Struggling to figure out what to cook with the random assortment of ingredients in your fridge and pantry? Harvested or got some fresh produce you want to do justice? Hoping to the make the most of what you got and limit what you waste? ChatGPT, a free chatbot you can interact with from your phone or computer, is here to transform your cooking experience by helping you whip up delicious meals using only what you have on hand. Here’s how you can use this AI tool to discover new recipes and make the most of your available ingredients.
Step 1: Inventory Your Ingredients
Take Stock: Before you start, gather a list of the ingredients you have or would like to use. Don’t overlook things like that half-used jar of capers or the spices you rarely touch. The more comprehensive your list, the better ChatGPT can help.
Consider Your Tools: Also, take note of the kitchen tools you have at your disposal. Do you have a hot plate, slow cooker, or blender? Sharing the cooking methods available to you – and highlighting what you are interested in using on this occasion – can craft the recipes ChatGPT suggests.
Step 2: Crafting Your Prompt
To get the most out of ChatGPT, how you ask your question matters. Below are some example prompts to inspire yours. Try interacting with the chatbot like you are chatting with a friend about what you should cook up for dinner, being upfront about your taste, time, and tool preferences:
- Expiration Date Concientious
- I have 2 chicken breasts, a head of broccoli, and a couple slices of cheese. What can I make? I do not need to use all of these ingredients in the recipe, but I would like to make sure I use the cheese because it’s going to go bad tomorrow.
- This milk is about to go bad. I have some pantry staples like flour, and I would like to use it in the dinner I’m planning. I want to cook the chicken and frozen peas I have. I might want pasta.
- Diet-Specific
- What’s a good vegetarian dish I can make with potatoes, onions, and tomatoes?
- I want to make sure I get enough protein today because I had a big workout. I have Greek yogurt, left over rice, a lemon, and some tuna. What could I make that tastes good but is focused on protein?
- Time-Specific
- I am trying to make a sweet snack in 10 minutes. What can I do with 2 apples and half a container of yogurt?
- Tool-Specific
- What can I cook in a rice cooker with rice and a container of chicken?
Step 3: Refining Your Search
Ask for More Options: If you don’t get the response you want, ask ChatGPT to try again. For example, “Can you give me a list of possible options?”
Narrow Down Options: If ChatGPT provides several suggestions, you can narrow them down by specifying a cuisine type or cooking time. For example, “Which of these can be made in under 30 minutes?”
Ask for Modifications: If a suggested recipe includes something you don’t have or goes down a cuisine route you don’t like, prompt alternatives. For instance, “What can I use instead of basil in this recipe?” or “I don’t want something sweet. Can you suggest some savory ideas?”
Step 4: Expanding Your Culinary Horizons
Experiment: Use ChatGPT not only to follow recipes but also to experiment with them. Ask how you can modify a dish to include more of what you like or how to adapt it to the cooking tools you have.
Learn: Beyond just recipes, use ChatGPT to learn cooking techniques that suit your available tools. For example, if you’ve never used a pressure cooker before, ask, “How can I make a stew using a pressure cooker?” If you want to work on some skills, ask, “I’m new to cooking, what is a recipe that can help me work on foundational skills?”
Using ChatGPT for cooking with the ingredients you have can simplify meal preparation, reduce food waste, and inspire creativity. With the right prompts, you can unlock a myriad of delicious recipes tailored to your exact situation. So next time you’re staring at a seemingly random assortment of kitchen ingredients, remember that help is just a prompt away!
Check out our past blog on using ChatGPT for planning holiday cooking!
If you’re part of a Gaggle group—a tool similar to Listserv—you might find that not all emails sent to this group, make it to your primary or focused inbox. Whether you’re using Outlook or Gmail, it’s essential to manage your settings so you don’t miss important communications. This blog post outlines effective strategies to make sure these emails appear where you expect them.
