From left to right: Cody Ray, Dr. Joan Weiner and Aleksandra Wolchasty standing in front of the Drexel Smart House

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

The is the second of a two-part series about residential technologies being developed or explored in the region. See the first here.

Frat houses are usually synonymous with keg-stands and jungle juice. There, eco-friendly house technology would seem as important as finishing homework.

But a group of Drexel students are trying to alter that perception, using an abandoned frat house as a great green opportunity.

The Drexel Smart House, located at 34th and Race Streets, is a 19th century Victorian home that is being transformed into a living, working laboratory for green tech. The Smart House team, a student-run organization, hopes that after it is built, it can serve as a platform for green design, technology and research.

“We are also trying to maintain the character of the house, and that’s because we respect the neighborhood and we want everyone to comfortable with the design and although it will be modern, it shouldn’t be obnoxious,” says Aleksandra Wolchasty, an architecture student involved with the project.

Co-founder Eric Eisele says he has been helping plan the idea since very early in his college career. “I couldn’t wait until my freshmen design product started because we were formulating our own research, formulating a team and getting our hands dirty,” he says. “I thought it’d be great if there was a student organization that would do this, and it’s been my goal to put this in place.”

Drexel Smart House opening in Fall 2011

The students hope that the house will become a place to showcase their ideas and concepts allowing them the opportunity to put their ideas into practice.

“When this idea was brought to us we were immediately excited by the notion that we would have a student-driven organization that would be able to foster and enable a lot of useful research, a lot creativity and innovation, and thereby strengthen the educational experience,” Dr. Milton Silver, director of Drexel’s mentor program, says. The university’s mentors meet with students on a regular basis to provide support, guidance, and encouragement.

Many student-run organizations are only as strong as their founder, but it goes deeper than that with the Smart House team, organizers say. “One of the unique things about this organization is that this is the third-generation. Many times student organizations can’t establish themselves to take it past a good idea,” says Dr. Joan Weiner, faculty advisor for the project.

WHAT THE TEAM HAS PLANNED

A green roof is fitted with soil and grass in order to absorb rainwater, and in the process, reducing contaminated rain run-off. The natural roof also helps insulate the house. Installing a green roof on an existing structure can be difficult due to the weight of the soil and water. “A regular green roof can weigh anything from twenty to sixty pounds per square-foot, so that is kind of a very significant weight on the structure of the building,” says Monika Mickute, the student leader of the green roof project.

Mickute is developing a lightweight green roof that will weigh less than 10 pounds per square foot, a load that could easily be supported by the current structure of the Smart House. The initial plan is to replace the soil with a synthetic lightweight material like perlite, hollow microspheres, or polystyrene beads. “The challenge we are facing is nutrition,” she said.

Another idea for the roof is a cool-roof coating, which is essentially a white roof that reflects instead of absorbs heat and light. “What we are trying to do is selectively target infrared radiation to reflect that out to where it doesn’t absorb as heat,” says Drexel’s Smart House President Cody Ray.

“This has the additional benefit of not only cutting your cooling bill but also reducing the urban heat island effect, where cities are either a few degrees or significantly warmer than the surrounding countryside.”

Geothermal heating is another project the team is investigating. “The idea is basically using the earth as a giant reservoir for keeping a steady temperature in your house year-round,” says Ray.

Geothermal pumps could include a closed-loop system that would circulate water in and out of the ground to transport heat as needed. “The earth just has this huge thermal mass and it doesn’t change temperature drastically during the year,” he says. The team is looking to drill 500-foot deep wells but they’re not yet sure if the rock formation under the house will support the plans.

When the house is completed in 2011 it will be a viable housing option for Drexel students.

“I think it’ll be really inspiring. I think people will wake up every day thinking how can we lessen our impact on the environment. I think it’ll be really awesome for whoever lives there,” Wolchasty says.

Philadelphia Smart Home's Patrick Griffin explains the control center

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

The is the first of a two-part series about residential technologies being developed or explored in the region. Read the second on Thursday.

Dinner is in the oven. A grocery list has been generated after surveying the empty pantry. The front door’s been opened for the deliveryman and the authorities have been alerted of a possible intruder on a neighbor’s property.

