Social ‘Dot-coms’ Profit on Learning

Many of my columns focus on “dot-coms,” which has become a euphemism for companies that are trying to make money on the Internet. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s important to remember that the Net is not only about commerce, advertising and getting rich. It’s also about bringing people together to learn, solve social problems and promote communication.

That’s why I’m pleased to be reporting from London where I’m serving as a judge for the Childnet Awards that recognize Web sites and other communication projects that benefit children and foster international cooperation. Individuals, schools, government projects and nonprofits are eligible to enter.

In keeping with full disclosure, the judges in these awards are not compensated, but our travel expenses are covered by Childnet International (https://www.childnet-int.org), a London-based charity that receives financial support for the awards from British cable and wireless companies.

Our task as judges is to select and rank the top three contenders for each category. The final results will be kept secret until the awards ceremony in Barbados in April. All three winners in each category will receive cash awards and a trip to Barbados for the ceremonies.

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One of the sites that impressed me is the Global Village Game from UNICEF Canada (https://www.unicef-kids.org) where children and adult participants play games to work out difficult social issues, such as whether children in developing countries should be allowed to work to support their families. “Politically correct” answers aren’t necessarily the right ones. Children are required to think about the broader social and economic implications of the moves they make. The designers of the site have managed to create a series of games and puzzles that are not only educational and socially challenging but also a lot of fun.

A nonprofit epilepsy support group from Queensland, Australia, was recognized for its “Little Poss Club” (https://www.eqi.org.au/poss-intro.htm) that helps children with epilepsy and their family cope with the disease. Using games, stories and quizzes, it provides support and educational resources in a compelling format.

Casa Alianza (https://www.casa-alianza.org) was another winner in the nonprofit category. There is nothing cute or funny on the site from the Costa Rica-based organization that works for the rehabilitation and defense of street children in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. Anyone who spends time on the site can’t help but weep for homeless children in Latin America who suffer from physical, emotional, sexual and substance abuse and are vulnerable to AIDS, violence and, in some cases, murder. It’s not a pretty picture, but it’s one worth looking at.

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One of the winners in the schools category was Zamfirescu School in Romania, which has created a Web site (https://www.estcomp.ro/~cfg), or a faster mirrored version of the site (https://www.geocities.com/Athens/Styx/6504) where participants from 32 countries have posted descriptions of children’s folk games that can be played in classrooms and homes without any special equipment. The site also has tongue twisters, customs and rhymes from participating countries, including the United States, England, Russia, Mexico, China and Kazakhstan. It’s definitely worth a look if you’re seeking some low-tech ways to entertain your kids while they’re home for the holidays. The project is affiliated with the International Education and Resource Network (https://www.iearn.org), whose Web site lists interesting educational projects from around the world.

Fans of the TV show and movie “Mission: Impossible” will appreciate how a teacher and her students at Sutton Park School in Dublin, Ireland, have adopted the theme to environmental education. Their “Mission: Possible” site (https://www.suttonpark.ie/missionpossible) challenges children to “save Agent E.N.Vironment from the evils threatening him.” To carry out your mission, you need to read articles, play games, and study reports about water and air pollution, solid waste and other environmental issues. You don’t have to be Irish to appreciate that this site is exquisitely designed, brilliantly written, environmentally correct and just plain fun.

High school student Jason Fernandes of Bombay, India, entered his site about Learning Disabled Kids (https://www.ldkids.f2s.com) as a way of helping others better understand dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention deficit disorder and other learning disabilities. Jason created the site after he was diagnosed with learning disabilities despite a very high IQ. The point of his site is to educate parents, teachers and kids about these conditions and provide resources and links from India and other countries. The site contains a message board and chat area, and Jason is soliciting stories from others who wish to share their experiences.

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Joan Fleitas, an assistant professor of nursing at Fairfield University in Connecticut, has developed an incredibly useful and accessible site for kids with chronic illnesses and other medical problems. Divided into sections for kids, teens and adults, the “Bandaides and Blackboards” site (https://funrsc.fairfield.edu/~jfleitas/contents.html) is designed to help people understand what it is like to grow up with medical problems. There are articles about teasing, discussions about whether to tell classmates or teachers about medical problems, “pranks you can play in the hospital,” stories and advice for and from siblings and information for parents, including how to deal with hospitals. Though the subject may not be all that lighthearted, the site is easy to navigate and fun.

And if you’re into bugs, you have friends in Southern Africa. I’m not talking about the Y2K bug but the ones that crawl. The National Museum of Namibia (https://www.natmus.cul.na/) has created an Insect@Thon where students from 15 schools in Namibia received computer and Internet training so that they could help create a computerized database of 70,000 insect inventory reports. Schools were given Internet access, PCs and modems. Using the Internet to share information about insects with the rest of the world is a remarkable achievement for a country where most people don’t even have telephones.

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For a complete listing of all winning projects, point your browser to https://www.childnet-int.org/awards.

Technology reports by Lawrence J. Magid can be heard at 1:48 p.m. weekdays on KNX-AM (1070). He can be reached at larry.magid@latimes.com. His Web site is at https://www.larrysworld.com.