Dear DDN Community,
Last week, Hakikur Rahman of the UNDP's Sustainable Network Development
Programme in Bangladesh posted a summary of SNDP activities in
Bangladesh, and mentioned their collaboration with Relief International
- Schools Online (RI-SOL). I would like to follow up on his posting with
a bit of information about RI-SOL's activities in Bangladesh with regard
to IT and education sectors.
First, a little background: What is RI-SOL?
Relief International - Schools Online (RI-SOL) is an international NGO,
which formed from the merger of the Los Angeles-based relief and
development agency Relief International (RI, http://www.ri.org) and the
Palo Alto-based Schools Online (SOL, http://www.schoolsonline.org). RI’s
expertise is in the implementation of community development programming.
Since 1990 RI has worked in “bridging and transitional” programs working
with and supporting communities and societies in transition from crisis
through to recovery and development and from centralized systems to
sustainable market based democracies.
Schools Online was founded in 1996 as a philanthropic concern of several
highly influential members of the IT community in Silicon Valley. Since
then SOL has been a leader in the propagation and integration of IT in
learning. Over 5,700 schools in the US (principally in the Appalachia
and Indian reservations) and 1,300 schools in almost 40 countries have
benefited from the provision of computers and Internet connectivity. In
the last three years SOL has developed a new emphasis and taken the lead
in the IT learning sector by complementing its provision of appropriate
technology and Internet access with an extensive teacher professional
development program. To ensure long-term sustainability, all programs
are designed with the participation of teachers, schools administrators,
local communities, and the relevant governmental agencies.
What are RI-SOL's activities in the IT and education sectors in Bangladesh?
RI-SOL is establishing Internet Learning Centers (ILCs) in secondary
schools throughout Bangladesh. These ILCs are designed to function as
sustainable telecommunications centers serving both school and community
users. The intention is to couple computing and communication capability
with educational objectives. To that end, RI-SOL has worked closely with
the Bangladeshi Ministry of Education to complement existing academic
programming. Instruction of teachers and school administrators is a
prominent part of the project. Through this program, RI-SOL hopes to
introduce teaching methodologies that promote student participation,
creativity, and analytic thinking skills. Students at ILCs participate
in project-based and collaborative learning projects, often in
conjunction with other ILCs throughout the world. RI-SOL implements its
own syllabus and assists teachers in integrating technology into their
existing curricula. Presently, RI-SOL has established ILCs in six
regional core schools, with eleven additional schools participating as
partner institutions. In all, the project affords internet access to
more than fifteen thousand Bangladeshi students through sixty-eight
workstations. These numbers will increase this Fall as a second phase
pilot begins in Chittagong, in which fourteen core schools will join the
network, with the addition of 120 workstations.
A major component of the project is the Global Connections and Exchange
Program (http://www.connect-bangladesh.org), an intercultural program
sponsored by the United States Department of State's Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs. This program enhances youth
educational opportunities by facilitating access to technology and
Internet resources, by providing extensive teacher training, and
collaborative online projects for students. The project develops civic
participation and engagement among youth through educational projects
based on community involvement, global citizenship, and awareness of
current events, and cross-cultural issues. The goals of the project are:
1) to train educators to use computers and the internet in classroom
teaching; 2) to partner Bangladeshi and US schools on student-centered
civic education projects and teaching exchanges; 3) to provide public
access and programs for community members and disadvantaged groups; and
4) to develop sustainable practices for schools and communities.
So far, within this program, schools have participated in projects
comparing food and folklore around the world, looking at the role of
media in society, and exploring ways in which youth can become involved
in community service through volunteerism and community projects. Future
modules will address other academic and social topics, many of which
will be flavored by development issues and millennium development goals.
This program is, in a sense, a virtual student exchange program, in
which students can meet and exchange ideas with other students all over
the world. Beyond the virtual exchange, RI-SOL is involved in several
real world exchanges. As part of the Global Connections and Exchange
Program, teachers from Bangladesh are now visiting the US, studying
teaching methodologies at UCLA. Later, US teachers will make a
reciprocal visit to Bangladesh to share best practices and observe
teaching in Bangladeshi schools. Students from the US and Bangladesh
will also participate in the LINC (learning, individuals, knowledge &
culture) program, also sponsored by the US State Department. In this
program, eight students from each country will visit their partner
country for three weeks as part of an immersive experience to promote
cultural exchange.
RI-SOL's IT and Education programs in Bangladesh are funded by the US
Department of State, Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau, the
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Global Catalyst Foundation,
and the Mahadunnabi Chowdhury Foundation.
Jack Welch, M.D., Ph.D.
Country Director, Bangladesh
Relief International - Schools Online
880-173-032-998
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list
[email protected]
http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide
To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE
in the body of the message.
