Estructura y actuaciones de la administración pública irlandesa para el desarrollo de la Sociedad de la Información. Análisis de experiencias TIC en la región de Shannon

Las medidas políticas adoptadas por el gobierno de Irlanda para desarrollar la Sociedad de la Información, coincidiendo con el final del siglo XX y el inicio del siglo XXI, han sido muy exitosas. El compromiso de esta región periférica de la Europa Atlántica con las Nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) se considera un factor fundamental en la evolución económica de Irlanda, que en los últimos años ha sabido progresar a un ritmo importante hasta posicionarse como la segunda economía de Europa en renta per cápita. La presente comunicación tiene por objetivo repasar las políticas para la Sociedad de la Información en Irlanda y valorar dos experiencias TIC, relacionadas con estas políticas, en la Región del Shannon. The political measures adopted by the government of Ireland to develop the Information Society, have been very successful. The commitment of this former peripheral region of Atlantic Europe to New Technologies of Information and Communication (ICT) considers a fundamental factor in the economic evolution of Ireland. Ireland has progressed at an important rate positioning itself as the second economy of Europe in rent. The present article reviews the policies for Information Society in Ireland and values two ICT experiences, related to these policies, in the Shannon Region

Territorial policy recommendations to emerge from the crisis

The ‘Europe 2020 Strategy’ was issued in 2010 by the European Commission. This document constitutes a growth scheme for the decade 2010-2020 that aims to help the European Union to emerge from the current crisis through the so-called smart, sustainable and inclusive dimensions of growth. In this context, the basic aim of the SIESTA (“Spatial Indicators for a ‘Europe 2020 Strategy’ Territorial Analysis”) Project has been to illustrate the territorial dimension of the ‘Europe 2020 Strategy’. In other words, to show how this document acts territorially, particularly at the regional scale, but, when possible, also at the urban level. The SIESTA Project has been funded by ESPON (“European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion”), a European Commission Programme whose mission is to support policy development in relation to the aim of territorial cohesion and a harmonious development of the European territory. This book includes most of the main findings and conclusions obtained through research of the SIESTA Project. The contents were presented and discussed as keynote addresses or communications at the SIESTA Final Conference held in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, on 4-5 April 2013

XII Congreso de didáctica de la Geografía. Madrid, octubre de 2018

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Social Sciences Teaching: Building a Holistic Approach from Student Teachers’ Social Representations

This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sciences Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century[Abstract] The dynamics that today’s society is facing require critical citizens capable of understanding the complexity of problems from their various dimensions. This work aimed to investigate the social representations that future primary school teachers have about socio-environmental problems, sustainability, purposes of socio-environmental education, and strategies to train in Global Citizenship Education and in Education for Sustainable Development. An exploratory case study was carried out, framed in an action-research approach in the classes of Social Sciences Teaching of the Primary Education Degree of two universities in Galicia (Spain): the University of A Coruña and the University of Santiago de Compostela. A quantitative and qualitative analysis was developed by applying a questionnaire to a sample of 200 students. The results showed that students focus on problems such as climate change or environmental pollution, leaving aside issues such as social inequalities, poverty, or gender issues. In addition, they have difficulties in recognizing the strategies by which teachers can provide their students with critical thinking that leads to social transformation. Significant differences were observed in some researched aspects according to the university of origin, the grade, and the gender of the students, with gender being the one that influenced the greatest number of questions.This research was funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union within the action KA2—Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices—Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education, grant number 609897-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-J

Notes for a didactic model of critical geography. Analysis and evaluation of a classroom experience with university students from Galicia (Spain)

This article presents a didactic model of critical geography, based on instruction recommendations for the teaching and learning of geography and social sciences. This is all with a very clear idea: to depart from a descriptive and reflective geography and move to an active and critical geography. Geography in which students participate in the construction of knowledge and increase their ability to reflect on geographical issues. The proposed didactic model drives active and critical geography in the classrooms. It starts with the analysis of territorial problems in Europe and makes them the object of research and reflection. The idea is not to dictate geography in classrooms but to introduce methodologies, resources and sources to carry out geographic research with students. With this idea in mind, the second part of the article examines the value of our didactic model through the analysis of fifteen research projects on European natural spaces carried out in the academic years of 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 with 74 university students in training to be geography teachers in secondary education. The results show that the students’ didactic expectations grow when given geographic research to do as teaching practice.This research has received funding from the Programme for Research, Development and Technological Innovation oriented to the Challenges of Society (CSO2016- 75236-C2-1-R) and the National Plan of R&D from the Spanish Government (EDU2015-65621-C3-1-R) co-financed with ERDF funds from the European UnionS

