Mindy Enderle's Asset-based Community Development MOU Page
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Partners: Mindy Enderle, Site Coordinator of the VICTORY Tutorial Program - Cepeda, Ruiz, and Southeast Branch Libraries, Austin Public Library, Mary Alice Appleman, Assistance Director, Educational Services, KLRU-TV, Austin PBS
• Goals
Goal #1: Reach underserved or unserved populations through a mutual promotion of each other’s services
Goal #2: Empower parents by giving them the necessary technology and early literacy strategies to fully prepare their children for kindergarten, thus making them more productive members of their communities
Goal #3: Work to eliminate financial information barriers in the form of overdue fines
Goal #4: Employ asset-based community development strategies both during the planning and implementing of new and existing projects resultant from the partnership between the Austin Public Library and KLRU
• Objectives
Objectives for Goal #1:
- Pass out flyers and other promotional materials during each other’s programming
- APL will: 1. download early literacy KLRU apps to share with library patrons 2. bookmark early literacy KLRU games to share with library patrons 3. help advertise and recruit library patrons to participate in Play and Learn program (and any other family literacy KLRU program).
- KLRU will: 1. provide Play and Learn participants with library card applications 2. show early literacy videos and share other resources on the APL Storytime Connection webpage (http://library.austintexas.gov/storytime-connection/home) 3. Hold Play and Learn workshops at a branch of the Austin Public Library when possible 4. Allow children’s librarian to give Play and Learn participants a tour of all library resources and to speak about upcoming programming
Objectives for Goal #2:
- Educate participating parents on how to download books and other information resources provided by APL’s Overdrive database for their children to view on the tablets provided by the Play and Learn Program
- Inform parents of the Tumblebooks database available through APL and speak about the many literacy benefits audiobooks can have for their children
- Educate parents on the concept of “smart screen time”
- Provide storytimes that integrate technology (at the Ruiz Branch Library as a pilot program) and use the Every Child Ready to Read Five practices
Objectives for Goal #3:
- Provide library fine forgiveness (up to $25.00) to those Play and Learn families that attend at least two APL storytimes
- Educate storytime and Play and Learn parents about APL’s Overdrive database and Tumblebook library – stress the fact that books borrowed from these two resources are electronically turned in on time without having to visit the branch and suffer the consequences of overdue or lost book fines
Objectives for Goal #4:
- Both entities will strive to “connect residents that live close together with the same passions and ask them to come together to share their gifts to accomplish something related to their passion (Duncan, n.d., p. 4).” During storytime and the Play and Learn program, parents will be encouraged to share their talents with one another and actively use those talents during the course of the programming. (Example: A parent who is passionate about music will be invited to share their talent while singing songs in storytime and then possibly offer music lessons to older siblings in the group.)
- During meetings, entities will use ABCD tools (listed below) and will revisit them later on in the partnership to discuss.
• ALSC Competencies: Enderle_MOU_Competencies.docx
• Evidence-Based Practice
Research Article #1:
The current generation of children in the United States will not remember a world without technology and more specifically will likely not remember a world without tablet computers. Unlike traditional computers that require a certain level of physical coordination to use the mouse and cognitive development to recognize the symbols on the keyboard, tablet computers have been developed to not require the presence of either of these skills. This has allowed children as young as two years old to productively interact with these devices.
The purpose of the study conducted by Geist (2012) was to observe children ages two to three in a naturalistic setting (their own home) and in a classroom setting interact with Apple iPads while withholding any instruction on how to use the device. The prefigured research questions were:
- “How do toddlers, aged 2-3, interact with touch screen devices and how does that interaction compare to traditional computer usage?
- How autonomous are children using these devices and what degree of adult support is required?
- How does the activity on the computer influence the children’s social interaction with other children and adults?
- Are touch screen devices developmentally appropriate for toddlers aged 2-3? (p. 30).”
Results of the study showed that children interact with tablet computers with ease and in a way that is very different from a regular desktop computer. Because the interface is so intuitive, children were observed to be interacting with the tablet in a way that was very similar to how they would interact with other developmentally appropriate toys. Furthermore, teachers in the classroom only needed to provide minimal instruction in order for the children to begin using the iPad in a productive manner. By the fourth session, almost all children were able to turn the iPad on, unlock the iPad, and navigate to an app of their choice. Finally, teachers in the classrooms where the observations took place reported that the iPads “made projects with the 2 year olds a much richer experience […] promoted independent investigation and group interaction, and kept the topic relevant to the children’s lives and experiences (p. 33).”
