Informative ReadingsDevelopment Gateway Special Report: "Information Society: The Next Steps"

Development Gateway Special Report: "Information Society: The Next Steps". Development Gateway. Online December 2005. Communities; special report featuring the information society is online now. As economic and social gaps continue to widen for those without access to information, this report will look at how the information and communication technologies (ICT) landscape is changing in the developing world and what lies ahead. The report was timed to coincide with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) from Nov.16 to 18 in Tunis, Tunisia - and will remain online until January 15. It includes interviews on effective policies, promising applications and innovative business models with experts such as Charles Geiger, Executive Director, WSIS Executive Secretariat; Pierre Guislain, Manager of Global ICT Division, World Bank Group; Aimal Marjan, National ICT Advisor, Afghan Ministry of Communication; Sam Pitroda, Chairman, Indian Knowledge Commission; Danilo Piaggesi, Chief of IT for Development Division, Inter-American Development Bank; M.S. Swaminathan, Founder, Swaminathan Research Foundation; and Jimmy Wales, Co-Founder, Wikipedia. The report also includes collections of documents, case studies, statistics, surveys and research and statistics on tools and applications.

ICT SupportMost Important Infotech Stories of '05

Most Important Infotech Stories of '05. Kate Greene. MIT Technology Review. Online December 2005. From silicon photonics to social computing, Technology Review picks five of this year's most significant advances in information technology.

ICT SupportBest Webcams

7th Annual Selection of World's Best Internet Cameras. PRNewswire. Online December 2005. EarthCam, the world's favorite webcam network and recognized authority on the Internet camera industry, has released its seventh annual list of the world's best webcams. This year's 25 Most Interesting Webcams includes a global cornucopia of live cameras from countries that include Austria, Egypt, England, France, Japan, Spain, Sweden and the United States. These unique live Internet cameras offer viewers access to the Great Pyramids, koala and panda bears, swimming piranhas and African elephants. Other webcams invite you to tour Valencia, Spain via 50 scenic network cameras, witness being booked into jail or even tour Elvis' Graceland mansion.

ICT SupportShaqa'iq Launching in Middle East Schools.

Shaqa'iq Launching in Middle East Schools. Kidz Online newsletter. Online December 2005. As part of the Palestinian and Jordan Education Initiatives, we are launching our women’s empowerment and career planning curriculum into 1,500 schools in the West Bank and Gaza as well as 100 Discovery schools in Jordan. The video series highlights successful women from various Middle Eastern countries encouraging young girls to stay in school and strive for careers. The videos also encourage men to be positive role models, providing the support women will need to increase gender equality throughout the region. The lessons are available online in both English and Arabic and are also available by ordering a binder of the materials. While designed to accompany the Arabic interviews, the materials can be a valuable addition to any life skills lesson. ... Kidz Online has provided a total solution for teachers from all Arab countries. Check out the lessons at www.Kol-Shaqaiq.org. Our Teacher’s Toolkit provides extensive lesson plans derived from the videos and step-by-step instructions for integrating Shaqa’iq into your classroom.

Note from Ginny

Welcome back and thank you for your patience during the no-new-postings weeks of December. All members of our "No time? Drop a dime." email notification group will receive an automatic two-month extension on your yearly membership as thanks and a holiday gift. Best wishes to all for a successful 2006 in your education reform work. Cheers/Ginny