Sounds like a fairly normal day. Except each one of these tasks has been miles away from the home.

Welcome the convenience of living in a smart home, technology developments for residential properties that are coming fast. While home technology is not yet able to allow all of these tasks, industry experts say we’ll quickly move toward a state of complete home automation and remote user-control.

“Smart homes are a culmination of products and functionality,” says Utz Baldwin, the CEO of the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA), a trade association for electronic home installations. “What makes a house smart for me will be different than what makes a house smart for you. It comes down to the needs of the homeowner.”

When it comes to home technology needs, there certainly are plenty of options to fulfill them, says Patrick Griffen, owner of Philadelphia Smart Home, a technology installation company that specializes in smart home technology.

There are many popular features currently available to make houses smarter, like climate control, lighting, security and entertainment. All of these systems could then be controlled remotely through an Internet-ready device.

“The technology is advancing at such a pace that it makes it easier for the consumer to get the information and control the things they want from just about anywhere,” Baldwin says.

Smart homes give homeowners the ability to control and automate their thermostats, for example. According to Baldwin, homeowners can setup a system where the control unit opens or closes the window blinds based on the time of day and position of the sun. Uses like these could reduce that amount of time the air conditioning or heat needs to run, cutting down on electricity use.

Smart home control center

Smart homeowners can also combine many or all of their light switches into one easy to use switch or touchpad. This also allows users to create different lighting presets, like a setting to automatically dim the lights for a movie. The Energy Conservation Enhancement Project found that dimming the lights by 50 percent can save 40 percent of electricity and extends the life of the bulb 20 times. According to Griffin, a smart system can be programmed to turn on the foyer light if the front door is opened at night.

Smart security allows the user to view on the intercom who is at the front door. It also provides 24/7 video surveillance that can be viewed from any computer. Motion sensors can also provide real-time information about the movements in the house. Griffin says a smart house could alert the homeowner when their child enters the house by using individualized security codes.

Simplifying entertainment is another feature of smart homes. Users can control the music throughout the house from a central control panel. For example, a particular playlist can begin to play when a particular person enters their security code upon entering the front door, Griffin says.

“Historically the primary reason for smart home technology has been convenience or simplification of systems,” Baldwin says. Simplifying a system can be combining all your light switches into one unit or taking a complicated TV and DVD remote and putting all of the important features into a simple touch-screen. It is important, then, for smart home technology to be as simple and user-friendly as possible. “Quite often if technology is too difficult for the consumer they end up abandoning it,” he says.

A view from outside a Northern Liberties smart house

While smart homes are not necessarily green and green homes are not necessarily smart, the two concepts have many overlapping features. For instance, energy-use reduction is a primary motivator for both technologies. The biggest innovation on the horizon is smart grid technology and smart meters.

“There is going to be a way to monitor your electrical meter … if you have lights on in your house, you can turn off those lights and watch your usage go down,” Griffin says. Smart grid technology may also allow people to consumer more energy when rates are lower and vice versa.

Smart house technology improves green house technology by giving homeowners more control over the systems in their house. Without smart technology it will be harder to dramatically lessen your carbon emissions, Baldwin says.

“With technology the sky is the limit as it relates to what you can do.”

Watch a video about smart homes below.

Mary Lou DiMaggio is still trying to resolve her father's identity theft

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

Like so many others, Kenneth Swope, a hard-working tile setter and self-described family man, was taken advantage of when his identity was stolen.

“[Someone] got a hold of my social security number, and opened up a couple accounts in my name,” Swope, 50, says.

He didn’t find out that his identity had been compromised until he applied for a home equity loan to pay for his daughters’ college tuition. When he applied, he found something on his credit report that shouldn’t have been there. “I had to call the credit company to find out who opened the account, and they wouldn’t tell me. They said it was me,” Swope says.

After some investigation, he found that the accounts were listed under his parents’ home address, where he had never lived.

Swope suspected a relative who had been living at the address, but
because he wasn’t sure—no charges have been brought against anyone—he faced difficulties with credit agencies. “Every creditor and credit agency wanted me to prove everything,” Swope says, “but nobody wanted the person who opened the fraudulent accounts to prove anything.”