KLRU is a leader in technology integration into early childhood programming and has likely already observed similar results in their own programming efforts.
Research Article #2:
As technology continues to advance, its place in early childhood classrooms is becoming more accepted and recognized as commonplace. Educational professionals are no longer asking the question of whether or not to integrate technology into these settings but rather how to best do so. In past research, studies have shown an increase in children’s motivation to learn, capability to problem solve, and ability to illustrate ideas when technology is present. In this particular study, Couse and Chen (2010) strove to investigate the level of ease preschool aged children had in adapting to tablets and its success in engaging them to draw. This research study is especially relevant to technology as it relates to family literacy programs in public libraries as technology is a very new thing in these settings. An inevitable adjustment period would take place upon implementation.
In this mixed-method research study, forty-one children between the ages of 3.1 and 6.3 years were invited to interact with tablets pre-equipped with Microsoft Word paint software. Results of a pre-survey showed that although all of the forty-one children had a computer in the home, only thirty of the participants used them. Additionally, of the forty-one children, only two reported having a tablet in the home and even then, the use of the tablet was reported to be “infrequent.” All forty-one participants participated in data collection that consisted of three phases: an introductory phase where children were encouraged to explore how the tablet worked, a “self-portrait drawing session” where children studied themselves in a mirror and then used the tablet to recreate what they saw, and an interview where they were asked to recall how to use the tablet (p. 85).
During each phase, an independent coder observed videos of the children interacting with the tablet and rated them on one of three levels. Level one, “explore/experiment” was characterized as the child trying to “figure out what the tablet can do, clicking with the stylus pen on different options to see what will happen if…” Children coded as level two or “’Investigate’ tried to “figure out how to use the tablet to create a desired effect.” Finally, children were coded as “create,” the most advanced level (3), if they were able to produce “desired effects even if the drawing was not a realized representation of real life objects that had been described (p.87).” Results showed that despite very little to no tablet computers in the home, 98% of the children were able to reach the most advanced level of tablet use, “create” by the second stage of the experiment. Furthermore, it was observed that children’s overall interest in using the tablet was very high.
The children who would attend an early literacy program offered through the partnership with APL and KLRU would likely come from a variety of backgrounds with varied exposure to technology. This study helps affirm that despite these differences, children can adjust well to the use of these devices and will likely have a high interest in using them, which will help contribute to the overall realization of the project goal of “empowering parents by giving them the necessary technology and early literacy strategies to fully prepare their children for kindergarten, thus making them more productive members of their communities.”
• Measures for Success
Data collection for objectives of Goal #1:
Any or all of the following data collection methods will help determine if the partnership has been successful in working towards its goal of reaching underserved and unserved populations.
- Attendance statistics (public library door count in addition to APL storytimes at Ruiz, and Play to Learn program attendance) will be examined both before the partnership was established and after.
- Administering pre and post survey data will include questions about frequency of participant usage of KLRU and APL resources. Questions may include: how often do you visit the Austin Public Library? How often do you attend storytime at APL? How often do you use educational media in the household?
- KLRU will measure the traffic to its website before and after the partnership was initiated to see if that number of users has increased.
Additionally, at scheduled bi-weekly meetings, representatives from both entities will have the opportunity to pass out any literature or other resources they would like to be circulated and speak about any successes or challenges they have experienced in using one another’s resources.
Data collection for objectives of Goal #2:
Any or all of the following data collection methods will help determine if the partnership has been successful in working towards its goal of empowering parents by giving them the necessary technology and early literacy strategies to fully prepare their children for kindergarten, thus making them more productive members of their communities.
Data collection for objectives of Goal #3:
Any or all of the following data collection methods will help determine if the partnership has been successful in working towards its goal of eliminating financial information barriers in the form of overdue fines.
- A post survey will be given to all parents asking about how often they visited the Tumblebook library and how many books they were successfully able to download from the Overdrive database. They will also be asked how easy this service was to use and if they would recommend it to a friend.
- A total number of forgiven library fines (in dollars) will be calculated.
Data collection for objectives of Goal #4:
Any or all of the following data collection methods will help determine if the partnership has been successful in working towards its goal of employing asset-based community development strategies both during the planning and implementing of new and existing projects made possible by this partnership.
