Philanthropist Ms. Kathleen Patton is not only one of the Cofounders of Crossing the Digital Divide, she is also the organization’s CEO and Executive Director. With a solid background in business, having started her first NPO in her early twenties, Kathleen Patton was more than prepared to take on the challenge of opening a computer training facility. This facility has been on the cutting edge of “Reentry Programs”. City officials are heralding RP’s as being vital to the cities success as they offer support to some of the most at-risk adults who are recovering from drug abuse and other challenges. Kathleen Patton’s organization, which was formed in January 2004, gives recovering addicts the opportunity to change their lives by learning how to use today’s technology to earn a living. Crossing the Digital Divide, which is located in Los Angeles, California, has three locations to better serve the community of high-risk adults in recovery.

Kathleen Patton utilizes her business smarts to manage and oversee the operations at Crossing the Digital Divide. Because of Kathleen Patton’s efforts, the Crossing the Digital Divide staff, and the numerous volunteers, Crossing the Digital Divide is an award-winning organization that has received recognition from the local government, including the mayor of the city of Los Angeles.

In addition to her work with CDD, Ms. Kathleen Patton also enjoys a close family, friends and colleagues. Kathleen Patton relaxes by participating in swimming, volleyball, hiking, music and film.

Kathleen Patton finds special meaning in the quote, “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” Ms. Kathleen Patton also finds inspiration and deep meaning in a quote credited to one of her favorite writers, world-renowned author and poet Maya Angelou: "All great achievements require time."

CDD Weekly Class Report Cri-Help 7-5-11

                                                  WEEKLY CLASS REPORT

                                                          Cri Help/7-5-2011

 

 

Opening Comments:

There were no events that I felt were out of the ordinary for the first meeting of class. My more experienced teaching partner did not report any incidents either.

 

 

 

Attendance:

Of the 8 students enrolled in the session, 6 were present on the first day of class. Ms.Christina Santos and Ms.Suzanne Bridges were absent. It should be noted that Mr. Brian Wu left with his classmates on break and did not return at the end of break.

 

 

INTRODUCTIONS OR OVERVIEW:

Colin explained the overview to the new class, with regards to attendance, participation and course completion. Graduation and behavior towards both teachers and fellow students was also discussed.

 

 

 

1ST TOPIC COVERED:

Herbert discussed the key points of the day which include: the computers cases, hard-drive, motherboard and connecting computer cables. The students were very inquisitive about the terminology and requested simplified explanations Analogies were used in the explanation of the day’s topics including Case-Skin, CPU-Brain, and Memories to R.O.M. and, quick arithmetic to R.A.M.

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL TOPICS:

In response to the inquires of the students regarding memory, Colin briefly explained the difference between  MB and GB, using a floppy disk one of the students had and the SD cards found in cell phones. 

 

 

 

 

LAB TIME:

The evening’s lab included an overview of the Personal Success Paper and mouse usage. Herbert conducted the paper lab, while Colin covered using the mouse. Mr. Gabriel Rivas (who prefers to be called “G”) was the only student unfamiliar with using a mouse. Colin likened the mouse to a joystick used for video games and the idea of pointing and clicking. Mr. Rivas was confident in his ability to use the mouse at the end of lab. 

 

 

FINAL NOTES:

The students seemed very excited for the next class at the end of the first night. Mr. Tommy Quintant stated that he is capable of using a “smart-phone” but that he would like to expand his knowledge on a desktop. Mr. Jose Balderaz expressed that he has had limited computer usage in his life, but added that it was more than a decade ago. Ms. Iquisha Blaxon also has had very little usage but was able to navigate the desktop without assistance. Mr. Freddy Fernandez is quite knowledge able about computers and stated that he grew up around them. He is seeking a refresher on terminology and would like to expand his basic abilities to include things he may have forgotten.