Understanding Your Email Client’s Filtering System
Both Outlook and Gmail use sophisticated algorithms to filter incoming emails into various categories like ‘Primary’, ‘Social’, ‘Promotions’, or ‘Focused’ and ‘Other’. However, these algorithms aren’t foolproof and might misclassify emails from group mailing lists. Here’s how you can take control.
General Strategies
- Create a Rule or Filter:
- Outlook: Set up a rule to move emails from the Gaggle group directly to your Focused inbox. Go to Settings > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Rules. Create a new rule that moves emails with specific keywords in the sender’s address or subject to the Focused inbox.
- Gmail: Use filters to categorize emails. Go to Settings > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter. Enter the group’s email address in the “From” field and choose to categorize the emails as “Primary”.
- Add Sender to Contacts:
- Outlook: Add the Gaggle group’s email address to your contacts. This often influences the sorting algorithm, promoting emails to the Focused inbox.
- Gmail: Similar to Outlook, adding the sender to your Google Contacts can help ensure emails appear in the Primary tab.
- Mark as Important:
- Outlook: When you receive an email from the Gaggle group, right-click it and choose “Mark as important”. This helps train the Outlook sorting algorithm.
- Gmail: Use the ‘star’ feature or mark the email as important using the importance marker. This helps Gmail learn which emails you consider important.
Engage Regularly
Engaging with the emails by replying, forwarding, or even regularly opening them can help both email services recognize the significance of these messages. Frequent interaction ensures that the algorithms learn from your behavior, adjusting the filtration accordingly.
Regular Checks
It’s wise to periodically check your spam or junk folder to ensure that no important messages have been misclassified. If you find an email from your Gaggle group there, promptly mark it as “Not spam.”
In today’s digital age, concerns about online privacy and security have become increasingly prevalent. With the growing number of cyber threats and data breaches, safeguarding your online activities has never been more important. One powerful tool that can help protect your internet connection and keep your data safe is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). In this article, we’ll explore what VPNs are, why you might need one, and how to use them effectively to enhance your online security and privacy.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is like a secret tunnel for your internet connection. When you use the internet without a VPN, your data travels openly, like sending a postcard through the mail—anyone can see what’s written on it.
But when you use a VPN, your data gets wrapped up in a protective layer, like putting your postcard in a locked box before sending it. This process is called encryption. Encryption scrambles your data into a code that’s unreadable to anyone who doesn’t have the key to unlock it.
Why is encryption important? Without it, hackers, advertisers, and even your internet provider can peek at your online activity. They could see your passwords, banking details, or personal messages. But with encryption, even if someone manages to intercept your data, all they’ll see is gibberish.
By using a VPN, you’re adding an extra layer of security to your internet connection, keeping your personal information safe from prying eyes. It’s like wearing an invisible cloak that shields you from online snoops.
Everyday VPN use
While VPNs were initially used primarily by cybersecurity professionals and tech-savvy individuals, they have become increasingly accessible and relevant to any internet user. Below are a few less thought of uses for a VPN.
- Secure Public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi networks, such as those found in coffee shops, airports, and hotels, are notoriously insecure. Hackers can easily intercept data transmitted over these networks, putting your sensitive information at risk. Using a VPN on public Wi-Fi encrypts your connection, making it much harder for cybercriminals to eavesdrop on your online activities and steal your data.
- Access to Geo-Restricted Content: Many online services and websites restrict access based on your geographical location. For example, certain streaming platforms may only offer specific content in certain countries due to licensing agreements. By using a VPN to connect to a server in a different country, you can bypass these geo-restrictions and access content that may otherwise be unavailable in your region.
- Preventing ISP Tracking: ISPs have the ability to monitor and track their customers’ online activities, which can raise concerns about privacy and data collection. By using a VPN, you can prevent your ISP from tracking your browsing habits and selling your data to third parties for targeted advertising purposes.