- All parties present at meetings will receive copies of ABCD materials. After the materials have been filled out in detail, the group will be asked to file them in a safe place. These materials will then be revisited in future meetings as project evaluation points.
- A neutral party will be asked to observe the overall cohesiveness of the group during the first session of the Play and Learn program as well as the first seasonal Storytime and then compare it to the last session. The observer will also count how many times participants spoke up to share something with the group.
- During interviews, parents will be asked about their level of comfort in attending the workshop and sharing with the group during the first session and then again during the last session.
• Benefits
Benefits for KLRU:
- gain a valuable partner who can help recruit new program participants and promote the mission of the organization
- gain knowledge and experience on how to better tackle a real world problem (family literacy) from a non-profit that brings new perspective
- increased attendance and technology usage statistics which will help ensure that grant requirements are met and the availability of future funding
- increased traffic to the KLRUkids webpage and increased viewing of educational PBS television shows
- Surrounding non-profit organizations and child care centers will gain respect for KLRU, opening up possibilities for future partnerships.
Benefits for the library:
- Enhanced ability to reach out to and begin to serve underserved or unserved populations
- increased attendance at family literacy programs
- increased circulation and door count numbers
- gain a valuable partner who can aid the library in keeping up-to-date on technological advancements
- gain knowledge and experience on how to better tackle a real world problem (family literacy) from a non-profit that brings new perspective
- Surrounding non-profit organizations and child care centers will gain respect for the library, opening up possibilities for future partnerships.
Benefits for the community:
- Surrounding schools will see increased school readiness levels among entering preschool and kindergarten students
- Parents will feel empowered to become more active participants in their community in order to ensure their children’s educational needs are being met
- An increased awareness of community assets among program participants
- Children will gain valuable social, emotional, and literacy skills that will make them more productive future members of their community
- Parents and children gain access to technology that they may not otherwise have had, connecting them more closely with the resources that surround them
- Parents and children are educated about how to use technology for educational purposes Those who are able to help themselves are better able to help their community
• Responsibilities of the Partners
KLRU Responsibilities:
- Publicize public library programming and resources during Play to Learn program and through all media means possible – will hand out flyers, will show literacy videos available on APL website, etc.
- Provide technology in the form of iPads or other tablets during at least one storytime per month. After the storytime takes place, will educate parents on the importance of “smart screen time.” Will pass out flyers on free apps provided by KLRU and will demonstrate how to download these apps
- Hold Play and Learn workshops at a branch of the Austin Public Library when possible – allow librarian to introduce library resources and offer library tours
- Create a publicity plan that promotes the Play and Learn program - display APL logo and mention that workshops are a partnership made possible by the Austin Public Library and KLRU
- Keep APL up-to-date on new apps and games that are popular with kids through e-mail communication
Library Responsibilities:
- Will come to the first session of all KLRU’s Play to Learn programs offered in 2015 (number uncertain at this time) to educate parents about the library’s overdrive system. – will bring a sample tablet and project onto a screen the necessary steps it takes to access the Overdrive system – will have sample children’s books already downloaded to show parents what the e-books look like. – will talk about the children’s databases Tumblebook library (in Spanish too) and Brainfuse – will stress the fact that e-books are automatically turned back in after the check-out period is over and that no fines will ever accrue. For those participants who do have fines, librarian will share information that these fines (up to $25.00) will be forgiven if he/she attends at least two storytimes and has a form signed by the participating librarian to verify his/her attendance
- Will come to the fourth session of the KRLU Play to Learn Program and provide parents with lists of appropriate books for each age level (infant, toddler, preschool) as well as perform a storytime for child participants while adults are educated on the importance of implementing smart screen time in the household
- Use KLRUkids apps during storytime to help promote KLRU early literacy services
- Will publicize Play to Learn program and other KLRU resources (websites, tablet apps, PBS shows, etc.) during family literacy library programs
- Create a publicity plan for storytimes that integrate KLRU iPads – include information about KLRU
- Provide a clean, safe meeting space in which Play to Learn activities take place
Shared Responsibilities:
- Will commit to attend meetings on a bi-weekly basis (the first and third Wednesday of the month at 2:00pm). KLRU will compose the agenda for the first Wednesday and APL will compose the agenda for the third Wednesday
- Conduct participate interviews and record responses
- Will commit to having open and honest communication during those meetings. If a goal is not being met, both parties will work collaboratively to come up with “next steps” and set new, more realistic goals
- Will focus on employing asset-based community development strategies – will focus on a strengths-based approach and not a deficit-based approach
- Respect participants privacy during interviews if/when they are unwilling to share personal information; have participants sign a media release form before releasing photos or quotes to the media
- Collect and organize data
- Provide staff and volunteer support to carry out programs
• Budget
APL itemized Budget
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Item
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Cost (the following are estimates)
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Funding Source
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Travel costs to and from meetings, KLRU programming, etc.
