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| Planet Meck | CHAT | Teckno Info | Teckno Updates | Teckno Pictures | Infomation Teckno | teckno1saga | Bonus | Teckno Power X |
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| Bonus Stuff On Teckno Power |
| Bonus #1 Article On The Creator Of Teckno Power Christon D. Bacon An Extraordinary Youngster Isolation has always fueled the divide between the " haves and the have nots" in urban America and for that matter around the world. Christon Bacon, a 13 year old African American teenager has spent most of his young life isolated in urban poverty in one of the wealthiest areas in the world, the capital of the United States. He's not terribly different in his segregation by class and color from that of many of his peers around the country. Isolation of the poor in low-resourced or no-resourced neighborhoods from the middle class and more affluent is still a stark reality in most American cities. It has been argued that it is not income alone which accounts for the social and emotional consequences of poverty. It is rather the inequity of access to available resources in the form of job opportunities, quality educational institutions, socialization opportunities in communities which help to reinforce pro-social values. A Matter of Survival ================= Christon attends an inner city school where he rarely has an opportunity to use one of the two or three computers in his class. His teachers don't generally teach with the Internet or cable or satellite hookups. This is quite different from classrooms just six miles away in suburban Virginia where many youngsters have a computer on their desk. Despite this divide Christon will be held to the same social intellectual standards of excellence and will be expected to navigate both socially, technologically and interpersonally if he is going to compete or perhaps even survive in a global economy. Living in one of the most dangerous areas in the city, Christon has to walk a fine line between knowing the streets and not be of the streets. If he is to stay alive to see forty thus defying the statistics for many of his fellow African American male peers, he has to navigate serious crime, interpersonal violence and high rates of homicide, the lure of gangs and above all the fast money from drugs in his neighborhood. Support of a Social Network: How that can make all the difference ======================== Family support, strong values and a positive social network have played an important role. Yet not unexpectedly Christon ability's to traverse the limits of poverty into the world of seemingly endless resources is made possible by his affinity with the Internet. For on the net, Christon has access to the same information and free intellectual and social resources as his more affluent age mates in the wealthy suburbs of Washington. The divide starts to narrow a bit when he becomes engrossed in each new skill which he essentially has taught himself. When recently asked about how he acquired such skill in web page design he answered in a rather matter of fact tone, "Oh I just went on line and learned HTML and then I set up my own web page. OK, I thought, think I'll learn it this evening!" Christon like most of his friends has need for respect and affirmation among his peers. But instead of looking for it primarily in girls, cars, money, Christian seems to have developed a real sense of personal pride as he talks about what he can do on line. He has become known among his circle as someone who knows his way around the Internet. While his friends are hanging out on the corner, Christon is reading about the latest version of windows. Neither his mother nor grandmother with whom he lives are computer whizzes. He's a self-motivated kid. Intrigued by some computer books his uncle had laying around, he picked up an MS DOS manual one day and couldn't put it down. His creativity and energy literally gushes forth when he gets into his Internet and computing magazines. Christon is not a computer nerd though. He has other interests and demands on his time including helping his partially disabled mother who is raising three children alone. He is a bright, inquisitive and disciplined youngster who has become a self-made computer whiz. He's is dying to know more and more about the whole world of computing and the Internet. Surprisingly his spirit did not really seem diminished as he described how his home Internet service gets turned on and off depending in part on his family's financial resources. Accessing the Internet for Fun! =========================== What's his idea of fun? According to Christon its searching for new information new computer applications and programs; visiting cartoon chatrooms and e-mailing friends he's met on line from Texas, California and Minnesota. Visiting cartoon chatroomsŠwait a minute that sounds like a typical childhood activity rare for many of the boys Christon's age who are preoccupied with "beefing" (fighting with someone or a group of people) and the inevitable retaliation of the streets. Two of his peers were killed by gunfire just the other day unloading groceries out of a car after a basketball game. A normal activity set in the context of some abnormal, devastating behavior. The Role that the Internet Plays =========================== What is the role that the Internet and computing plays for Christon? He will tell you it has helped him stay out of trouble because he often would rather be working on his web page and finding new information than hanging out. Perhaps he is right when he says he has even been able to avoid some fights and other violence in the street by focusing on the development of his web pages. What would help him flourish? Interest and support from others around the world; an opportunity to get to know children and adults from other countries; consistent experience with computing and development of skills. Christon is a youngster who rather than being considered "at risk" is definitely "at promise" and he will tell you that the Internet and his developing skill and expertise is partly responsible. Christon has been able to avoid some of the risks of the community as he has turned toward cyberspace. He's reached out for the skills and information despite some odds. Recently Christon told me that he's interested in learning more about business. Apparently he attended a business seminar with his mother. This seemed to have sparked his interest..and we know what can happen when his interest is peaked. Christon Bacon is growing up in one of the toughest areas of Washington, DC. He's had to learn to be street savvy just to survive. He has chosen also to be Internet savvy as well, perhaps unknowingly to survive the divide. What would it take for him to flourish? Would anybody want to provide a bridge for a youngster who has already starting building one? He's as close as the Net. You may contact Christon at codemaster3@excite.com or visit his web page maxpages.com/tecknopower Hope M. Hill, Ph.D. hhill10628@aol.com Associate Professor, Howard University Washington, DC |
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