In 2009, there were 336,655 complaints of cybercrime reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, a 22 percent increase from 2008. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a joint operation between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. IC3 receives victim’s complaints of cybercrime and refers them to the appropriate local, state or federal law enforcement agency for investigation.

There were also $559 million in losses associated with complaints in 2009, an all-time high. “The number of complaints IC3 receives increases each year,” says Carie Lemley, IC3’s complaint supervisor.

The reason is obvious, Special Agent Brian Herrick of the Philadelphia FBI Cyber Squad says. The Internet has grown from about 400,000 users to 1.5 billion users in the past nine years. “There is an increased population online, so there will be an increase in the criminal element as well,” Herrick says.

Number of complaints IC3 received from 2000-2009

Of 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania ranks seventh in the number of complaints filed. Pennsylvania constitutes 3.4 percent of IC3’s total complaints, just behind Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Florida and California.

Philadelphia, however, was ranked the 38th riskiest city out of the 50 most populous cities for Internet-related crime, according to Symantec’s report of the top 10 riskiest online cities, making it the 12th safest city for Internet use. This could be related to the city’s 60 percent home Internet adoption rate.

Philadelphians spend less on home and mobile Internet than most major cities, according to Norton’s report. Only Miami, St. Louis, Cleveland and Detroit spend less per household on Internet. Similarly, only 58 percent of adults in Philadelphia are engaging in some kind of internet use, compared to 75 percent of adults in the most wired cities, like Seattle. However, Philadelphia is ranked 16th for cybercrime, which is relatively high given the low amount of internet access throughout the city.

“Where you have greater amounts of population you will have greater crime in the traditional sense, that’s the same online as well,” Herrick says.

He doesn’t see Philadelphia has having more cybercrime than any other major city because cybercrime is not as geographic as traditional crimes. The perpetrator is usually someone the victim doesn’t know, and more than likely cybercriminals will attack people in a different state or country.

Special Agent Brian Herrick of the Philadelphia FBI Cyber Squad working on cases

“We may start an investigation in Philadelphia and there is a likely chance that if the victim is here then the actor may not be,” said Herrick.

For instance, Herrick had a case in which a local university’s server was hacked, and the perpetrator turned up in New Zealand.

This kind of criminal anonymity is true for Mary Lou DiMaggio’s father, Lewis Shields, who recently had his identity stolen. Unlike Swope, DiMaggio still has no idea who stole her father’s identity and how the perpetrator got a hold of his personal information.

DiMaggio discovered her father’s personal information had been compromised when she went to cash a check in a joint account that had both her’s and her father’s names on it. There she was told that she wrote a check for $5,000 when she never had. “It turns out it was a check they thought I had written, but it was a fraudulent signature,” DiMaggio says.

The check was a perfect match, it had all the relevant information, such as the account number and DiMaggio’s home address, but the signature was wrong. “It was my father’s perfect check with my imperfect signature,” she says, “and it was detected through the clearing house.”

DiMaggio is still trying to resolve the situation which began last November. Similarly, it took Swope about six months and about 100 hours on the phone to recover his identity.

“I talked to all the credit agencies and creditors and no one would listen to me at all, until I filed a police report,” he says.

The incident with her father has infuriated DiMaggio because her father can’t access the money he rightfully earned. “It’s just such a violation,” she says. “It’s just amazing to me that someone can work that long and that hard and have no access to the money that he’s entitled too.”

It also has DiMaggio thinking about protecting her own identity. “I was never big on shredding or burning because I never thought it would apply to me.”

“Before I started working here [IC3] I didn’t understand the level of fraud that was out there,” says Lemley, IC3’s complaint supervisor.

See a video about cyber crime. Story continues below…

Non-delivered merchandise or payments, identity theft, credit card fraud, auction fraud and computer fraud were the top five types of cybercrime reported in 2009, according to IC3’s Internet Crime Report [PDF]. Email phishing scams, lottery scams and relationship fraud also tend to be favorites for cybercriminals. However, Lemley says that “usually cybercrime trends will mutate based on what’s currently happening.”

Lemley has recently seen a lot of work-at-home scams, most likely due to the current increase in unemployment. 