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$50.00/year
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City of Austin funds
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Flyers to publicize Technology Storytime (both staff time (marketing department) to make and supplies to carry out)
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$250.00/year
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City of Austin Funds
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ABCD toolkit resources
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Free on ABCD website
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N/A
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Printing and copying of ABCD resources
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$100.00/year
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City of Austin Funds
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KLRU preschool apps (not free) to be downloaded for storytime and to use with library patrons
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$100.00
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City of Austin funds
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Storytime supplies for Play and Learn program
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$20.00 x (approximately 5 storytimes throughout 2015) = $100.00
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City of Austin Funds
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Paper and toner for library card applications and lists of recommended books
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$100.00/year
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City of Austin Funds
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Library fine forgiveness program
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10 participants x $25.00 = $250.00
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United Way Grant/City of Austin Funds
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Independent party to organize and analyze data (optional – if funds are available)
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$30/hour x 6 hours = $180
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United Way Grant/City of Austin Funds
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Staff time to attend bi-weekly meetings, interview participants, development resources (booklists), provide tours, download apps, plan technology storytimes, attend Play and Learn sessions, publicize programs (outside of flyers)
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All tasks will be completed within normal 40 hour work week.
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City of Austin funds
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Total:
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$1,130.00
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KLRU Itemized Budget
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Item
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Cost (the following are estimates)
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Funding Source
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Tablets to use during Play and Learn program and during Storytimes
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20 tablets x $300 = $6,000
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United Way Success by 6 grant
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Preschool apps to download onto tablets
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$25.00 x 20 tablets = $500.00
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United Way Success by 6 grant
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Flyers to publicize Play and Learn (both staff time to make and supplies to carry out)
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$250.00/year
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United Way Success by 6 grant
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Travel costs to and from meetings, APL programming, etc.
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$50.00/year
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KLRU funds
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Paper and toner for “smart screen” time handout
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$50.00/year
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KLRU funds
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Staff time to attend bi-weekly meetings, interview participants, attend APL storytimes, publicize programs (outside of flyers)
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All tasks will be completed within normal 40 hour work week.
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KLRU funds
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Grant writer to reapply for funding – to be discussed at the partnership’s year marker
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$30/hour x 8 hours = $240.00
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KLRU funds
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Total:
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$7,090.00
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• Time
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Time
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Details
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Evaluation Points
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Two months prior to project implementation
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Entities will meet on a bi-weekly basis during the first year of the partnership in order to plan and talk about the logistics of the programming. Meetings will either take place in person or via telephone conferencing and will last for at least one hour. A detailed agenda for each meeting will be e-mailed to each partner at least one day prior to the meeting. If a reason to meet cannot be established, the meeting will be cancelled.
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At least two of these meetings within the first two months of the partnership will focus on the composition of a solidified evaluation plan.
ABCD tools and documents will be integrated into meetings
Publicity plans will be discussed and finalized
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During the first three months after programming has begun
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Initial successes and areas for improvement for the partnership will be discussed. Any necessary small changes will be made at this time.
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Meetings will focus on examining attendance numbers at each program and recruitment strategies will be discussed, if necessary
Strategies on how to allow participants the opportunity to showcase their talents and passions throughout programming will also be discussed.
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After six months of programming
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Both entities will meet to speak about the achievements the partnership has made thus far and any measures that would strengthen the partnership.
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Each entity will have the opportunity to speak openly and answer the following questions:
What were the main successes of the program? Are there better or more efficient ways to achieve the same goals? How are the evaluation measures going? Are you seeing positive results? Are the initial goals that were set being met? If so, how do you know? If not, how can we make it better?
ABCD tools and documents will be revisited. Have we created a welcoming space? What passions/talents of participants have been shared?
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After a year of programming
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Both entities will sit down and re-evaluate the partnership in order to make sure that the partnership is still impactful.
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Evaluation materials (participant surveys, participant interviews, and case studies) will be examined and data will be analyzed.
The original goals and objective of the project will be revisited and the following questions will be discussed:
What does the data show?