- Remote Work and Online Security: With the rise of remote work and online collaboration, VPNs have become essential tools for ensuring secure access to company networks and sensitive data. VPNs enable remote workers to establish encrypted connections to their company’s servers, protecting confidential information from unauthorized access or interception.
A VPN is a valuable tool for anyone looking to enhance their online security and privacy. By encrypting your internet connection and masking your IP address, a VPN helps protect your data from cyber threats and surveillance. Whether you’re concerned about safeguarding your personal information, accessing geo-blocked content, or staying safe on public Wi-Fi networks, using a VPN is a simple and effective solution.
In an era where the digital realm is as essential as the air we breathe, it’s easy to forget that the internet as we know it is the result of decades of innovation and collaboration.
The internet’s origins trace back to the late 1960s with the development of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. ARPANET was the first network to implement TCP/IP communication protocols—rules and procedures that govern how data is exchanged over the internet, ensuring that different networks can understand each other. This network facilitated communication among multiple computers on a single network, laying the groundwork for what would become the modern internet.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the scope of networking technology broadened from military and academic realms to include universities and the private sector, enabling a wider exchange of information. The Domain Name System (DNS), introduced in 1984, made navigating the internet simpler by allowing users to locate websites with easy-to-remember names (like www.example.com) instead of numerical IP addresses—a unique string of numbers separated by periods that identifies each computer using the internet.
The 1990s heralded a major expansion of the internet to the general populace, significantly influenced by Tim Berners-Lee’s creation of the World Wide Web in 1989. The web provided a user-friendly interface—essentially, a way for users to interact with the digital content on the internet through web pages and links. Early web browsers such as Mosaic, and later Netscape Navigator, translated the web’s complex data into visual formats that non-technical users could easily navigate, fueling the dot-com boom.
The advent of broadband internet in the early 2000s, which replaced dial-up connections, offered users significantly faster access to the internet. This era also saw the emergence of social media platforms and e-commerce sites, as well as the early stages of cloud computing—where data is stored, managed, and processed on a network of remote servers hosted on the internet, rather than on local servers or personal computers.
The 2010s were defined by the mobile internet revolution, propelled by the global adoption of smartphones and mobile apps. This shift dramatically altered internet access and usage patterns, emphasizing connectivity on the move and services accessed through applications rather than traditional web browsers.
Today, the internet stands on the cusp of another leap forward with the rollout of 5G technology. This new generation of wireless technology promises even faster internet speeds, reduced latency (the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer), and the ability to connect a multitude of devices simultaneously. Anticipated to enable advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT)—a network of interconnected devices that communicate and interact with each other over the internet—autonomous vehicles, and immersive virtual reality experiences, 5G represents the next chapter in the internet’s ongoing evolution.
As we navigate this connected world, understanding the underpinnings of our digital experiences becomes paramount. Terms like “upload speed,” “download speed,” and “Mbps” are not just technical jargon but keys to unlocking a smooth, seamless internet experience.
Upload Speed: Imagine sending a letter. In the digital world, upload speed is the rate at which your “digital letter” (be it an email, photo, or video) travels from your device to the internet. Whether sharing a file with a colleague or posting a video on social media, your upload speed determines how quickly your content ascends into the cloud.
Download Speed: Now, think about receiving a package. Download speed is the pace at which data travels from the internet to your device. Streaming your favorite show, joining a video conference, or downloading a new app—all rely on your download speed. It’s what makes the wait for content to appear on your screen shorter or, at times, frustratingly long.
Mbps (Megabits per Second): This unit of measurement is the speedometer of the internet highway. Mbps quantifies how fast data is transferred to and from the internet. Higher numbers indicate faster speeds, ensuring that your online activities are smoother and less interrupted. Whether it’s a solo adventure online or a household’s collective digital activity, Mbps is a critical figure that shapes the experience.
Understanding these terms is more than an exercise in technical literacy; it’s about empowering oneself to make informed decisions about internet plans and usage. For those new to navigating the intricacies of internet plans or seeking to assist someone in their digital journey, the Carroll Technology and Innovation Council has launched an updated web page designed to demystify these concepts and help users navigate available internet plans.
In a time when digital access is a bridge to knowledge, opportunity, and connection, ensuring everyone can traverse this bridge is paramount. We invite you to explore our resources, deepen your understanding of the digital world, and share this knowledge with those embarking on their internet journey. Together, we can connect communities and create a more inclusive digital future.
Crafted with insights from ChatGPT 4.0, where artificial intelligence meets human curiosity.
January 11, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an Order informing that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is expected to end Spring 2024.
In 2021, Congress established the Affordable Connectivity Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and appropriated $14.2 billion for the program. The FCC was tasked to develop and implement the ACP as well as ACP outreach and awareness activities.
Since its implementation, over 22.5 million households nationwide, and more than 279,909 households across Maryland – 1 in 8 households – have utilized the program’s monthly $30-75 discount on internet service. District 2, comprised of parts of Carroll and Baltimore counties and small portions of the Baltimore city, has 30,153 households enrolled – 10% of all households.
The program is projected to run out of funding by April 2024. If this forecast is correct and no additional funding from Congress is received, we expect to see a statement from the FCC in March 2024, announcing the last fully funded month of the ACP.
Consumers must enroll in the program by February 7, 2024, 11:59 EST. Enrollment consists of ACP approval and enrollment with an internet company, so potential consumers should not delay in starting the process as it needs to go through FCC approval and internet service provider initiation.
All households enrolled in the ACP will continue to receive the benefit on their internet service until ACP funding. During the wind-down period, ACP households will receive notices from their internet company about the status and the impact of the ACP benefit ending:
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- Notification 1: Late January 2024, consumers will be updated about the possibility of ACP’s end and the potential bill impact.
- Notification 2: Fifteen days after FCC announces the last fully funded month of the ACP, consumers will be told of the ACP’s ending, date of the last bill ACP will be applied, cost of the bill without the ACP discount, and information about changing or stopping service.
- Notification 3: During the customer’s last bill or last billing cycle with ACP benefit, consumers will be reminded of the ACP’s ending, date of the last bill ACP will be applied, cost of the bill without the ACP discount, and information about changing or stopping service.
Internet service providers and U.S. Senators and Representatives are advocating for the continuation of internet service discounts to eligible households.
“Congress should continue to fund the ACP because Internet access has become essential to modern life, and one’s economic situation should not dictate whether or not they can participate in today’s economy,” said Kevin Brown of Quantum Internet and Telephone, a local family owned and operated Internet and telephone service provider based in Manchester, MD.
U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and U.S. Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) led their colleagues in the bicameral, bipartisan introduction of the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act (H.R.6929 / S.3565). The legislation would provide $7 billion for the ACP.
Digital equity organizations are showcasing the impact of ACP in hopes of displaying to legislators the power of the program for workforce development, community connection, and individual involvement in all sectors of life.
ACP Alternatives
Folks can also explore Lifeline, a federal program that helps limited income consumers pay for their telephone and internet services by providing a monthly discount. The cost of the program is shared by all telephone customers. In Maryland the program is called Tel-Life. You will sign up through a Lifeline provider company directly. Many companies advertise their Lifeline services, or you may find a list at www.lifelinesupport.org. When you sign up for Lifeline, you will need to provide full legal name, date of birth, last four digits of Social Security number, and address.
ACP Wind-Down Resources:
ACP Wind-Down Fact Sheet
ACP Wind-Down FAQ
Programa de Descuentos para Internet (ACP) hoja informativa sobre el fin del programa
We are not only connecting you to the digital world, but we are connecting people to people.
Diana Flores, CTIC American Connection Corps fellow, and Executive Director of ConectandoUs, reflects on the first CTIC Chromebook distribution event and looks forward to an upcoming Chromebook event and future community partnerships.