“I suggest you research a company before you apply for a job online, because all they need is for you to fill out a form and give them some personal identifiers, then you’ve been a victim of identity fraud,” People seem to have too much trust online, when they shouldn’t because they have no idea who they are actually dealing with, she says.

Herrick has also seen an increase in child identity theft. “Many people don’t realize that a child’s identity can be stolen just like an adult’s,” he says. Criminals don’t steal people’s identities to become them. Instead, they want to hide behind them and have access to their good credit.

“If you steal the identity of a 21-year-old, that crime may be found out very soon, but if you steal the identity of an 8 or 9-year-old it may be years before that child’s credit report is checked,” says Herrick. He recommends that all people, adults and children, check their credit reports on a regular basis.

Regularly checking credit reports and closely examining credit card statements is the best way for people to protect themselves. It’s also important for people to do research when shopping online and applying for jobs online. “Don’t rush into any transaction, and if it looks too good to be true than it probably is.”

Click here for more information about current cybercrime trends or to file a complaint. Also, you can check your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Apple’s iPhone and iTouch sold 57 million units in 28 months, according to Morgan Stanley’s The Mobile Internet Report.

Smartphones and other Internet-ready handheld devices have gained immense popularity. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 83 percent of people own cell phones or smartphones and 35 percent of people have surfed the Internet with their phones.

Ashley Cox on smartphone

“I go on there for everything,” says Ashley Cox of her mobile smartphone, “I’m on it everyday, all day.” African Americans are the most active users of mobile Internet. On an average day, 29 percent of African Americans used mobile Internet in 2009, up 141 percent from 2007. In 2009 the national average was only 19 percent.

“Mobile Internet expands people’s realization of the power of the Internet,” says Michael Morgan, an industry analyst on mobile devices for ABI Research, “you know you can be connected to information wherever you are.”

“Wireless Internet is the most pervasive device you can imagine,” says Justin Shi, associate chair of Temple University’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences. Wireless Internet constitutes the last mile of Internet connectivity says Shi. It connects those whom are hard reach through wired networks.

Wireless Internet is becoming the connection of choice for the majority of Americans. In 2009, 56 percent of Americans accessed the Internet wirelessly, according to Pew.

“I go online with my phone a lot, maybe every hour to check my e-mail,” says Rod Quemuel, a smartphone user. Quemuel uses his phone to do research, check Facebook and look up directions.

Percent of U.S. mobile subscribers

People generally use their mobile Internet to check general information, such as e-mail, weather, news, social media and web searches, Morgan says. The most popular use of mobile Internet is to browse and listen to music. Sixty-five percent of iPhone users and 35 percent of smartphone users access music online. Gaming, social networking and web searching round out the top four uses of mobile Internet, according to The Mobile Internet Report.

James Thomas, a mobile Internet user uses mobile Internet conventionally. “I use it for things that have something to do with the city, like SEPTA bus schedules.” Thomas also uses it to entertain his daughter when traveling. She can play games and watch movies using his phone.

“Mobile access strengthens the three pillars of online engagement: connecting with others, satisfying information queries, and sharing content with others,” John B. Horrigan, associate director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, said in a press release about the organization’s report on mobile. “With access in their pockets, many Americans are ‘on the fly’ consumers and producers of digital information.”

According to RuderFinn’s Mobile Intent Index, which is updated quarterly, 91 percent of mobile Internet users go online to socialize compared to 79 percent of traditional desktop users. However, mobile Internet users are 1.4 times less likely to educate themselves using their phones.

Traditional computers are used for serious and productive work while mobile devices are becoming the dominant platform for entertainment, according to the Mobile Internet Report. Also, the smartphone’s popularity is growing so quickly that within five years more users may connect to the Internet via mobile device that with a traditional computer.

Mobile Internet is helping to bridge the digital divide. “Mobile Internet is allowing people who couldn’t afford any web access something,” Morgan says. “It’s the cheapest, easiest, and best way to get them the power of the Internet.” Cox and Thomas only access the Internet through their smartphones, and they do not feel the need to get a home broadband connection.

