April/May News:
Our Topic of the Month for May refers to the challenges posed by growing economic and social asymmetry, which creates a dilemma for electronic government initiatives in process. On the hand desirable community spirit exists that can use electronic government as a tool for citizen service, and on the other the underlying bureaucracy that can use electronic government as a means to preserve bureaucratic interests. Perhaps the answer to this dilemma is in a formative project that inspires confidence, conscientiousness, and commitment of all electronic government actors to benefit the citizens.
http://educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial2005/may05.aspx?culture=en&navid=36
Although we must save energy, we need to realize that replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy will not be sufficient if we do not modify our world vision, our perception of the problems and their real impact. While it is extremely important to change the energy system, more urgent is the need to change radically our system of values. We must redefine the concept of progress. The idea of unlimited progress should be replaced by an awareness of the need to impose limits on demand, consumption of natural reserves and squandering of resources. For more information, visit our topic of the month for April:
http://educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial2005/abr05.aspx?culture=en&navid=36
The deadline to present nominations for the 2005 INELAM Prize is Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. (WDC). The 2005 Prize will recognize the efforts made by universities or centers of excellence of Latin America and the Caribbean in the development of Digital Libraries. The Prize will be presented during Virtual Educa 2005 (see additional information below). As in previous years, INEAM will also award prizes in the areas of educational quality, social responsibility and corporate social responsibility. INELAM 2005 and distinctions are being sponsored by REDOX Multimedia.
Work is currently underway to open two Regional Academic Centers of INEAM. The first will be located at the Universidade do Sul de Santo Catarina (UNISUL) in Florianópolis, Brazil, and the other at ISTEC headquarters at the University of New Mexico, USA. In addition to having local facilities for meetings and events, the Centers will host a mirror of the Portal and develop promotional and training activities on a subregional basis. Other centers may later be opened in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, among others.
Last November 10-13, the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) organized the "V Ibero-American Gifted and Talented Congress". The purpose was to exchange experiences, discuss ideas and present news regarding gifted, talented and creative youth. More than 600 people from different countries of the region attended. The purpose of the event was to establish lines of action that stimulate the re-conceptualization of intelligence, giftedness, creativity, talent, thought processes, identification of gifted children and youth, academic programming, educational legislation, specialized curriculum, behavioral training, and others. The UTPL, together with INEAM and IOHE, are considering development of an online professional training activity regarding this topic. The university website will publish the results of the Congress shortly.
INEAM’s New Educational Offerings
In the framework of activities planned for 2005-2006, the following online courses are currently in progress: Aprovechamiento Enérgico de la Luz Solar, Introducción a la Metrología: Metrología para no Metrólogos, Agua Segura para Todos, Técnicas Avanzadas de Oxidación de Agua [TAOs], Mejoramiento de la Calidad en PYMES, Gestión de Programas y Proyectos Sociales, Educar en la Diversidad, Seminario Avanzado sobre Bibliotecas Digitales, Introducción a la Enseñanza para la Comprensión, Matemáticas Preuniversitarias, Gestión Ambiental del Ecoturismo, Bibliotecas Digitales: Introducción a su estudio y práctica, Microelectrónica aplicada a Sistemas de información, Auditoría de Gestión, Evaluación y Certificación de Competencias Laborales, y Democracia y Gerencia Política.
The first general online teacher training course trained 107 educators from 18 countries. Due to its success, another edition of the course is being planned for the near future. The purpose of the course is to develop the teaching abilities and skills needed for an online teaching and learning environment in order to guide and facilitate learning activities, as well as guide, support and evaluate the academic progress of the participants. It is hoped that this course will help to train tutors of Portal courses in different thematic areas.
The first meeting of INEAM’s Governing Council will be held from July 11-15 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. A working group of university representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Central America, Andean countries, Carribean, Mexico and the United States will study the work agenda and formulate recommendations on INEAM’s political framework and structure. The results will be presented during the second meeting of INEAM’s Governing Council that will take place within the framework of the XIV Bi-Annual Congress of IOHE (October 2-5, 2005) in Florianopolis, Brazil for approval from the university presidents that make up INEAM’s Governing Council.
The Ibero-American Forum on Cooperation for Virtual Training took place on April 6-7 at the Casa de América in Madrid, Spain. The meeting brought together representatives from different countries of the Hemisphere, including non governmental organizations, businesses and members of multilateral observer organizations. Among other activities, the International Association Virtual Educa and OEI announced the creation of a Central American Institute for Professional Training and Virtual Techniques at OEI headquarters in El Salvador. In addition, the IBERPYME program (Latin American Economic System), headquartered in Caracas, announced the establishment of a strategic alliance between both programs to train small and medium-sized businesses.
http://www.iberforum.org/entrar.html
VI Ibero-American Convention on Managing Quality
The Ibero-American Foundation on Managing Quality (FUNDIBEQ) announced that the VI Ibero-American Convention on Managing Quality will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in May. Presentations will be made regarding case studies that were awarded the "Ibero-American Prize for Quality".
http://edinet.renfe.es/renfe/front/jsp/index.jsp?idsite=9906195249661
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