Boletín Informativo

Culture: Uniting Us and Preparing Us for the Future

Our Guest Editor this month is the well-known writer and journalist Tomás Eloy Martínez, who was recently awarded the Alfaguara Prize for novels and currently directs the Latin American Studies program at Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA), where he is a distinguished professor and resident writer. With a view to an ever-changing world that is increasingly more unbalanced, information tends to level things. While on the one hand it does not resolve the issues regarding the dignity of life – such as access to health, education, housing and work – it does tend to even out the borders of other cultures and create a homogenous culture, one in which only very few people exist. Resolving this conflict, and determining how ICTs can play a role, is the main challenge for the future.

http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial/jun04.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=36&childindex=0

2004 Award for Innovative Education in the Americas (INELAM)

The Jury has announced that the 2004 INELAM Prize will be awarded to two institutions: the Omar Dengo Foundation of Costa Rica for the project "Robotics and Learning by Design" and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile for "Portable Technology in the Classroom" for their contributions to the transformation of teaching and learning through the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the classroom at the primary and secondary levels, respectively.

The Prize is being sponsored this year by e-Libro (http://e-libro.com). Both institutions will receive the INELAM trophy, a diploma, a digital seal, roundtrip airfare to Barcelona and 3 days of per diem, and $1,000. The awards will be presented during the V International Conference on Education, Professional Development and Information Technologies, Virtual Educa on June 16-18 in Barcelona, Spain.

In addition, the Jury decided to award Honorary Mentions to various initiatives that are making significant contributions to educational development through the use of ICTs. These are: "Red TELAR (All on the Network)" of Argentina; "Digital Geo-Technologies at the Secondary Level" of the Universidade do Vale do Paraiba (UNIVAP) of Brazil; and "Virtual School" of Caldas, Colombia. Each institution will receive a diploma.

The Jury was composed of representatives from E-Brary/E-Libro, Global Foundation of Democracy and Development (GDFF), OAS, Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE), Secretariat of Ibero-American Cooperation (SECIB), Trust of the Americas and UNESCO. The announcement for the 2005 Award will be made public in September.

http://www.educoas.org/Portal/en/premio/premio_2004_resultados.aspx?culture=en

Central America: Quality in Basic Education course (6th edition)

Registration for the online course "Quality in Basic Education" is open through July 16 for citizens or permanent residents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama who are primary or secondary-level educators. Through a donation from the JP Morgan Foundation, INEAM will provide complete financial assistance in the amount of $260 for 100 people from Central America to participate in the course.

http://www.educoas.org/portal/ineam/cursos/calidad_6edicion.aspx?culture=en

Universities and the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE): Special Course Registration

Within the framework of a cooperation agreement signed with the IOHE, the IACD/OAS is making the Educational Portal of the Americas, its services and Virtual Classroom available to universities affiliated with IOHE for use in their own countries and areas of expertise. It is hoped that in the future they will act as associate institutions for the administration of several courses that are currently offered through the Portal. As a part of this strategy, a special announcement has been made available to the universities of the region in order to train their teachers in the area of "Improving the Quality of Basic Education". It is hoped that the universities will train their personnel not only in the conceptual and methodological aspects of the course, but also in the use and administration of the virtual platform.

http://www.educoas.org/portal/ineam/cursos/calidad_7edicion_oui.aspx?culture=en

Logical Framework System for the Design and Preparation of Projects: Onsite Workshop

The participants of the V International Conference on Education, Professional Development and Information Technologies, Virtual Educa to be held on June 16-18 in Barcelona, Spain will have an opportunity to participate in a workshop being organized by Yacsire Cutler of the IACD/OAS. The workshop will train representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations of the region on how to prepare project proposals using the technique followed by many international organizations. Since the workshop will be interactive in nature and will include practical exercises, limited space is available. Those who are planning to attend the Virtual Educa event in Spain may either register by clicking on the link below or by signing up directly in Barcelona if space is still available.

http://www.educoas.org/Portal/newsdetail.aspx?culture=es&id=428&cultureshow=1&topindex=1

INEAM News

Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and current member of INEAM's Board of Directors, was elected President of the Dominican Republic on May 16. Dr. Fernandez, a fifty year old attorney and writer, is a law graduate of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo where he received the "J. Humberto Doucudray" prize for outstanding student. A noted professor, he has given classes in the UASD and in the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLCASO) in sociology, journalism law and international relations. Among his recent works are "Los Estados Unidos en el Caribe: De la Guerra Fría al Plan Reagan" and "Raíces de un Poder Usurpado". In addition, his graduate thesis "El Delito de Opinión Pública" is one of the most requested texts from journalism students. Dr. Fernández has spoken in many regional and international forums regarding the importance of ICTs for distance learning and was a founding member of INEAM.

