ICT SupportFor some educators, tagging is 'it': New way to find and store information online has implications for schools

For some educators, tagging is 'it': New way to find and store information online has implications for schools. eSchool News staff and wire service reports. Online February 2006. A new way of searching the web that has emerged in the last year or so makes it easier than ever to find, store, and share information online. Supporters of the method, known as "tagging," say it could have broad implications for educators looking to direct students quickly and easily to more relevant information on the internet. … teachers can use Del.icio.us to get information to their students on particular topics … have the students create free accounts on Flickr and upload their photos to the Flickr server. They could then tag the photos with the name of the concept they illustrate …

Update from country(Egypt) HP, NEPAD e-Africa Commission and Government of Egypt sign MoU for NEPAD e-schools project

(Egypt) HP, NEPAD e-Africa Commission and Government of Egypt sign MoU for NEPAD e-schools project. Albawaba. Online February 2006. HP (Hewlett Packard) has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Egypt and the e-Africa Commission, paving the way for the launch of the third NEPAD e-School in the Northern African region. The objective of the NEPAD e-schools initiative is to supply African schools with an educational technology solution including computer hardware, software, Internet connectivity, technical support and teacher training. …

ICT SupportWi-Fi to Go: The Hot Spot in a Box

Wi-Fi to Go: The Hot Spot in a Box. Divid Pogue. NYTimes. Online February 2006. You know what would be so cool? A portable Wi-Fi hot spot. … you'd travel with a little box. Plug it into a power outlet …you and everyone within 200 feet could get onto the Internet at high speed, without wires. … Actually, such boxes exist. … Wi-Fi lets lots of computers share the same Internet signal. Cellular PC-card service is very expensive: $60 a month for unlimited use (USA). That's a lot to pay for a single computer to go online. A mobile router opens up that signal to any computer within about 200 feet; $60 a month is a lot more palatable when 10 or 20 of you are sharing it. ...

Informative ReadingTechnology's Promise in Project-Based Learning

Technology's Promise in Project-Based Learning. Theresa Gilly and Ben Daley. Education Week. Online February 2006. Educators from High Tech High, a San Diego-based (USA) charter school that emphasizes project-based learning, discuss the role of technology in project-based models.

Informative ReadingComputers make for chatty children

Computers make for chatty children. Mark Henderson. The Times London. Online February 2006. Studies: Online time promotes children's social skills. While many adults fear that kids who surf the Internet for hours risk becoming antisocial, two recent studies suggest instead that the online time helps them develop their interpersonal skills and their sense of identity. Northwestern University Justine Cassell believes today's young people are getting just as much practice in leadership, social skills and community engagement as previous generations did before the Internet existed.

Informative ReadingAn Administrator's Guide to Change Management.

An Administrator's Guide to Change Management. Benjamin B. Rudd. Tech Learning. Onlne February 2006.Technology in education has reached a critical transition point … A change has yet to occur for educators who refuse to see the value of utilizing these new innovations to enhance professional practice, leaving students inadequately prepared for the new digital reality. … Change occurs whether we like it or not. Schools, teachers, administrators, students, parents, and all other stakeholders in education must come to grips with this fact right away or face being disappointed time and again. …

ICT SupportPCs for the poor: Which design will win?

PCs for the poor: Which design will win? Michael Kanellos. CNET News.com. Online February 2006. It's easy to list the benefits of bringing inexpensive computers to the billions of people who live in rural villages and urban centers in the developing world. … Village computers allow kids to take classes in areas where schools have closed and let adults learn pricing strategies for their agricultural products. A van rigged with a satellite connection and printers produces inexpensive books for kids in Uganda. … In some countries, like Egypt, a growing technology base holds the promise of a rising middle class, and eventual political stability. … Designing machines that are resilient, powerful and cheap enough to reach those not yet online, though, has proven a lot tougher than expected. … Recently, some new ideas have come to the forefront. … a quick rundown of their pros and cons: …

Informative ReadingE-Leadership: What Role Can it Play in Development?

E-Leadership: What Role Can it Play in Development? Development Gateway. Online February 2006. Two Perspectives on How E-leadership can Accelerate Development. Compelling, creative and effective leadership … is particularly scarce in mainstreaming ICT in development, given the recent emergence of this challenge and the pace of change in ICT. This presents special challenge to developing countries where investments in ICT are growing exponentially and failures in ICT projects are relatively high. …

Update from ProjectSchools are Wired, Teachers Innovate: E-School Makes an Impact

(Macedonia) Schools are Wired, Teachers Innovate: E-School Makes an Impact. DOT-Com Alliance. Online February 2006. Information Communication Technologies (ICT), if appropriately deployed, can bring about new and innovative teaching and learning practices among educators and students. Dot-EDU’s E-School project in Macedonia is pioneering uses of ICT for improved teaching and learning--and is demonstrating quantifiable impact. …

Update from CountryEgypt's goal: To be the land of offshoring

(Egypt) Egypt's goal: To be the land of offshoring. Andy McCue. ZDNet. Online February 2006. Egypt is making a pitch to be the next offshore outsourcing hot-spot, claiming that its foreign language skills and low labor costs put the country in a strong position to compete with India and Eastern Europe. …

Update from ProjectOne Laptop Project reaches critical stages

One Laptop Project reaches critical stages. Chris Barylick. UPI. Online February 2006. The One Laptop Per Child project … has moved closer to completion … has reached several of its goals with full manufacturing and distribution of the units due in about 12 months time. … The current design of the machines, which feature about 25 percent of the parts of a standard laptop computer, includes a 500 MHz AMD processor, 128 megabytes of RAM, a 500 megabyte Flash-based memory drive, Linux-based operating system and dual mode display capable of acting as both a brightly lit color LCD monitor as well as a contrasted black and white reader capable of clearly displaying text in direct sunlight. The units will also feature dual power supplies in the form of a standard AC connector as well as a small kinetic crank on the side of the machine that can be turned to build a charge in locations where electricity might be unavailable or unreliable. …

ICT supportGlobal Monitoring Report: Interactive GMR data statistical tool.