On December 19, 2023, we partnered with Find Your Purpose for our first Chromebook computer distribution event. At this event, we put computers in the hands of 70 Carroll County households, as well as connected them to digital skills and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) resources!
We were touched to see so many smiling faces and hear the importance of a new computer and these resources to recipients. People at looking for online jobs, families new to the country and the resources that live online, college students who had been doing all their schoolwork on their phone – and many more – received computers they can keep forever.
The power of a personal device for these individuals and their households is undisputedly valuable. According to research done by the University of California, Santa Barbara ownership of a device with a large screen (ie laptop, desktop) “provides a unique computing experience that cannot be replicated through public use of computers or shared devices”. With a personal device, users can navigate internet services and store data – without the restrictions of public spaces and shared devices. The possession of a computer, for all of us, is a connection to our increasingly digital world, and an invitation for full participation in the community, their personal development, and their professional development.
On January 15, 2024, we are partnering with Expanding Boundaries International to distribute Chromebooks at their MLK Day Family Learning Experience. On January 23, 2024, we are partnering with Mulligan Recovery Centers to host an ACP Sign-Up and Chromebook Distribution event.
Carroll County has been given the opportunity to grow through the ACP registration and Chromebook distribution events.
ACP is a Federal Communications Commision (FCC) benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more, by providing a monthly discount of internet service for eligible households.
We are able to distribute free Chromebooks for eligible households because of a grant awarded to the Carroll County Government and the Carroll Technology and Innovation Council by the state of Maryland.
When you attend one of our events, you step into a community-driven space where friendly faces are ready to guide you through understanding some of the resources that are available to you. The abundance of resources may feel overwhelming, but we want you to know that questions are not just welcomed but encouraged. Our commitment to empowering individuals goes beyond technology, it’s about ensuring that everyone feels supported and equipped to navigate the ever-evolving digital world.
As we reflect on past events and envision future ones, we recognize progress happens through collaboration. Our gratitude extends to our community partners and individuals who have helped us in our mission of “Moving Carroll Forward!” Every Facebook event share and conversation with a group is greatly appreciated.
Now, the CTIC asks you, what is your dream for your community, your family, and yourself? Consider the role that connectivity will play in shaping these aspirations and share your thoughts with us!
If you are interested in a new community partnership with the Carroll Technology and Innovation Council, you can connect with me, Diana Flores, at diana@carrolltechcouncil.org or info@carrolltechcouncil.org today!
Waited till the last second to get that perfect holiday gift? Coming up empty on ideas?
Fear not! Your friends at Carroll Tech have found the newest way of drumming up gift ideas for your long-lost uncle! Introducing the newest way to flood your brain with holiday gift ideas: ChatGPT.
If you are unfamiliar with ChatGPT, it is a free online service that you can use for most everyday purposes. With a built in AI (artificial intelligence), this service can give you answers and ideas to virtually anything. Need a recipe for some holiday cookies for your holiday work party? Boom, ChatGPT is on it. Perhaps you want a new workout plan for that New Years resolution, ChatGPT will give you an in-depth plan to start the new year off right.
There are plenty of ways to use this new and exciting service, but let’s focus on how we are figuring out that last holiday present for Grandma.
Step 1: Visit: https://chat.openai.com/ and login, or create an account. You can easily link your google account to ChatGPT for quick start-up. If you have any inquiries about security on ChatGPT please click here.
Step 2: Once signed in, you should see a screen that looks as such.
This is your home base for ChatGPT, where you will be inputting your holiday gift questions. Make sure to be precise as possible, and include some keywords that could spark some gift ideas (Sports, outdoors, gaming, art, etc.). Once you feel ready, go on and ask the AI for some ideas.
Step 3: Finding the right gift idea.
For my scenario I asked the AI to show me gifts for my grandma, who enjoys the Baltimore Ravens, as well as the beach. Depicted below shows just two of the ten results that ChatGPT generated.