ICTs for Higher Education

The III Inter-American Seminar on Information Technology Applied to Education: Challenges in the Future of New Information Technologies for Higher Education, is being organized by the IACD/OAS and the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (OUI) together with the International Association Virtual Educa, and will be held at the University of Barcelona, Campus Plaza Universidad, Edificio Josep Carne, Gran Via de las Corts Catalanes n 575, Barcelona. Twenty scholarship recipients from 15 countries of the region will participate in the seminar, which will reflect on the use of new technologies in the public sector as well as in the university setting.

http://www.educoas.org/portal/docs/III_SEMINARIO.doc

Presentation of Virtual Educa 2004

On May 12 in the Salon Bolivar of the Palacio Linares of Madrid, Spain, the Fifth Virtual Educa 2004 was presented before diplomats, representatives of governmental organizations, universities, civil society organizations and press. The presentation was presided over by Fernando Villalonga, Director of the Telefónica Foundation, together with members of the OAS, the OEI, SECID, UNED and the International Association Virtual Educa, who referred to different aspects of the meeting to be held in Barcelona on June 16-18.

http://www.virtualeduca.org/2004/es/contenidos/spfotos.htm

IACD/OAS: New Authorities

Dr. L. Ronald Scheman ended his mandate as Executive Secretary for Integral Development and Director General of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development on May 7. He was given a plaque of honor from the Secretary General of the OAS, Dr. César Gaviria, during a special ceremony. Dr. Alfonso Quiñónez, who was Director of Cooperation Policies of the IACD, has been named acting Director General. Dr. Quiñónez, a Guatemalan and attorney, has held many different diplomatic posts and collaborated in the establishment of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, as well as in the foundation of the OAS cooperation agency.

Quality of Teaching through New Technologies

Applications are still being accepted for the workshop "Improving the Quality of Teaching through the Use of New Technologies" for citizens of the English-speaking Caribbean. The workshop will take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 2-6, 2004 and is being organized by the Institute of Studies for the Americas (INEAM) and the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education. The workshop, which will be offered in English, aspires to help educational leaders from the Caribbean explore and value multimedia-based and Internet-based opportunities to enhance their teaching practices. The scholarships will cover economy roundtrip airfare from the country of origin to the Trinidad, as well as a stipend for lodging and meals. INEAM/IOHE will present the participants with a certificate upon their successful completion of the workshop. For additional information click here.

We appreciate your interest and participation in the activities of the Educational Portal of the Americas. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please send all messages to portal@oas.org. If you have received this message in error and would like to cancel your free subscription, please send a message to portal@oas.org and include "Cancel Newsletter Subscription" in the subject window.