Global Monitoring Report: Interactive GMR data statistical tool. UNESCO. Online February 2006. Extensive data on Education for All in some 180 countries is now available in a click with the new search tool on the Global Monitoring Report website. This tool, developed by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in partnership with the EFA Global Monitoring Report team, is based on the data contained in the 2006 statistical annex tables. It enables you to search by table, theme, indicator, country and region, and to export results into an Excel format.

Update from DonorFunding ICT for Development. Interview: Walter Fust, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Funding ICT for Development. Interview: Walter Fust, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Development Gateway. Online February 2006. Development Gateway interviewed Walter Fust, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) as part of its Special Report, "Information Society: The Next Steps". The report looks into how information and communication technologies are contributing to social and economic development. In this interview, Walter Fust talks about SDC's priorities for ICT as a development tool.

Update from DonorFunding ICT for DevelopmentInterview: Bernard Mazer, United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Funding ICT for Development. Interview: Bernard Mazer, United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Development Gateway. Online February 2006. As part of its Special Report, "Information Society: The Next Steps", the Development Gateway interviewed Bernard Mazer, Chief of the ICT team within the Infrastructure and Engineering Office at USAID. The report looks into how information and communication technologies are contributing to social and economic development. In this interview, Bernard Mazer talks about USAID's priorities for ICT as a development tool.

Update from country(Egypt) In Egyptian schools, a push for critical thinking

(Egypt) In Egyptian schools, a push for critical thinking Sarah Gauch. Christian Science Monitor. Online February 2006. … Egypt begins reforming a pedagogy based on rote memorization and test-based grading systems. Starting this school year, exams will together make up only half of the youngest primary students' yearly grades - the other half will come from activities like drawing, music, and acting. "The door for human development and improving competitiveness is education," says Hossam Badrawy, the education committee chair of Egypt's ruling party. "The core of tolerance and democracy is education. This is the most important way to change the life of this country." …

Informative ReadingStudy: 'Power Users' drive pedagogy

Study: 'Power Users' drive pedagogy. Robert Brumfield. eSchool News. Online February 2006. Research suggests tech-savvy students are having an impact in the classroom. … Students who excel in the use of technology are driving change in classroom instruction, according to a new survey of educators. Dubbed "Power Users," these ultra tech-savvy students have a growing influence over what--and how--teachers now teach, the survey said. … The study was carried out by Certiport Inc., a provider of technology training, certification, and assessment solutions, and the Education Development Center Inc. (EDC) ...

ICT SupportTechnology victim: Western Union sends its last telegram

Technology victim: Western Union sends its last telegram. Todd R. Weiss. ComputerWorld. Online February 2006. Once a staple of American communications, the telegram died quietly last week. … After more than 155 years during which it delivered millions of telegrams around the world, bringing news of births, deaths, weddings, wars and more, Western Union delivered its last telegram messages last Friday, ending a means of communication that began before the U.S. Civil War. …

Update from Country(Egypt) Davos sings a new tune

(Egypt) Davos sings a new tune. Nihal Saad. Al Ahram. Online February 2006. Unemployment and FTA with the US dominated the Egyptian delegation's stay in Davos … The annual World Economic Forum held in Davos has had a change of heart this year, abandoning to some extent its traditional role as the talking shop of the rich to focus more on socio-economic issues … The (Egyptian) delegation also met Klaus Schwabb, CEO of the Davos Forum, to discuss preparations for the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, to be hosted by Egypt from 20-22 May. The forum -- "The Promise of a New Generation" -- will focus the problems facing the young. … "E-ing is a sine qua non of Egypt's transformation," Nazif said. "We have jumped 10 points in our e-readiness." … In addition a public--private partnership with IT multinationals has paved the way for the launch of Egypt's Education Initiative, part of the Global Education Initiative launched in Davos two years ago.

ICT SupportThe Laptop vs. Cell Phone Debate

The Laptop vs. Cell Phone Debate: The cell phone offers an interesting alternative to the $100 laptop; however, the economics don't add up. Eric Hellweg. MIT Technology Review. Online February 2006. At the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last week, a fissure appeared over what technology would be most effective in improving education in the third world. On one side: the highly-publicized One Laptop per Child Project (usually just called the "$100 laptop"), spearheaded by Nicholas Negroponte of MIT's Media Lab. On the other: a cell phone featuring PC capabilities, an idea that's being promoted by Microsoft. ...
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ICT SupportTechnology to Help Struggling Students

Technology to Help Struggling Students. Heidi Silver-Pacuilla and Steve Fleischman. ASCD. Educational Leadership. February 2006. Vol.63 #5. Online February 2006. Many technology features that were originally developed to help people with specific sensory impairments are now widely in use. … study showed that experiencing the text bimodally (visually and aurally) enabled poor readers to perform as well as skilled readers in word recognition and retention. …