ANAHEIM,
CA -- October 21, 2003 -- KEMPSTER
GROUP and LearningTimes announced today the launch of the
Global ICT Literacy Community through the ICT Literacy portal
www.ictliteracy.info, and invite
business, education, and policymakers – all stakeholders
interested in digital literacy and promoting international
ICT literacy standards – to participate and contribute to the
dialogue.
The
launch of the global ICT Literacy Community is a result of discussions
and recommendations held at the ICT Literacy
Summit last January in Washington, D.C. Participants in the Summit
included Bruce Melhman, Assistant U. S. Secretary of Commerce, Kathy
Bushkin, President, AOL Time Warner Foundation, Safra Catz, Executive
Vice President, ORACLE, Kurt Landgraf, CEO, Educational Testing Service
(ETS), Dick Osborne, Vice President, Philips Consumer Electronics,
John Super, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development,
PLATO Learning, Don Knezek, CEO, International Society for Technology
in Education (ISTE), Marjorie Bynum, Vice President, Workforce Development,
Information Tech Association of America (ITAA), Joe Simpson, Deputy
for Leadership Services and Professional Development, Council of
Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), Andrea Taylor, President, The
Benton Foundation, John Bailey, Director, Technology, U.S. Dept of
Education, Dr. Terry Crane, Chair of Partnership for 21st Century
Skills, Janet Whitla, President, Education Development Center, Inc.
(EDC).
Summit participants
strongly recommended moving beyond the limitations of physical
conference
environments by leveraging the capability
of the Internet to continue the international dialogue. The new virtual
ICT
Literacy Community promotes universal ICT literacy by using
the tools of ICT literacy to build awareness and international
support.
Through the collaboration of this global partnership, the portal
now serves as an international resource in closing the gap between
the rhetoric and reality of what is required to efficiently and effectively
take advantage of the tools of information and communication technology
(ICT) literacy in the global economy. “We have moved beyond
merely being able to discuss these issues intermittently during physical
conference environments,“ said Brenda Kempster, President
of KEMPSTER GROUP, “to now being able to facilitate ongoing
dialogue and participation worldwide through the e-communications
capability of the ICT Literacy Community.”
Additionally, during it bi-annual summit in the U.K. last month,
the Global Digital Literacy Council endorsed the ICT Literacy Community,
and agreed to serve in an international advisory role. Delegates
of the Council represent various countries in the Americas, Europe,
Middle East, Africa, Japan and Asia Pacific.
“An internationally
recognized digital literacy standard delivers positive benefits
for a range of groups, from children in education,
to underserved populations, to employees and corporations, workforces
and even nations seeking skills to increase their economic opportunities.
The outcome is a pathway for all citizens to gain a qualification
that opens up not just opportunity, but possibly survival in the
Information Age,” says David Saedi, President & CEO of
Certiport.
The Global Digital Literacy Council represents a global delegation
- including corporate executives, government officials, academicians,
and industry luminaries focused on the identification of issues,
definition of best practices, and research and development of programs
related to Global Digital Literacy.
“The launch of the ICT Literacy Community gives us the capability
to leverage the collective interest and global resources to promote
international best practices, share important research, and deliver
meaningful content equitably in a global environment,” commented
John Walber, CEO of Learning Times, “We are enthusiastic about
building the virtual community with private sector, government sector,
researchers, and worldwide collaborators and participants.”
The web site
http://www.ictliteracy.info allows
multimedia interaction by participants to have webcasts, discussions
with panels of experts
and featured guests, polling, and a continuous expanding archive
of research and resources.
About KEMPSTER GROUP
KEMPSTER GROUP is a consulting firm specializing in building strategic
alliances for clients focused on technology, telecommunications,
education, and international marketing. A number of nationally recognized
authorities in communications technology, education and government
are retained by KEMPSTER GROUP as an ongoing resource to its clients.
The group specializes in strategic alliances, applications development,
media relations, market research, and business planning in the area
of ICT literacy.
About LEARNINGTIMES
LearningTimes
LLC designs and produces online learning conferences, communities,
and events; and provides the platforms, applications and promotional
expertise that make them successful. The LearningTimes Network
connects each member institution with other learning-oriented groups
and provides unique opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
A representative sample of the organization’s clients and
partners include: Columbia University Teachers College, Eduventures,
Elluminate, The New York City Department of Education, The League
for Innovation in the Community College, The Illinois Online Conference,
New Visions for Public Schools, St. John’s University, the
New York Transit Museum, and the Academy of American Poets.
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