Technology Can Fight Literacy, Create Profits

Sept. 13, 2009 - PRLog -- Writer D.L. Shiloh's grandfather was a factory worker, born in 1905, lived in a time when the landscape of industry and workers was different than 2009. Shiloh said his grandfather could "read about only headlines. Back then he found a sustainable living. But in the 21st century he would be so limited. We start off great (with teaching kids about Reading) but lose them later. The bottom line is that if we have a literate society it will help us compete in the global economy."

According to a 2009 IES (United States Institute of Education Sciences) study, one in seven adults in the United States cannot read a news article. That statistic appalls D.L. Shiloh, who has spent the last six years working in a northern Illinois high school. Shiloh makes a call for educators to be more creative and lenient in what they offer middle school and high school students. He thinks creators, such as creative counterparts, should do their part and should think of the big picture. The American imagination is perhaps the strongest tool the world has ever seen and we're letting it atrophy. It just makes great business sense to develop it."

Shiloh knows of the challenge of modern times.

"As much as I love Shakespeare and Voltaire, I see the challenge in getting teens to make the leap from elementary school," Shiloh said. "You have a tidal shift from elementary to middle school for so many reasons. The love and fun of reading you fostered gets lost. Students need to understand how Reading can get them a job. Otherwise it's just homework and all they do is want to escape the grind of learning."

Budgets prohibit wide use of new media for learning and a common sight is seeing teachers pay for things out of pocket. Textbooks and licensing make costs skyrocket.

"How does a typical student spend the day? They arrive in school with ear buds attached to an MP3 player, they just texted someone on their cell phone and when they get home they're more likely to want to get on the computer or game system than crack open a book. The bell rings. 'Everyone open their big book and begin reading Chaucer.' There has to be a better solution we can walk to that helps everyone."

Homefield Multimedia, Shiloh's company, is currently developing products that use new media technology, publishing books, MP3s, CDs and DVDs. Investors and developers may contact Homefield Multimedia at bessamail@yahoo.com.

Link to 2009 U.S. study: http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/index.aspx

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Homefield Multimedia is a multimedia group using new media technology, publishing books, CDs and DVDs.