April 2006:
As in years past, the Jury for the Award for Educational Innovation in the Americas (INELAM) met during the months of March and April to study the nominees for the categories: Inter-American Informatics, Educational Quality, Social Responsibility and Corporate Social Responsibility to recognize achievements in the field of socio-educational development through the use of ICTs. The winners of all categories will be announced shortly. In addition, the winner of the INELAM 2006, directed towards recognizing educational portals in Latin America and the Caribbean, will be announced next month.
ICTs in Artistic and Cultural Education
The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC), together with the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Americas of the OAS (INEAM/OAS), organized an inter-American seminar on the role of new information and communications technology in the area of artistic and cultural education. From March 22-24, 18 presentations and case studies were presented given from various perspectives. The event was attended by a select group of specialists and professionals from 15 countries of the region who established the framework for different models and programs to disseminate and manage culture through ICTs.
Contest: Research Projects for Youth
The Regional Dialogue for an Information Society (DIRSE), is announcing a contest for projects on Strategies to Develop an Information Society for Areas of Latin America and the Caribbean with Limited Resources.
DIRSE is composed of academic researchers of various disciplines throughout Latin America and the Caribbean who are dedicated to studying the challenges posed by the development of an information society and the problems and solutions needed for public policy and regulation. One of DIRSI’s main objectives is to promote research between young researchers interested in the regulatory challenges resulting from the development of the information society. As a result, DIRSI is announcing this contest for research scholarships to young investigators (under 35) to develop projects in the following areas: 1) Demand analysis: What is digital poverty and how do we measure it?; 2) Supply analysis: New models of property and network management; 3) Universal service; and 4) Regulatory tools to promote access, participation and empowerment of poor sectors.
Three scholarships will be awarded in the amount of US$5,000 each. The winners will also receive additional funds to finance their participation in an international conference to present the result of their work. The proposals will be received only by e-mail at the following address: fjgutierr@gmail.com. The deadline is Monday, April 30, 2006 before 5:00 p.m. (GMT-4, Chile). For additional information, please refer to the links below.
http://www.dirsi.net/index.php
http://www.dirsi.net/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=65
The Ibero-American Forum of New Technologies, Virtual Educa Caribbean 2006, will be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from April 24-28 to demonstrate how technologies can be used to create productive employment and promote the integral development of the country. The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE) organized the event, in which authorities from the areas of education and technology, business and academia will participate with a view to promoting the country’s economy through the creation of employment via ICTs. The meeting is being organized as part of Virtual Educa 2006 (www.virtualeduca.org), the Program related to the Ibero-American Summit that carries out professional training and ongoing development.
http://www.funglode.org/FunglodeApp/
In order to promote development of Open and Distance Education in the region, the University of Morón of Argentina has created the Masters in Distance Education. The purpose of the program is to offer academic and professional training with a high degree of specialization in Distance Education, specifically geared so that participants develop the knowledge and competencies necessary to prepare and implement research projects, design and manage distance learning systems, integrate the use of new technologies and communication, and evaluate the quality of institutions and programs. The Masters program is accredited by the National Committee for University Evaluation and Accreditation.
http://www.unimoron.edu.ar/espa/principal.aspx
During the recent LinuxWorld conference in Boston, some large businesses were skeptical of the MIT initiative to provide low-cost computers to students. Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the non-profit association “One Laptop Per Child”, refuted the criticism and presented additional information regarding the project’s advances.
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/41836.html
http://laptop.org/index.es.html#
Technological Innovation for the Disabled
Three students from La Plata, Argentina have developed a software to improve the educational quality of disabled youth from the Province of Buenos Aires by allowing them to operate a computer keyboard with any part of their body. The initiative, which allows the disabled to write without using a conventional keyboard, has been implemented in 15 schools throughout the province. The software consists of an on-screen keyboard and connectors that allow a person with disability to operate the keyboard and PC using any part of the body. This initiative is part of an idea presented in the framework of the Program Em-Tec, promoted by the Ministry of Production of Buenos Aires and the Economic Confederation of the Province of Buenos Aires.
http://www.diariohoy.net/notas/verNoticia.phtml/html/223333/
Organized by the Virtual Educa Association of Brazil (AVEB), this event was held April 5-7 in São José dos Campos (São Paulo), Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP), to discuss the role of new technologies in the field of human development. The event served as a framework to promote Virtual Educa 2006, as well as to establish the preparatory work for the 2007 event, of which AVEB will be host.
http://www.sed.univap.br/aveb/
Pirating of Educational Content
Microsoft announced that they will re-issue an anti-pirating initiative called “Genuine Microsoft Software”. According to Microsoft, the campaign will combine education, engineering and control methods to avoid the proliferation of pirated copies of its software. As a result, and as part of its educational plans, Microsoft plans to inform its users of the possible dangers associated with the illegal downloading of software, including viruses and spyware.
http://digital.telepolis.com/cgi-bin/reubica?id=362711&origen=EDTecnologia
This event will take place in Córdoba, Argentina from April 4-9. Its objectives are to create the conditions so that organizations and institutions have the knowledge and experience to analyze alternatives, evaluate proposals and make better decisions regarding e-learning for education and training. In addition, the event proposes to present different cases and problems and share the different ways in which they can be faced and overcome, and in the process create a space for debate with interested actors from various different sectors.
http://www.cordobalearning.com.ar
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