ICT Training of Maestros of Primary Schools Located in Barrios Carenciados in Argentina : A Twofold Challenge: How They Can Master New ICT Technologies and Transform the Way They Teach

Internet access is becoming available in many schools of Argentina´s educational infrastructure. This represents a challenge for the primary school teachers. They have to teach children digitally motivated, visually stimulated and socially connected yet most teachers have been exposed very little to ICT technologies. An important task is how to train these teachers that not only need to master the new ICT tools in very short time but also transform the way they teach, guide their students and interact with their communities. Schools in poor neighborhoods (barrios carenciados) unfortunately do not receive the full capacity that today´s technology can provide, nor in resources or support. This makes the challenge particularly difficult and their training should prepare them for this situation. In this paper we describe the work of two years in Escuela 502, where we have implemented state of the art multimedia laboratory in order to research possible alternative training methodologies. We describe results from the innovative experiences obtained and point that online learning technologies can serve as a powerful and cost effective tool to carry out teachers training.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

The global information technology report 2014

Executive summary When The Global Information Technology Report (GITR) and the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) were created more than 13 years ago, the attention of decision makers was focused on how to develop strategies that would allow them to benefit from what Time Magazine had described as “the new economy”: a new way of organizing and managing economic activity based on the new opportunities that the Internet provided for businesses. At present, the world is slowly emerging from one of the worst financial and economic crises in decades, and policymakers, business leaders, and civil society are looking into new opportunities that can consolidate growth, generate new employment, and create business opportunities. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) continue to rank high on the list as one of the key sources of new opportunities to foster innovation and boost economic and social prosperity, for both advanced and emerging economies. For more than 13 years, the NRI has provided decision makers with a useful conceptual framework to evaluate the impact of ICTs at a global level and to benchmark the ICT readiness and usage of their economies

e-Literacy, schools and municipalities towards a common goal : e-citizenship

Tese de doutoramento, e-Planeamento, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Universidade de Aveiro, 2015International guidelines advocate for citizens participation in government decision-making processes through information and communication technologies mediated by the Internet (e-governance and e-government). However, the levels of youth participation are still unsatisfactory, and international studies show little effectiveness of media literacy education in Portugal, underlying electronic participation literacy. Consequently, the research question—“How can education for media literacy be conducive of a participatory e-citizenship among young people?”—engaged in light of the mismatch between e-governance strategies with regard to young people’s civic engagement, on the one hand, and young people’s perceptions of themselves as e-citizens on the other. The study population consisted of 12 mayors and 12 municipal technicians, two formal youth institutions, 12 directors of public secondary schools, and 131 teachers and 1392 students of 11th and 12th grade. The data was obtained through questionnaires, interviews, and website analysis. A mixed methods approach allowed the conclusion that weak e-governance political goals aimed towards young people allied with weak educational citizenship and media literacy strategies determining the young people’s informal and formal online participation. In support of this, 14.5% of the variance (R2=0.145,F(4)=38.22, p<0.001) of their levels of formal online participation is predicted by regular meetings with mayors, students’ levels of media literacy, students’ informal online participation, and students’ perceptions of their possibility to participate. In addition, 15.7% of the variance (R2=0.157, F(4)=47.45, p<0.001) of students’ levels of informal online participation is predicted by students’ formal online participation, students’ levels of media literacy, and the opportunity to participate in action and innovation projects at school. Students’ formal online participation is also positively correlated with students’ perception of possibility to participate [r(1136)=0.114, p<0.001] and their mobile Internet access [r (912)=0.073, p=0.028].Diretivas internacionais preconizam a participação dos cidadãos através da governança e governo eletrónico. Contudo, os níveis de participação jovem continuam não satisfatórios e estudos internacionais evidenciam pouca eficácia da educação para a literacia mediática em Portugal, literacia subjacente à participação eletrónica. Consequentemente, a questão de investigação “Como é que a educação para a literacia mediática pode conduzir a uma cidadania eletrónica participativa dos jovens?”, teve subjacente uma incompatibilidade entre as estratégias de e-governança com relação à participação cívica dos jovens, e por outro, as perceções dos jovens de si mesmos como cidadãos. A população do estudo foi constituída por 12 presidentes de câmaras municipais e 12 técnicos camarários, 2 instituições formais de juventude, 12 diretores de escolas secundárias publicas, 131 docentes e 1392 alunos do 11º e 12º ano). Para a obtenção dos dados optou-se por questionários, entrevistas e análise de páginas de internet. A metodologia mista aplicada permitiu concluir que os fracos objetivos políticos de governança eletrónica dirigida aos jovens aliados às fracas estratégias educacionais de cidadania e literacia mediática afetam a participação formal e informal online dos jovens, pois 14.5% da variância (R2=0.145, F(4)=38.22, p<0.001) dos seus níveis de participação formal online tem como previsores os encontros regulares com presidentes de câmara, os seus níveis de literacia mediática, a sua participação informal online e as suas perceções de possibilidade de participação e 15.7% da variância (R2=0.157, F(4)=47.45, p<0.001) dos seus níveis de participação informal online tem como previsores estatísticos a sua participação formal offline e online, os seus os níveis de literacia mediática e a possibilidade de participarem em projetos de ação e inovação nas escolas. Mais, a sua participação formal online está também positivamente correlacionada com a perceção de possibilidade de participar [r(1136)=0.114, p<0.001] e com o acesso móvel à internet [r (912)=0.073, p=0.028].Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), SFRH/BD/78276/201