What changes need to be made in order to keep this partnership on the right track?
In what ways would we like to present the data to our stakeholders?
Will we re-apply for funding or seek out new funding sources to continue the partnership?
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• Ending the Partnership
Deal Breakers:
- Funding sources are drastically cut or cut altogether
- One or both entities are no longer able to fulfill their time commitment because of shifting priorities, staff turnover, or other internal or external factors
- Attendance goals are not being met and all recruitment strategies have been exhausted
- Participants fill out satisfaction surveys and provide feedback that the program is not meeting their information or educational needs – they stop attending because of this
Bless and Release:
In the event that any of the deal breakers take place, both entities will:
- Meet to compose a final report, which will include the partnership history (original start date, original goals, changes that happened along the way, and lessons learned by each entity)
- Disperse this final reports to both Boards, staff, and other key stakeholders
- File this final report in place where it can be later accessed if need be
- Discuss how any remaining assets will be allocated
- Celebrate the positive outcomes that the partnership had
• Reflection
The final stage of this capstone project has helped me realize just how much work is necessary to make an important partnership relationship a fruitful one. I can say with absolute certainty, though, that all of the hard work was worth it. In my first reflection I wrote, “regardless of the differing opinions of these and other research articles, iPads and iPad apps don’t appear to be going anywhere. It seems the sooner library professionals accept this notion and begin to manage their use, the better.” The subsequent research I’ve done and the time that I have put into this capstone project since then has affirmed this statement. Compared to other libraries across the nation, I would consider the Austin Public Library to be even further behind in their ability to keep up-to-date with technology. Although conversations about circulating tablets to patrons have been had, no concrete plans have been made. KLRU will be an invaluable partner to APL by helping it stay on top of technology (especially as it relates to early literacy) and I’m excited to lead the way with this imitative.
I am not a library employee at this point in time, so I cannot immediately implement the program details laid out in this document. I do, however, intend to follow up with KLRU as soon as I acquire a position with the Austin Public Library. I have gained a new mentor, partner, and friend in Mary Alice Appleman, KLRU’s Assistant Director of Educational Resources. Throughout these past three months, Mary Alice and I have communicated in person and through e-mail around ten times, and some of those contacts were initiated by Mary Alice to see how my project was going and to reach out to see in which ways she could help. I am honored to have met her and very much look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in the future.
I am still very much committed to being a “willing participant,” to change my perspective when and if necessary, to accept new leaders, and to commit the time required to make this collaboration work, and I believe I have proven my ability to do these three things in all stages of this capstone project (Harrington, 2014).
References
Anderson, Bruce. n.d. "Creating Welcoming Spaces Workbook." ABCD institute. http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/WelcomWorkbook_final%20copy(3)%20copy.pdf (Accessed November 30, 2014).
Association for Library Service to Children. 2009. "Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Public Libraries." http://www.ala.org/alsc/edcareeers/alsccorecomps (Accessed November 30, 2014).
Couse, Leslie. J., & Chen, Dora. W. 2010. "A Tablet Computer for Young Children? Exploring its Viability for Early Childhood Education." Journal of Research on Technology in Education (International Society for Technology in Education), 43(1), 75-98.
Duncan, Dan. n.d. "Asset Mapping: Eight Steps to Increase and Support Resident Engagement." ABCD institute. http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/E-%20Asset% 20Mapping%20-%20Eight%20Steps%20to%20Increase%20Resident% 20Engagement.pdf (Accessed November 30, 2014).
Duncan, Dan. n.d. "Three questions for effective strategy development." ABCD Institute. http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/D%20-%20Three%20New%20Questions %20for%20Effective%20Strategy%20Developmen1(2).pdf (Accessed November 30, 2014).
Geist, Eugene. A. 2012. "A Qualitative Examination of Two Year-Olds Interaction with Tablet Based Interactive Technology." Journal of Instructional Psychology, 39(1), 26-35.
Harrington, Mary Beth. 2014. Identifying community assets to build strategic partners. PowerPoint Presentation. Texas Woman’s University.
Department of Social Services. 2013. "Partnering With Community Organisations: Toolkit for Small to Medium Sized "Businesses. https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2012/tools_final.pdf (Accessed November 30, 2014).
Literacy Matters Logo created at Tagxedo.com
Pixabay. 2014. "Partnership." http://pixabay.com/en/hand-keep-puzzle-finger-fit-523233/ (Accessed December 8, 2014).
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