After which we promptly began the course and went into reviewing the discovery terms, and then helping students with their outlines, describing to the class what was expected of them in their outlines and the basic format to which it should resemble.

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
Explain who covered this topic and any issues with the students on the topic.
Jeffery went over the last six discovery terms, encouraging the class to define the terms with him as he went along. Victor engaged student questions, and utilized the whiteboard as Jeffery went on to define each component.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
I then went over the outline and described to the students what was expected of them from the outline and how it would help define their essays, and their futures. I made a point to emphasis that it was not to be a biography but rather a roadmap to their future; how computers and technology specifically from this course would help to encourage their success. I utilized the whiteboard to go across specific career endeavors that the students were interested in and did some classroom brainstorming. ( e.g. Cosmetologist, Receptionist, Truck Driver, and Social Worker) Jeffery used this time to visit each student and ensure that they were understanding the material, and could comprehend what they were being asked to do.

LAB TIME:
Most of the students utilized the lab time to open Mavis Beacon and practice both typing and navigation skills of the computer. When Jeffery reminded them that there would be a test on the 18th for the Discovery terms, and that the outlines were due the next class session. Many of the students began to work on those assignments. At which point many requested one on one clarification of the discovery terms trying to ensure that they had a proper understanding.


FINAL NOTES:
The remaining students are still very eager and are driven to complete the course to the best of their abilities. With guidance and support I have no doubt that the students will achieve their goals and many have expressed a desire to continue to utilize computers in a higher capacity

CDD Class Report Cri-Help 5-4-10

WEEKLY CLASS REPORT
Cri-Help / May 4, 2010

1ST TOPIC COVERED:
I covered the 1st topic for the lesson. I spent about 5 minutes reviewing Module 1 with the students, and I asked them to follow along in their manuals. Then, I went over the outline. I was surprised to hear from several of the students that they already started the outlines in the previous lesson, and one or two of them wanted to turn something in. I told the students to hold on to their outlines because they were due next week (not today), and we would be working on them during the lab sessions. I went over the “Making an Outline Lesson” in the manual, emphasizing the “Say it 3 times” rule, and explaining each section (opening statement, body, closing statement). I also created a handout with a simple outline example, which I gave each student to keep and use as a reference/guide.

2ND TOPIC COVERED:
Dwight covered the Computer Discovery Terms. He quickly reviewed the 1st 6 terms from the previous lesson, and then went on to lecture the next 6 terms. He brought in examples of each of the new 6 terms to show the class. By using an already open computer, he showed the class where they were located on the computer. Some students had questions about the computer parts, and so Dwight explained each term in more detail.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS:
None.

LAB TIME:
During the lab, group A was first to use the computers, and group B was the 2nd group. Dwight worked with the students who were on the computers, and I focused on working with the students to develop their outlines.

Dwight worked with each student on the computer. He showed them how to minimize/maximize and how to work with multiple windows open on the screen. Some students who already had Mavis-Beacon accounts started the typing lessons after the minimize/maximize exercises. The computer lesson went smoothly and each student seemed to be getting used to the computer. One student that didn’t know about dragging and dropping was excited that he could do it now, and he was even more excited to be able to minimize/maximize.

For the students working on the outlines, I had them get into their teams and discuss amongst themselves their outline topics. I went from group to group to talk about the outlines in detail, and I spoke with each student one-on-one to make sure they understood how to do an outline. As it turns out, several students didn’t know how to make an outline and didn’t understand the concept, so working with each student was very important. I gave an analogy of a skeleton to try to help them understand what an outline was. It helped for most, but there were 1 or 2 who still seemed confused. They wanted to write paragraphs and long sentences, so I had to keep telling them that they just needed to list their ideas in the outline. I also kept reemphasizing that this was their plan for the future and to try not to talk about the past, and also to incorporate the computer skills they were learning into the paper

FINAL NOTES:

Overall, I thought the lesson was successful. The students continue to show excitement and eagerness to learn, and working on the outlines opened up a lot of the students. They started to reveal a lot about themselves, and I felt touched that they were sharing this information so freely.

CDD Graduation Ceremony 3-23-10

Graduation Event Wrap Up

Session Beginning Date: February 16, 2010

Graduation Date: March 23, 2010

Location: Santa Monica Recreational Center
1450 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Time: 7pm

Emcee: Loryn Napala

Guest Speakers: Caroline Corser

Names of Instructors:

Cri-Help- Smriti , Tyson , Kenneth , Robert

Houe of Uhuru-Chris, Juan, Loryn, Mark

Walden House-Gritt, Soni, Ethan


The first teaching session of 2010 culminated on March 23, 2010 as Crossing the Digital Divide celebrated with a Graduation Ceremony held at the Santa Monica Recreational Center. There were nearly a hundred guests in attendance to honor the 28 graduates from the three computer centers:Cri-Help, House of Uhuru and Walden House.

Beginning just after 7pm, the emcee, Loryn Napala, welcomed guests and congratulated students for their dedication and hard work. To inspire the students, keynote speaker Caroline Corser, contributing author to the book, “Happiness is a Decision of the Heart” was introduced. Enlivening the crowd with her witty accounts of her computer interactions, she had the crowd amused with her important message of finding laughter in timesof perplexity.