In a very respectable manner I might add, the AI lists out multiple recommendations of gifts for me to consider for my Grandma and, honestly, this helped me out in a big way. Thanks, ChatGPT!
Artificial Intelligence may not be all the movies have made it out to be. Perhaps, it isn’t here to take over the world, just give you some last-minute holiday shopping ideas! Your friends at Carroll Tech hope that this has given you some relief, as the holidays have snuck up on us fast. Please enjoy yourself this holiday season, and we will see you soon in the New Year!
Every year, it’s certain someone will have to run out for a missed ingredient when the batter is half mixed and entree half cooked.
With so many recipes readying for the table and getting fixed up for family, friends, and neighbors, it’s too easy to leave an ingredient off the grocery trip list.
To avoid an eleventh-hour store visit during your holiday gathering – and the chaos that will inevitably greet you when you arrive to the grocery store holiday hassle – use ChatGPT to generate a list that don’t miss a thing.
- Simply, ask ChatGPT to “create a grocery list for me that will have all the ingredients in these recipes.”
- Copy and paste recipe ingredients from an online recipe or transcribe them from a cookbook. Enter the recipe ingredients as they are presented, with their specified amounts (eg 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 large yellow onion).
- Likely, ChatGPT will create grocery lists each time you submit a recipe. To get have them combined into one, once you’ve shared all the recipes you’d like, ask ChatGPT to “combine these shopping lists.”
- Then, you’ll see a combined grocery list of the recipes you shared. The one I got generated was even sorted by grocery store section! Grab, and go to the store confidently, knowing it didn’t miss a thing.
Some other useful ChatGPT prompts to prepare your mind and meaningful moments at a holiday gathering:
- What are some activities I can have planned or presented to keep ages 8-80 entertained while I cook?
- We want to eat dinner at 5:30. When should I begin cooking to have a full Thanksgiving dinner ready?
- You could add to this prompt by sharing recipes or the layout of what is available in the kitchen.
- What could I say to excuse myself from the gathering when I need a minute to myself?
- What are some Thanksgiving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages I should offer?
- What’s something unique I can cook for a Thanksgiving gathering?
What else will you ask ChatGPT for this year?
OSB has released the Maryland State Digital Equity Plan- DRAFT, and is requesting comments emailed through December 2, 2023.
The Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition (BDEC) has created an awesome share spreadsheet OSB- Public Comment Collection Spreadsheet where you can enter comments and see the comments of others by section of the plan.
Key portions of the Maryland Digital Equity Plan:
Pg 1-5 Section 1.1 and 1.2: Digital Equity Principles and Barriers (see also Table 1 – covered populations – the state is going to organizing funding around reaching these groups)
Pg. 6-10 Section 1.5: Implementation Plan
Pg 16-18 Section 2.3.1: Strategies for overcoming barriers
Pg 18-30 Section 2.2.3: Objections and performance indicators. NOTE: OSB has listed statewide percentages for each metric, but not provided any baseline numbers to the total improvements in each area, no breakdown by county, and are using data sources that aren’t very granular. And for almost all categories, the plan says the state has a very small digital equity problem.
Pg 32-44 Section 3.1.3: Chart of existing digital equity assets (i.e., programs and organizations) by covered population – if you provide digital equity services, make sure you are in here
Pg 48-54 Section 3.1.3: Chart of digital equity programs (if you run a large digital equity program, make sure you are in here)
Pg 63-76 Section 3.2: Chart listing the obstacles by covered population to achieving: broadband availability, broadband adoption, digital skills, online security, and device adoption.
Pg 69 Section 3.2.1 Covered Populations: The state seems to be stating that they couldn’t find reliable sources of data for Individuals with Language Barriers and Individuals Who Have Low Levels of Literacy, so they aren’t going to speculate. But it’s not clear whether in the charts that follow, the State is capturing the digital equity gap for these populations.