	*Click here to see previous Newsletters*
	June News: Culture: Uniting Us and Preparing Us for the Future 2004 Award for Innovative Education in the Americas (INELAM) Central America: Quality in Basic Education course (6th edition) Universities and the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE): Special Course Registration Logical Framework System for the Design and Preparation of Projects: Onsite Workshop INEAM News ICTs for Higher Education Presentation of Virtual Educa 2004 IACD/OAS: New Authorities Quality of Teaching through New Technologies
	Culture: Uniting Us and Preparing Us for the Future Our Guest Editor this month is the well-known writer and journalist Tomás Eloy Martínez, who was recently awarded the Alfaguara Prize for novels and currently directs the Latin American Studies program at Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA), where he is a distinguished professor and resident writer. With a view to an ever-changing world that is increasingly more unbalanced, information tends to level things. While on the one hand it does not resolve the issues regarding the dignity of life – such as access to health, education, housing and work – it does tend to even out the borders of other cultures and create a homogenous culture, one in which only very few people exist. Resolving this conflict, and determining how ICTs can play a role, is the main challenge for the future. http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial/jun04.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=36&childindex=0 2004 Award for Innovative Education in the Americas (INELAM) The Jury has announced that the 2004 INELAM Prize will be awarded to two institutions: the Omar Dengo Foundation of Costa Rica for the project "Robotics and Learning by Design" and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile for "Portable Technology in the Classroom" for their contributions to the transformation of teaching and learning through the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the classroom at the primary and secondary levels, respectively. The Prize is being sponsored this year by e-Libro (http://e-libro.com). Both institutions will receive the INELAM trophy, a diploma, a digital seal, roundtrip airfare to Barcelona and 3 days of per diem, and $1,000. The awards will be presented during the V International Conference on Education, Professional Development and Information Technologies, Virtual Educa on June 16-18 in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, the Jury decided to award Honorary Mentions to various initiatives that are making significant contributions to educational development through the use of ICTs. These are: "Red TELAR (All on the Network)" of Argentina; "Digital Geo-Technologies at the Secondary Level" of the Universidade do Vale do Paraiba (UNIVAP) of Brazil; and "Virtual School" of Caldas, Colombia. Each institution will receive a diploma. The Jury was composed of representatives from E-Brary/E-Libro, Global Foundation of Democracy and Development (GDFF), OAS, Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE), Secretariat of Ibero-American Cooperation (SECIB), Trust of the Americas and UNESCO. The announcement for the 2005 Award will be made public in September. http://www.educoas.org/Portal/en/premio/premio_2004_resultados.aspx?culture=en Central America: Quality in Basic Education course (6th edition) Registration for the online course "Quality in Basic Education" is open through July 16 for citizens or permanent residents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama who are primary or secondary-level educators. Through a donation from the JP Morgan Foundation, INEAM will provide complete financial assistance in the amount of $260 for 100 people from Central America to participate in the course. http://www.educoas.org/portal/ineam/cursos/calidad_6edicion.aspx?culture=en Universities and the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE): Special Course Registration Within the framework of a cooperation agreement signed with the IOHE, the IACD/OAS is making the Educational Portal of the Americas, its services and Virtual Classroom available to universities affiliated with IOHE for use in their own countries and areas of expertise. It is hoped that in the future they will act as associate institutions for the administration of several courses that are currently offered through the Portal. As a part of this strategy, a special announcement has been made available to the universities of the region in order to train their teachers in the area of "Improving the Quality of Basic Education". It is hoped that the universities will train their personnel not only in the conceptual and methodological aspects of the course, but also in the use and administration of the virtual platform. http://www.educoas.org/portal/ineam/cursos/calidad_7edicion_oui.aspx?culture=en Logical Framework System for the Design and Preparation of Projects: Onsite Workshop The participants of the V International Conference on Education, Professional Development and Information Technologies, Virtual Educa to be held on June 16-18 in Barcelona, Spain will have an opportunity to participate in a workshop being organized by Yacsire Cutler of the IACD/OAS. The workshop will train representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations of the region on how to prepare project proposals using the technique followed by many international organizations. Since the workshop will be interactive in nature and will include practical exercises, limited space is available. Those who are planning to attend the Virtual Educa event in Spain may either register by clicking on the link below or by signing up directly in Barcelona if space is still available. http://www.educoas.org/Portal/newsdetail.aspx?culture=es&id=428&cultureshow=1&topindex=1 INEAM News Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and current member of INEAM's Board of Directors, was elected President of the Dominican Republic on May 16. Dr. Fernandez, a fifty year old attorney and writer, is a law graduate of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo where he received the "J. Humberto Doucudray" prize for outstanding student. A noted professor, he has given classes in the UASD and in the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLCASO) in sociology, journalism law and international relations. Among his recent works are "Los Estados Unidos en el Caribe: De la Guerra Fría al Plan Reagan" and "Raíces de un Poder Usurpado". In addition, his graduate thesis "El Delito de Opinión Pública" is one of the most requested texts from journalism students. Dr. Fernández has spoken in many regional and international forums regarding the importance of ICTs for distance learning and was a founding member of INEAM. ICTs for Higher Education The III Inter-American Seminar on Information Technology Applied to Education: Challenges in the Future of New Information Technologies for Higher Education, is being organized by the IACD/OAS and the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (OUI) together with the International Association Virtual Educa, and will be held at the University of Barcelona, Campus Plaza Universidad, Edificio Josep Carne, Gran Via de las Corts Catalanes n 575, Barcelona. Twenty scholarship recipients from 15 countries of the region will participate in the seminar, which will reflect on the use of new technologies in the public sector as well as in the university setting. http://www.educoas.org/portal/docs/III_SEMINARIO.doc Presentation of Virtual Educa 2004 On May 12 in the Salon Bolivar of the Palacio Linares of Madrid, Spain, the Fifth Virtual Educa 2004 was presented before diplomats, representatives of governmental organizations, universities, civil society organizations and press. The presentation was presided over by Fernando Villalonga, Director of the Telefónica Foundation, together with members of the OAS, the OEI, SECID, UNED and the International Association Virtual Educa, who referred to different aspects of the meeting to be held in Barcelona on June 16-18. http://www.virtualeduca.org/2004/es/contenidos/spfotos.htm IACD/OAS: New Authorities Dr. L. Ronald Scheman ended his mandate as Executive Secretary for Integral Development and Director General of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development on May 7. He was given a plaque of honor from the Secretary General of the OAS, Dr. César Gaviria, during a special ceremony. Dr. Alfonso Quiñónez, who was Director of Cooperation Policies of the IACD, has been named acting Director General. Dr. Quiñónez, a Guatemalan and attorney, has held many different diplomatic posts and collaborated in the establishment of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, as well as in the foundation of the OAS cooperation agency. Quality of Teaching through New Technologies Applications are still being accepted for the workshop "Improving the Quality of Teaching through the Use of New Technologies" for citizens of the English-speaking Caribbean. The workshop will take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 2-6, 2004 and is being organized by the Institute of Studies for the Americas (INEAM) and the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education. The workshop, which will be offered in English, aspires to help educational leaders from the Caribbean explore and value multimedia-based and Internet-based opportunities to enhance their teaching practices. The scholarships will cover economy roundtrip airfare from the country of origin to the Trinidad, as well as a stipend for lodging and meals. INEAM/IOHE will present the participants with a certificate upon their successful completion of the workshop. For additional information click here. We appreciate your interest and participation in the activities of the Educational Portal of the Americas. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please send all messages to portal@oas.org. If you have received this message in error and would like to cancel your free subscription, please send a message to portal@oas.org and include "Cancel Newsletter Subscription" in the subject window.