James Thomas on smartphone

Cost, convenience and portability are of the three main determinants when purchasing mobile Internet versus home broadband.

“Its a lot easier and a lot more accessible,” Thomas says. “Also, I can take it anywhere.”

“It’s cheaper,” Cox says when asked why she chose mobile Internet.

Home broadband use is more prevalent in homes with higher incomes, while low-income households turn to wireless. Seventy-three percent of households with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 have home broadband access. Comparatively, only 42 percent of households with incomes less than $30,000 have home broadband. Approximately 43 percent of Philadelphians live in households with incomes below $30,000. Mobile Internet can provide access to those who cannot afford home access.

“I prefer my laptop for Internet,” says Quemuel, “with mobile phones you can’t see all the features with a laptop.” He says only uses his mobile Internet for basic searches.

Lost cost wireless provider

While mobile Internet helps to close the digital divide as far as access to information is concerned, it does little to help with actual computer skills. “Mobile Internet offers no keyboard or mouse experience,” said Morgan. These are essential skills when using a traditional computer and are important skills in the workforce. However, Morgan added that helping people understand the value of the Internet is just as important as technical skills in the bridging the digital divide.

Shi believes that currently mobile phones do not have the capability to close the digital divide, but that may change in the future. As the technology develops, mobile devices will become people’s primary computing platform.

“In short the smartphone is becoming the PC, the PC is becoming the server, the server is becoming the cloud, and the cloud is becoming the new app store,” said a notable line in The Mobile Internet Report.

According to the eMarketer, a research firm, the total number of mobile Internet users is expected to reach 134 million people by 2013.

Below, watch a video Q&A with Temple University Computer Science Department Associate Chair Justin Shi about mobile technologies…

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

The Federal Communications Commission will push on telecommunication companies to make the Internet 25 times faster through its National Broadband Plan.

One of the major goals of the unprecedented agenda is to provide broadband access to all Americans. The plan also intends to provide 100 million American homes with 100Mbps (megabits per second) broadband service in 10 years. The current average household Internet connection speed is 4Mbps.

“This is very possible,” said Justin Shi, an associate professor and associate chair at Temple University’s College of Science and Technology. This advancement in communication technology will eventually change social and economic systems, Shi says. The seemingly large feat of increasing Internet speeds by 25 times can be accomplished by improving the current packet-switching system used for the Internet.

Packet-switching refers to information being divided into individual packets before data is transmitted. The packets are individually sent to a desired computer and are reconstructed upon arrival. “There is no limit to the speed upgrades available in packet-switching systems,” Shi says. This is done by adding more machines, like servers, to Internet infrastructure. The more devices being used the faster the connection will be.

�Packets will always find the shortest route possible, so the more routes the better,� Shi says. In order for the FCC to accomplish its goal, the infrastructure needs to be faster. This is because the speed of computer processors has already plateaued, according to Shi. He says that the FCC�s plan is a positive thing. �Packet-switching is the most economic and stable solution,” he says. “The sky is the limit.”

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

“I’m an individual that wants to try and get ahead in life,” says Hymine, 53, an ex-incarcerated felon who reentered society in 1992 after spending a year in prison for drug possession, who asked Technically Philly to not share his real name.

Hymine’s story illustrates the difficulties and inequalities ex-offenders often face upon returning to society.

Hymine says that he is a military veteran. He served in the Army and the Army Reserves from
for two decades in the 70s and 80s. He is also well educated. He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Cheyney University in 1987. In 2006, he returned to Cheyney and received his Master�s in Public Administration. In addition he is currently working on his Doctorate in Human Services through an online program.

Even with his impressive resume, Hymine says finding employment is challenging. “I have one little smear and they treat me like I ain’t shit,” Hymine says.

Upon his return from prison, Hymine went to work at a supermarket for five years. “My supervisor would tell me, ‘You’re an ex-offender and you’re never gonna get a better job,” Hymine recalls.

After leaving the supermarket, Hymine went to work at Saint Gabriel’s Hall at New Morgan Academy, and the Pennsylvania Clinical School, where he helped at-risk youths. He has been unemployed since 2005, and believes that his criminal record is preventing him from getting a reasonable position with reasonable pay.

