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About Ken Young and Web Words | Community Networking | Links on the Web
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Meet Ken Young

I have a background in teaching (Bachelor of Education - graduating from the old Melbourne State College in 1977) I have always been interested in 'Alternative Education' I taught at schools like Ardoch High School, Swinburne Community Schools (Junior and Senior), Huntingdale Technical School as as well as a number of country schools - Wangaratta High School, Benalla Technical School and Benalla High School.  In the 80's I was teaching 'computers' (networks of Micro Bee's and Apple IIe's) along with history and politics.  I have always been interested in understanding the individual and social implications of new technologies.  Three early influences on my thinking were.

Firstly the regular input from the ABC Radio Science Show presenter Robin Williams as he interviewed a range of thinkers in this field from Barry Commoner to Ralph Nader but for me most importantly Mike Cooley of the Lucas Aerospace Workers combine - (I later read his book Architect or Bee? The Human / Technology Relationship 1982 0-89608-131-1) Cooley urges us to take another look at this thing called progress, to strip away the technological jargon, and to penetrate the ideological haze that clouds our view.  He talks of empowering people to use technology to right social ills and to do as little harm as possible to the environment.

Secondly a book by Ernest Friedrich Schumacher, which was complied several years after his death, called "Good Work" this had a profound influence on my thinking about the world of work and why we need ethical dimensions in the work place.  I read his more widely know book "Small is beautiful" (which was re-released in 1999 as a 25th Anniversary Edition with commentaries from different thinkers evaluating the legacy of E.F. Schumacher) subsequent to "Good Work". Another key book in similar vein was "The Future in Our Hands" by Erik Dammann which has a very strong environmental message.

Thirdly two teaching colleagues Ted Seaborn and Gary 'Gus' Guest.  Ted apart from being my Vice Principal at Huntingdale Technical School was also my Form 5 (Year 11) Social Studies teacher at Sandringham Technical School who inspired me to want to be a teacher and to in Teds' words "unshackle the minds of future generations - what could be a more important task".  And Gus who talked about how and why people want to learn and finding the key for each individual.  They inspired me to want to change things and see new horizons.

Through my teaching career I involved with the students who were falling out of schools and becoming homeless.  I worked on setting up a Youth Accommodation service at Huntingdale Technical School.  I was then seconded out of teaching and into the field of youth homelessness. In 1989 I set up the Office of Youth Affairs Frankston-Mornington Peninsula Youth Homelessness Taskforce.  I then went on to become the State Manager of the Youth Homelessness Taskforce program until the new Kennett Government disbanded the program in 1992.  Therefore ending my secondment ended and as there were no vacancies in my original school I resigned and have generally worked full time in the community sector since then. Particularly in the area of Community based lifelong learning and information Justice. I have also had experience as a Cluster Manager at Chisholm Institute of TAFE, managing community development and welfare courses.

Fast forward to the 1990s and the Internet

I have been involved in working with the internet and teaching people to build web pages and build online communities since 1996.  In fact I made my first web page in April 1995 whilst I was working at the Community Development and Learning Centre in Wonthagghi.  I was first introduced to the Internet by Alan Tonkin from the CAE I just went WOW.  I could really see the potential of this tool and wanted to learn right then what I have to do to be able to use it.  I then spent an intensive period of self directed learning to get the basics of HTML whilst reading as much as I could.  In February 1996 I was employed by the Carringbush Library to be the Project Officer for a LEAP (Landcare & Environment Action Project - a training and development program of the Commonwealth Government targeted at long term unemployed young people) Project to put the Librarys' historical photographic collection up on the Yarranet Web site.  I worked intensively with a dedicated bunch of young people using an inadequate network of 3 computers to build the site.  I learnt about handling graphics in different formats and compressing them for the WWW, CGI scripts, PERL language and the basics of mounting databases on the WWW.  I have to add I am not a technologist or a particularly dedicated "Code Monkey" but I wanted to get my hands dirty.  Since then I have been very involved in the community use of the Internet and the social equity dimensions involved building an online world. As a culmination of this I have become involved in the Global Community Networking Partnership.

On a personal note

I am married and balance my time between Melbourne and Manchester. I have two grown up children Fiona and Lewis of whom I am very proud. One is engaged in higher learning and the other in the IT industry.

Web Words

Is a small private consulting firm providing advice to community based organisations and local government authorities in the use and development of Information and Communication Technologies to improve business information processes and service delivery for clients.

My Clients have included:

Follow the Various Projects Link for more information about some of these and my involvement in them.

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If you are interested here is a short C.V.

Kenneth Young

Education:

Bachelor of Education (Arts)
Melbourne University 1977

Current Position:

Special Interest / Expertise:

Skills and Experience:

Committee Member:

Conference Presentations:

Community Work:

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The URL of this page is http://www.yarranet.net.au/webwords/about-ken-main.htm
Copyright Ken Young   ©1999 - 2003
This document was prepared by Ken Young  April 2003.
Please read disclaimer before acting on information listed at this site.
For further Information Email Ken Young.