Richard Rojas, graduating student from Cri-Help, then started the ‘Student Stories’ section of the ceremony. Elaborating upon his Plan for Success, he spoke of the skills gained from being diligent in computer class and spoke of his hopes to better the future for himself and for his family. Christopher McCowen, graduation representative for the House of Uhuru then spoke, telling of his goal to become a linguist, taking the opportunity to show his gratitude to CDD in a colorful array of languages. Lastly, Kenneth Slocum of Walden House, spoke of his appreciation for the computer class and his plans to use the skills learned for his Custom Bike Business.

Graduation certificates were then presented to the proud students, touching the crowd with their enthusiasm and success. The ceremony concluded with closing remarks, wrapping a beautiful Session One highlight for both the teacher volunteers and for CDD.

CDD Course Report Uhuru 4-23-10

Instructor End of Course Report


Center Name: House of Uhuru

Beginning Date: 2/16/2010

Graduation Date: 3/23/2010

Names of the four Instructors: Loryn, Mark, Juan, Chris

The session started out with 15 students with many students having had experience using computers and a few being newbies on the computer. The session started off with instructors Juan and Chris teaching the Computer Discovery terms to some very enthusiastic students. The students were happy to learn the difference between a video card and a sound card, as well as seeing a motherboard for the first time. Loryn and Mark made an effective team introducing the students to computing concepts. Throughout the course, students were able to learn the basics – minimizing, resizing, and maximizing Windows; the desktop; cutting and pasting, copying and dragging; MS Word; and the class favorite - the Internet. As graduation drew near, students were ready to jump onto the Internet to search for various items to help their journey to recovery – apartments, jobs, schools, as well as social networking tools to keep in touch.
David was inspired to seriously start pursuing his dream of going into real estate. Jeffrey, who did not know much about computers at the start of course, was happy to be able to type up his paper by the end of the course.

Christopher always loved learning about different languages and cultures. With the help of the instructors, Christopher was able to see how the Internet could help him research what it takes to become a linguistic specialist. In his paper, he discusses with enthusiasm how he intends to pursue his hobby of learning languages and parlay it into a career in linguistics – Christopher passionately read his paper at the graduation.

Lisa, a quiet student who was intimidated by the computer, has never finished anything of significance in her life – drugs always got in the way. This class was the first time she has actually taken something to completion. Her sense of accomplishment will be her first step to completing other endeavors in her life.

Using the Internet, Simone was astonished to be able to check the weather of her hometown in Germany. She has not been back to her hometown in over 20 years but she was able to feel just a little bit closer. She said that she intends to use something she learned about in the course - e-mail - to communicate with hometown friends.
Sharanda was able to improve her typing skills from 17 wpm to 21 wpm during the course of the class. Other students did similarly well, building on their existing knowledge of computers. Reggie learned how to change his mouse settings to accommodate his being left-handed. Juana, Dennis, Orlando, and Oscar were excited to tile their windows so that they can see more than one window at a time.

Most students also improved their typing skills, utilizing the class to practice on the Mavis Beacon typing software. Many students were also thrilled to learn the basics of MS Word.

All in all 10 students graduated, each with new skills developed in the class. Even though we started out with one of the largest groups, three students left the facility and other students could not complete the class for personal reasons. But that did not diminish the work that the students accomplished. We were very proud of the students who week after week strived to gain some computing skills. Both the staff at House of Uhuru and the CDD instructors (Loryn, Mark, Juan, and Chris) gave them huge congratulations for graduating.

CDD Course Report Cri-Help 3-23-10

Instructor End of Course Report


Center Name: CRI-HELP

Beginning Date: February 16, 2010

Graduation Date: March 23, 2010

Names of the four Instructors: Smriti, Tyson, Robert, Kenny


The course spanned six weeks with classes twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. At the beginning of the course the instructors were given a handout outlining the lesson plan for each of the classes during the six weeks. In addition, after each class the instructors had to email an attendance sheet and a report for that class to the entire team. Since there was a different set of instructors for the Tuesday and Saturday classes the handout and reports were very helpful as they helped keep the entire team on the same page with regard to the progression of the course.

The course involved teaching students the absolute basics in computers, showing them how to access the Internet, and how to type in Microsoft Word. During the course, students had to complete a number of assignments. However, to pass the course they had to complete and present a 500-page paper (preferably typed in Microsoft Word) about their future plans once they have completed their rehabilitation program. Students in the class came from different backgrounds with different levels of experience with computers. While some had never touched a computer in their lives, others had some experience typing reports and memos. Trying to get the entire class on the same level while making sure that everyone found it interesting and gained something from the course was, in my opinion, the biggest challenge the instructors faced.

Another challenge that the instructors faced was getting the students to be obedient and respectful of the teachers and each other. On some days some of the students would be in a bad mood and on other days the same students would be very polite and obedient. Also, Cri-Help has students from Cri-Help and Socorro, and it was the tendency of the students to stick together based on their rehab center. This problem was overcome by dividing them into two groups with each group containing students from both centers. This forced them to work with each other and get to know students from the other rehab center. In addition, the instructors had to be strict with them and had to reinforce the idea that if class rules were not followed and they were not obedient, they shall not be allowed to graduate.