Susan Guggenheim, who runs a ex-offender technology training program, says, “The society at large needs to get over this thing of penalizing ex-offenders twice, once during their period of incarceration and forever after when they come out.”

Hymine is tired of the inequality and refuses to settle for just any job. �They try to underpay you,� he says. He wants a position that looks past his record, treats him as an equal and pays him based on his education and experience.

Matty Hart, the national director for public engagement at Solutions for Progress, a public policy technology company, says, �Ex-offenders are being filtered out because they�re felons.� To give themselves more job opportunities ex-offenders need to have basic technology and education skills. �Ex-offenders need access to high-level, high-quality tech training.”

Believing there is no such thing as too much education, knowledge and training, Hymine has gone through numerous re-entry programs. When asked why he keeps going he simply shrugs his shoulders and asks, �Why not?�

�Ex-offenders try to do the right thing, but give up because they don�t have the support,� he says. �If I didn�t have the support I had, I would have been the same way.�

Guggenheim�s computer training class was one source of support Hymine had after returning to Cheyney University in 2006. In Guggenheim�s class, Hymine learned basic computer skills from using the internet to Microsoft Word.

�There is a gap in time and a gap in training. When they went in technology was at a certain point, and when they come out its radically different because of the speed technology develops,� says Guggenheim.

At first Hymine struggled with computers in his college classes. However, after attending Guggenheim�s program he feels confident on a computer. �Her class helped me be independent,� he says.

Watch a video about the ex-offender computer training program. Story continues below…

The basic computer skills Guggenheim teaches are important for ex-offenders to find work. �These are basic skills in the workplace that everyone has to have,� says Hart. Technology is unavoidable, and most businesses utilize some sort of computer technology.

�The biggest disadvantage ex-offenders have is two-fold; they do not have computers and they do not have broadband access, so they�re basically crippled,� says Guggenheim.

Computer skills are also used to find work. Hymine said he went online to CareerBuilder to search for jobs. �This time last year I was applying for six or seven jobs a day,� he says.

Guggenheim has worked in several groups helping ex-offenders create online resumes using job search websites. She said, �The problem is that there is always that question, regardless of your crime, regardless of how long ago it happened, it always says, �have you ever been convicted of a crime?��

Hymine is passing on the expertise that Guggenheim gave him in his volunteer work at the National Center for Children and Families. There he helps ex-offenders put together their resumes, which they can post online. Hymine also teaches them basic computer skills, such as copying and pasting, using flash drives, and searching the web.

There are also other ways ex-offenders can utilize online technology. Hart believes it is good for ex-offenders to harness social networking sites to connect with employers. �Just establish yourself on the web,� he says. If an employer sees someone has a professional online profile, it shows they�re up to speed. �When someone reaches out to me, the first thing I do is check their Facebook or LinkedIn profile,� says Hart.

Hymine is currently hoping for a pardon, which will expunge his felony record. �All it does is cover it up, and it only shows up again if you get in trouble,� says Hymine. He believes there is a good chance he will receive the pardon because it has been about 20 years since his conviction and he has stayed out of trouble. In addition, he has six letters of recommendation, including one from Guggenheim.

Hymine expects that, �after the pardon everyone is going to want to be my friend,� due to his extensive education and impressive resume. After the pardon he anticipates that he will have no further difficulties finding employment.

One of Nonprofit Technology Resource's Tech-Redi workers repairs a computer.

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

Disclosure: NTR is a Technically Philly advertiser, though this post was not part of any advertising package and was reported by non TP-staffers.

Lorenda Legions was referred to Nonprofit Technology Resources Tech-Redi program in 2008, and three months later she was a full-time employee.

“It’s a wonderful program, I learned a lot,” Legions says with a smile.

Legions, like other Tech-Redi workers, was placed in the warehouse stacked-full with palettes of computer monitors, hard-drives and motherboards. She had no idea what any of the parts were used for, but that soon changed.

NTR, located on at 16th and Brandywine streets in the Fairmount section, helps welfare recipients gain useful computer and technology skills. Workers learn to identify components, manage inventory, and assemble, refurbish and repair computers.

“It’s a very rewarding program,” Legions says. “If you come in with the right attitude and mindset you can really excel.”

The program has two components. Workers spend 60 percent of their time in the warehouse, factory and store, and the rest of their time learning how to use the computers.

“Most that start the program know little about computers,” Stanley Pokras, the program’s executive director says.

Two of NTR's Tech-Redis move a palette of computer monitors in the warehouse.

However, throughout the program, workers learn basic Microsoft Office skills as well as more advanced programs. Workers even have the opportunity to get certifications for computer technology: A+ and Internet and Computing Core Certification, or IC3.

“IC3 certification lets a prospective employer realize that you have the expertise to utilize a computer,” said Charles Voegtle, the Tech-Redi advanced programs instructor. A+ is an entry-level certification that lets the industry know you’re capable of repairing computers and working with software and hardware problems.

“When students first come to NTR they are put through an initial 12-week Microsoft Digital Literacy Certification program as well as learn the basics of computer repair,” Voegtle says. If students are able to pass the certification program before 12 weeks, they can move on to IC3 and eventually A+.

Oliver Crenshaw, who has been a Tech-Redi for six weeks, says “I’m familiar with computers, but I never got around to getting my A+, so it was a great opportunity for me to earn it.” Crenshaw currently has 23 weeks left to complete the five-month-long A+ certification process.

NTR also offers GED assistance to workers who come into the program without a diploma. According to the Tech-Redi computer software and literacy instructor, Brian Lancaster, It’s paramount they get their GED. Students who need to get their GEDs can start pretty low, sometimes as low as a third-grade level. “Not having a GED only limits the job prospects workers can get,” Lancaster says. Two students have earned their GEDs with Lancaster’s assistance, and he is currently helping three more.

Tech-Redis also spend over half of their time in the program learning the process of computer repair through the warehouse, repair shop and computer thrift store.
Darryl Harris, a new Tech-Redi, said, “I’ve learned how to take computers apart and put them back together, I’m picking up on my typing skills, and I’m learning a lot.”

According to the Tech-Redi program director, Peter Kiliani, They come in and get oriented on how we place parts in inventory, put an inventory tag on each machine, and how we put all the data about the machine in inventory. They get an idea of what an inventory management system is like.

As well, Tech-Redis learn how to dismantle, recycle and identify various computer parts all in the first week. According to Kiliani, in following weeks workers learn to test the computer parts, install software, perform quality control inspections, prepare computers for refurbishing and configure a machine for use.

See a video of the Nonprofit Technology Resources facility. Story continues below…

“Then we’ll put them to work in repair shop,” Kiliani says. In the repair shop, Tech-Redis get to apply the skills they’ve learned. “They make sure every component of the machine works, then it’s ready to go to some lucky user,” Kiliani adds.

The computers that Tech-Redis repair are donated from individuals and businesses. “We are here Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., accepting computers for donation. We get calls and go out to pick up donations from companies that have 10 or more identical Pentium 4 computers,” says Pokras.

After the donated computers are repaired by Tech-Redis, they are distributed in one of three ways. NTR’s Learning Through Technology program, which gives refurbished computers to low-income families, is one destination for the computers.

Also, Tech-Redis have the opportunity to build their own computers to take home with them at the end of the program. Crystal Davalos, a new Tech-Redi, doesn’t have a computer at home, but is looking forward to building her own. “It’s one of the last stages of the program,”  she says.

The remaining computers are sold at very affordable prices to the community through NTR’s Computer Thrift Store. The store also sells refurbished hard drives, monitors, printing supplies and cables as well as other computer accessories.

“It really fills a void and an itch in the community, especially for low-income families,” says Crenshaw.

NTR’s Tech-Redi program benefits the community and local businesses alike, but it is in jeopardy. NTR’s two-year state grant for the program ends in June.

“We are seeking additional funding from other sources to continue the program,” said Pokras. “We are looking to become a contractor for the state or a training program.” If funding for the Tech-Redi program doesn’t come through, NTR would revert back to what it was before the program began: a repair factory and a store.

“I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t come to the Tech-Redi program,” said Legions.

Students walk down the hallway in between classes at the Science Leadership Academy.

Updated 2/24, 5:50 p.m.: Fixed name of High School.