Pg 78-98 Please skim these charts. There are people with skills in statistical analysis who will be weighing in on the Plan. But look at the tables – in most cases the Plan is stating there is 20% gap or less between the covered populations and the rest of the state, i.e., that where 95% of the state has a specific type of digital service/device, 70% to 80% of covered populations have that same service. For example, see Table 33 on page 97 states the percentage of people have a computer or desktop by covered area:
- 92% of higher income compared to 65.7% of lower income people -26.3% differential)
- 89.7% of White compared to 85% of minorities (-4.7% differential)
- 89.1% of people without disabilities compared to 73.7% of people with disabilities (15.4% differential)
- 87.8% for people with English proficiency and 81.2% for English learners (-6.6% differential)
If, in your experience, the groups you serve do not have access to digital equity services and devices at these levels, the State needs to hear from you.
Also, compare the above data with Table 35, 36, and 37 on pages 154-158. These tables provide a breakdown of the number of computers by household by income, race/ethnicity, and at-risk status.
Pg 171 Table 41: Confidence using the internet by household income. There is a similar chart by age on pg 180, but no corresponding charts by race/ethnicity, language barriers, or education level.
Join us for the MDEC Listening session with the State and provide that feedback. If you have time, make comments in the shared spreadsheet provided by BDEC as well. Click here to join the MDEC or share with others.
Where are we going? And, who is taking us there?
We announced Jack and Diana joining the CTIC Team – two digital navigators with the American Connection Corps. What does a digital navigator do, you might be wondering? A digital navigator is a trusted guide who plays a crucial role in assisting community members in internet adoption and the use of computing devices, building relationships with partners and organizations and emphasizing the strengths of the community in the process.
Jack and Diana are here to help community members acquire affordable internet access, obtain suitable devices, and develop digital skills and intentional relationships with technology – digital inclusion work. Well-versed with digital equity resources, they empower individuals to leverage technology towards their ambitions.
Our digital navigators will be working on an asset map with digital inclusion resources in Carroll County. This asset map will include the digital inclusion programs the Carroll Technology and Innovation Council is developing, along with the work of our partners. Any organization can be orient their work towards digital equity as resource access and online collaboration can progress many goals.
On a typical day, our digital navigators can work on a variety of tasks including
- Planning or delivering instruction at a Senior Planet event
- In partnership with the University of Maryland Extension, we work in collaboration with Senior Planet to deliver workshops, lectures, and courses that progress the unique goals and ambitions of participants.
- Senior Planet programs are designed around five impact areas: financial security, social engagement, creative expression, health and wellness, and civic participation. These areas represent opportunities in the lives of older adults where technology can have a transformative effect. In essence, the programming invites participants to learn through technology – instead of just having them learn technology for its own merit and without relevant applications integrated into the instruction.
- Communicating with a Veteran as part of the Veterans Transition to Technology program
- The Veterans Transition to Technology programming is designed to assist in digital equity and inclusion efforts in Maryland by addressing the challenges our veterans face when seeking work and support. We provide them with the technology, training, and partnership needed to successfully navigate an increasingly digital world.
- Attending a digital equity training session
- Researching a blog or building digital equity resources
- Creating or attending device distribution events
- Planning community action days
- Mark those calendars for upcoming Electronic Waste Management events
- Dec 4 – McDaniel College
- Jan 13 – Carroll County location beyond Westminster, TBD
- Mark those calendars for upcoming Electronic Waste Management events
Digital Navigators are vital in our community to keep all community members connected. Connect with Diana at diana@carrolltechcouncil.org or jack@carrolltechcouncil.org today!
Word Bank:
Digital equity is when all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society.
The digital divide is what prevents interactions among and between communities and prevents participation and opportunity in all areas of life.
Digital inclusion refers to the intentional activities and investments that work to reduce and eliminate historical, institutional, and structural barriers to access and use of technology for all individuals and communities.