Distance Education via radio and TV programme to improve literacy
The first distance learning video was produced by Educational Radio and Television ERTV and shown to representatives of the Italian government, UNESCO and MSPA. A large group participated in a presentation managed by Educational Radio Television (ERTV).
The Educational Radio and Television ERTV project, funded by the Italian Government, started in 2003 and has seen UNESCO support a range of reconstruction and training activities to help the Ministry of Education achieve its goal of providing education to Afghans in all parts of the country. Given the mountainous landscape and the difficulties many people face in attaining an education, distance education via radio and TV programmes is seen as a key medium to improving literacy and providing access to information.
Cyberschoolbus launches new live video chat feature
The United Nations Cyberschoolbus has added a new feature called ‘live video chats’ that will allow teachers and students around the world to see and hear up to four guest speakers at a time and interact with them live from the comfort of their desktop or laptop computers.
The UN Cyberschoolbus website aims to raise awareness about key issues such as international affairs, peace and security as well as bring together diverse communities of students and educators from around the world. Within the website there are a number of activities and projects that teach students about global issues in an interactive, engaging and fun way.
BETT 2008 showcases talking pen
Move the pen over a word, sentence or picture and the student hears the words spoken by a native speaker.
One of the world’s largest educational technology events, BETT 2008 took place in January 2008, at Olympia London and demonstrated the latest ideas for employing information and communication technology in learning.
Mantra Lingua, manufacturers of Talking Pen Francais feel, the pen can bridge the gap between traditional classroom language learning and the practice pupils may need to improve understanding and pronunciation.
Another innovation which has caught the eye of schools is online test results. Cambridge Assessment and Harcourt Publishing are launching an online assessment programme which they believe will help pupils to make progress by providing instant feedback and lesson plans.
Attracting 700 educational suppliers and close to 30000 visitors, BETT brought together the global teaching and learning community for four days of innovations and inspirations. BETT is organised by Emap Education, part of Emap Communications and Emap plc. and is sponsored by BESA (the British Educational Suppliers Association).
US government to support education in Ghana
The Ghanaian Embassy in the United States announced that plans were afoot for the U.S government to help improve the Ghanaian educational system under the U.S President’s Special Initiative on Educational Programmes.
From May 7 to 9, the US State Department, in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Communications, will hold a Telecommunication Conference in Accra, which was expected to attract experts of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from West Africa and the rest of the world.
98% of Irish schools now have broadband
Some 98% of Ireland’s primary and secondary schools now have broadband connectivity following an investment of €18m by telecoms companies and the Government in the Schools Broadband Access Programme, the Telecoms and Internet Federation (TIF).
The Schools Broadband Access Programme launched in 2004 is a joint approach between TIF and the Government to ensure that every primary and secondary school in the country has broadband. They jointly committed €18m to the rollout of broadband to all primary and secondary schools: €15m provided by five member companies of TIF and €3m from Government.