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

The lawsuit filed against the Lower Merion School District last week has created a lot of questions in the educational community. In this case, it is alleged that the Vice Principal of Harriton High School used a picture, taken from the webcam of the 15-year-old student’s school-issued computer, to support the claim that the student had engaged in inappropriate behavior in his home. In order to take the picture the school remotely activated the student’s webcam.

“We think what they did was horrendous,” says Chris Alfano, the Science Leadership Academy‘s computer support specialist. Remotely activating a webcam is a security feature that was previously used by Harriton High School to recover stolen laptops. In the past 14 months it has been used about 42 times, and it has helped recover 28 laptops.

The Science Leadership Academy also provides its students with laptops, and the news of Harriton High School spying on a student has raised some eyebrows. “We had to quell some student concerns,” says Alfano. In fact, he doesn’t know what programs are needed to remotely activate a webcam.

When students are given school-issued laptops there is some paperwork to sign, however, there is nothing in Lower Merion’s paperwork that states the school can remotely access a student’s webcam at any time. SLA teachers may search a student’s computer if they believe the student has something on it they shouldn’t, but that is as far as they go, according to Aflano. “I think there is a line, and what they did crossed it,” he says.

Students walk down the hallway in between classes at the Science Leadership Academy.

In partnership with Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, the university’s capstone journalism class, students Chelsea Leposa and Jared Pass will cover neighborhood technology issues for Technically Philly and Philadelphia Neighborhoods through May.

At the Science Leadership Academy the students are treated like adults, says junior Cody Nichols.

Built in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia and the Franklin Institute, the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) is a new student-oriented, project-based program. Put away your No. 2 pencil at SLA, there are no standardized tests aside from the state required PSSAs.

Students work closely together and with teachers to create a variety of projects. Student projects even contribute to the school’s daily activities. SLA’s help desk, for instance, is one of the largest student projects, says Chris Alfano, tehe school’s system administrator and computer support specialist.

“We have about 12 students who are assigned to come here, and they pretty much take care of all the school’s repair needs,” Alfano says. All 10th and 11th graders at SLA are required to have an internship that meets once a week.

Students conduct original science experiments, build tools for green energy in engineering classes, conduct simulations of historical moments and trade video Spanish lessons with a school in another country, Principal Chris Lehmann says. “There are all kinds of rich, engaging and powerful projects kids are doing.”

SLA’s one-to-one laptop program is one aspect that makes the comprehensive student projects possible. Every SLA freshman receives an Apple MacBook to use throughout his high school career. The only cost to students is an $85 insurance fee.

Providing students with a laptop allows teachers to harness the Internet for assignments and student discussions. “It really changes the playing field,” Alfano says. SLA Web servers also harness open source tools like Moodle, which provides a home base and virtual school for students to interact beyond class time.

SLA's principal Chris Lehmann hands out report cards to students.

Student interaction with teachers is the most important aspect of SLA, in accordance with the school’s mission. In order to preserve the interaction between students and teachers the school must remain small, Lehman says. “We’re a small school by design. We’re not going to get bigger than 500 students.”

There are only 125 spots available for new freshman students next year. According to Lehmann, SLA has already received 2,000 admission applications and conducted 850 interviews for the limited amount of freshman seats.

In order to be admitted to SLA, students must go through an interview process and present a project they’ve created. Interviews are conducted by teachers as well as current students. The school currently has 484 students including its first graduating class of 117 seniors. Many seniors plan on going to college after graduation.

Although he is only a junior, Nichols is looking at colleges like Carnegie Mellon University, Drexel University and the University of Delaware. Nichols, like other SLA students, receives assistance with his college selections from a counselor.

According to SLA’s counselor, Karina Hirschfield, “Colleges in the area and outside the area seem to be excited about the program we have at SLA. Students have received close to $1 million dollars in scholarships, and we’re expecting our students to get well above that.”

SLA has made great strides towards its goal of inquiry-based learning since its inception in September 2006. ts popularity is shown in the attitude of its students.

“SLA is a great school because it brings out the best in everyone,” said Nichols.

Below, a video shot by Technically Philly contributor Jared Pass.