ICT Inequalities in the Spanish Urban System

In the current Information Society cities enjoy a privileged position when it comes to transport and communication infrastructures. The post-industrial society has brought with it a notable change, changing from an economy based on the production of merchandise to another based on the production of services. The metropolitan areas act as key areas and markets for predominant sectors, such as finance and specialised services for business. In another way, big cities fulfil new roles in the global economy of the Information society, operating as command points in the world economy. They bring equipment together highly-qualified workers, they are big information and knowledge consumers and have been able to reinvent themselves, changing from industrial to cultural cities. They are, as well, ideal areas for big telecommunication companies and they are, for this reason, those who most benefit from information and communication technology. An important social area difference has then been introduced, with respect to other urban areas of lesser importance, or rather, with respect to rural areas that stay on the margin of the new technology revolution. In this context, it is right to ask what is happening in Spain. Why are ICT inequalities happening in Spain? Are there urban system differences before the arrival of the Information Society? Can it be said that Spanish urban areas are consolidated in the Information Society? In this article we try to outline the reality of the immersion the Information Society in the Spanish urban system, and, in the same way, bring to light a new idea of „Digital Divide‟, amongst those sectors of the population that make the most of all or a great part of the potential new technology offers and those that limit themselves to using the most basic functions, such as looking up information and using communicationS

Enseñanza y aprendizaje de Ciencias Sociales en Educación Primaria. Una investigación cualitativa con docentes de Galicia

Presentamos un estudio cualitativo relacionado con las principales metodologías didácticas utilizadas en la enseñanza de las Ciencias Sociales en educación primaria, indagando sobre el uso o utilización de métodos, estrategias, procedimientos, recursos didácticos y fuentes de información. Los resultados de nuestra investigación muestran una diversidad muy destacada, incluso entre escuelas que comparten una misma identidad territorial.We present a qualitative study on main didactic methodologies used in the teaching of Social Sciences in Primary Education. Research has been done into methods used, strategies, procedures, teaching resources and sources of information. The results of our research clearly highlight diversity, even among schools sharing the same territorial identity.S

Teaching and learning landscape in primary education in Spain: A necessary curricular review to educate citizens

The study of landscape is not new, nor is society’s concern for the environment. It occupies a central place in teaching geography and offers many opportunities for the integration of one’s own contents of geographic education. Landscape must be presented as a portion of space on the Earth's surface where natural elements and the actions of human beings interact, a complex reality where nature and culture mix. Knowing a landscape means more than knowing a portion of the territory, it also implies understanding the social groups and peoples that inhabit it. In this regard, and in addition to the study of exceptional, singular, or exotic landscapes, it is necessary to value the importance of ordinary landscapes close to schoolchildren. In this article, a curricular review of primary education in Galicia (Spain) is carried out with the aim of knowing how the study of landscape is approached, also taking into account the guidelines set out in the basic curricula at the national level

Cartografía temática y recursos TIC en la enseñanza y aprendizaje de la Geografía regional de Europa

En este artículo presentamos una experiencia de aula con alumnos universitarios en formación para profesores de geografía de educación secundaria, partiendo de una propuesta didáctica basada en la cartografía temática (Eurostat, ESPON, ESPON-SIESTA y el Atlas de la Sociedad de la Información en Galicia) y los recursos TIC (fuentes estadísticas, bancos de imágenes gratuitos, fotografía aérea, Google Earth y Google Maps). El objetivo de esta propuesta es utilizar contenidos sobre la geografía regional de Europa como base o punto de partida para mostrar una serie de recomendaciones didácticas para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la geografía y las ciencias sociales. Y todo con una idea muy clara, pasar de una geografía descriptiva y memorística a una geografía activa y crítica, en la cual el alumnado participa en la construcción del conocimiento y aumenta su capacidad para reflexionar sobre cuestiones geográficas. Los resultados de la experiencia pondrán de manifiesto el valor de estas herramientas en la educación secundaria. Previamente, también valoramos la presencia de la cartografía temática y los recursos TIC dentro del currículo oficial de Galicia para enseñar geografía en la educación secundaria obligatoria. La idea es profundizar en el valor del currículo en clave didáctica, saber qué herramientas ofrece, cómo las ofrece y con qué intenciones. Esta solución, entre otras oportunidades, nos permitirá la identificación del currículo con un modelo de enseñanza concreto. Por otra parte, también nos dará la oportunidad para reprender con dureza todas las propuestas que consideremos erróneas, repetitivas, o bien con escaso valor didáctico

La olvidada geografía rural en el currículo y manuales de la educación secundaria

La presencia de la geografía rural en el currículo y en los manuales de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y del Bachillerato es muy escasa y las alusiones que se encuentran sobre el medio rural llevan implícita una asociación con el sector primario en general y el agrario en particular. Entre los contenidos que se recogen en el currículo para los diferentes cursos de la educación secundaria están el estudio de la población española, su distribución y su dinámica, los movimientos migratorios y el proceso de urbanización, mientras que no hay referencia alguna al envejecimiento y declive económico de muchas de las áreas rurales en España en las últimas décadas del siglo XX debido al intenso fenómeno migratorio hacia las ciudades. Sin embargo, se señala entre los estándares de aprendizaje un aspecto tan complejo como resumir los elementos que diferencien lo urbano y lo rural en Europa. Los libros de texto siguen la misma línea marcada por el currículo y omiten todo lo que respecta al estudio de las dinámicas del medio rural y las transformaciones que tuvieron lugar en las últimas décadas. No se puede explicar el fuerte proceso de urbanización a nivel regional, nacional y europeo sin tener en cuenta los cambios que han tenido lugar en estas áreas. El estudio del medio rural no debe pasar desapercibido en las aulas de secundaria, y en especial, sus nuevas dinámicas derivadas de la difusión de las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación