The book covers the experiences gained and lessons learned in SchoolNet operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.  SchoolNets are  tremendously transformative in  nature as they cover       nationwide and international networks of schools,  teachers, parents and resources, forums, database, teachers training,  and collaborative projects between schools and nations.  The book is divided into eight chapters. Each chapter discusses the lessons learned under varying  aspects of SchoolNet. In the chapter one of the book, the rational behind  the SchoolNet operation has been discussed. A SchoolNet with a strong  foundation that is grounded on a solid rationale and a unified set of objectives is better able to put its networking operations on target. The second chapter is on policy and  development support that mentions the role of School Nets in national  policy and programme on ICT use in education. SchoolNets have the  advantage of being a part of the government system or bureaucracy  and its role is further enhanced in the national ICT policy if there are  adequate inputs from the stakeholders, and if their level of involvement is high. This chapter  also discusses on leadership and distributed leadership roles. It further  discusses about the importance of awareness and advocacy.  The third chapter of the book focuses on Management, organisational structure, partnership and financial  stability lessons. Here the book  nalyses the importance of range of  organisational structures, personnel requirements, budgetary resources  and requirements, partnership in the SchoolNet, provision of SchoolNet,  operating guidelines,  institutionalisation and sustainability,  synergies with other national andregional SchoolNet programmes. In the fourth chapter of the book infrastructure and connectivity aspect of SchoolNet has been covered. In the fifth chapter, emphasis has been given  on the aspect of curriculum integration, content development and knowledge management where suggestions have been given on integrating curriculum integration, pedagogy and ICT.

In chapter six of the book, troubleshooting and maintenance aspects have been covered. In the seventh chapter analysis has been  done on the teachers’ training programme.  In the last chapter of the book suggestions have been given on  research, monitoring and evaluation process. This part of the book comes up with suggestion on the  performance indicators, saying, a set of key performance indicators should be developed and applied accordingly  in order to determine the success of SchoolNet operations.  In each chapter of the book all five  countries have been covered under above mentioned aspects separately  and lessons learned in these countries have been discussed by putting  details about experiences gained in various programmes conducted in SchoolNet operations.  The book contains vital lessons and suggestions on improving the  performance of SchoolNet operations in Asia Pacific region. This is certainly  an important resource for the practitioners who are involved in the reform process of SchoolNet  programme and also for those who are key observers of SchoolNet  programmes.

Computer that reads mind
An “emotionally aware” computer being developed by British and American scientists will be able to read an individual’s thoughts by analysing a  ombination of facial movements that represent underlying feelings. It could also be useful in  online teaching to show whether someone understands what is being  explained and in improving road safety by determining if a driver is
confused, bored or tired.  The scientists, who are developing the technology in collaboration with  researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the  US, hope to get it to accept other inputs such as posture and gesture.
ICT training available for persons with disabilities
In this age of information technology  (IT), disabled persons in the country are not being left behind, as they too   re being afforded the opportunity to learn valuable computer skills. This is being facilitated through the Jamaica  government’s Information and  Communication Technology (ICT) Training for Persons with Disabilities  Programme, which is currently being   run by the National Youth Service  (NYS). Some 50 disabled persons are currently enrolled in the programme  across four sites – the Social Development Commission’s office  complex in Spanish Town, the Jamaica Society for the Blind in Kingston, the  Lister Mair Gilby Senior School for the Deaf, and the Waterford High School  in Portmore, St. Catherine. It is anticipated that training opportunitie  would include Microsoft as well as CompCIA computer certification, which is involved in over 250 countries around the world.

Department of Technology  in Education wins IT Education Award
The Department of Technology in Education (DTiE), Education Division within the Ministry of Education, Malta recently won the IT Education  Award for their ICT Automated

Testing System (SSr).
This award was part of the National  ICT Achievements Awards (NICTAA) organised by the Computer Society of  Malta. A team of ICT support teachers
for the Secondary Sector at the DTiE, Floriana, have over the past two years  eveloped a multi-user Automated  Testing System. This assessment method, called SSr, automatically presents questions to the candidates who answer them hands-on using the  computer. Veterinary education moves  into ‘virtual’ age
A groundbreaking initiative spearheaded by the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, in  partnership with seven sub-Saharan African universities will combat neglected animal diseases that affect poor farmers by providing advanced  training for vets using online learning. The African Universities Veterinary e-  Learning Consortium (AUVEC) will be launched soon to build up the African  animal health sector. AUVEC will offer new courses using a blend of  traditional teaching and e-learning for
undergraduate and post-graduate vet students.

Schools switch on to IT in Namibia
Namibia intends having 12 000 teachers trained in basic computer literacy and 350 000 learners using computers for half an hour a week by 2010, according to goals set down bythe Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) steering committee. Three hundred teachers received basic ICT training during a three-year  pilot project to introduce ICT as a teaching tool in schools  ndertaken at  13 rural primary and secondary schools. The Namibia Education
Technology Alliance (Neta) comprising the Ministry of Education,  the American Federation of Teachers, Discovery Channel, SchoolNet, World Teach, the United States Peace Corps and Microsoft, started the project in  2002 with support from the United States Agency for International

Development (USAID).
WEF, Intel, Nortel, MCIT bring  tech to classrooms in Egypt Intel, with support from Nortel, is teaming up with Ministry of  Communication and Technology and  the Ministry of Education in Egypt to bring technology to classrooms at every level. Intel Corporation recently announced  the launch of the META (Middle East, Turkey, and Africa) Higher Education Initiative in Egypt to focus on  bringing technology to the nation’s universities. Under its Technology Entrepreneurship Program, Intel  developed a curriculum for universities that covers topics  including setting up and running a company. Intel’s support of higher  education curricula and research already extends to more than 100 universities in over 30 countries.  Although the initiative focuses on technology and learning in a  university setting, the target is to have every student who com pletes K  through nine to be computer literate in a few years.

Students get a new reason to  avoid lectures!
Students at the University of Ulster, UK can now listen to their professors as well as pop on their ipods thanks to a new hi-tech web link. Students,  staff and alumni can now sign up for a free iTunes-enabled podcast service so they can listen to highlights from  the work of the university on their computers, iPods and mp3 players –  wherever and whenever they like. The first batch of five podcasts  includes interviews and presentations from the university’s arts, research  and business portfolios, as well as keynote addresses on topics of
national and international importance.

Teachers’ registration goes  online in Nigeria
Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) e-Registration initiative will allow all existing professional teachers, new teachers  requiring new  registration with TRCN to enter and update their records in  the TRCN database  from anywhere and at anytime.  The online TRCN eRegistration system makes it convenient for all teachers to know their registration  status, update status and make payments to TRCN using diverse  channels such as banks, cyber cafes,  e-Kisoks, GSM phones and other  Internet access points. ictQATAR announces the end of Knowledge Net project  IctQATAR has formally  announced the end of the first phase of its ‘Schools Knowledge Net  Project’ initiative. To mark the
occasion, it honoured independent school teachers, IT managers and  administrators who were part of the  five-month project. The project, envisaged as a platform  for designing an overall approach for integrating ICT  Information
Communication Technology) into education, was launched last  February. The Knowledge Net project focuses on promoting the  development of education content,  portals, application and knowledge bases. In the first phase of the
imitative, ictQATAR utilised  Microsoft Learning Gateway and Blackboard. These learning  management systems provided the essential tools for both students and  teachers to enhance communication, expand resources, and develop teaching. Certificates of appreciation  were awarded to the most active
teachers. The meeting was also marked by an interactive session by  teachers and experts.

IBM KidSmart integrates
technology in early learning Some 20 elementary school teachers in Philippines underwent a 3-day training on the IBM KidSmart Early  Learning Programme, intended to  improve teaching-learning performance.  The goal of IBM’s   technology enhanced early learning programme is  to support early childhood educators  who are trying to ‘reinvent education’ through meaningful use of new technologies in childcare centers and early grades classrooms. Over the last five years, IBM Philippines has  invested in various education and community-based projects to  intensify training for blind students.

USD20 million e-Asia
partnership fund at ADB  The Government of the Republic of Korea has set up a USD20 million e-  Asia and knowledge partnership fund at ADB. The fund aims to bridge the   digital divide and promote access to information and creating and sharing  of knowledge through Information  and Communications Technologies  (ICT) in the Asia and Pacific region. The e-Asia programme will support  projects that aim to reduce and bridge the digital divide and the Knowledge  Partnership programme will support projects that aim to strengthen  communication technologies -based  distance education and e-learning are key components. China now has three of the world’s mega-universities in  which over 100,000 students use largely distance learning methods.  By the end of 2004 some 94 million people in China were online, almost  half of them with broadband access. China has a network of independent  radio and television universities coordinated by the China Central
Radio and Television University.  A new model for distance education in Asia
In Asia, distance education using  information and communication technologies (ICTs) is proving to be  an efficient way of delivering highquality
education using course materials often developed by the best  faculty teams. Naveed A. Malik, rector of the Virtual University of Pakistan,  is leading a project to develop a model for distance education that can be  used in various Asian countries, with support from Canada’s International  Development Research Centre (IDRC). Launched in 2005, the PANdora  project, as it is known, is involving  researchers from 11 countries (Cambodia, China [Hong Kong], India, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan,  the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam) in the investigation of a  broad range of issues.
Researchers for example, are looking at how short message systems (SMS)  could be used to handle student  registration; evaluating various kinds of distance learning software; sharing learning objects; and analysing how to rigorously e-assess students’ work to ensure high standards. the capacity of developing member countries, through workshops, trainings, research work, and publications.

Internet network to support education in Thailand
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry of Thailand has established a high-speed international Internet network to support the research and development and education sectors and to enhance the skills of the researchers and students at universities in Thailand. It will link up with TEIN2 (Trans-  Eurasia Information Network), built by the Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe (DANTE), a European non-profit organisation.  TEIN2 provides a continuous and consistent environment for electronic  collaboration for research and education between Europe and the  Asia-Pacific region.

TM Net to promote broadband in schools
Internet service provider TM Net in  Malaysia hopes that its plans to increase broadband customer base by  400,000 this year will attract more students to subscribe to its edubroadband  content application and access services. This will further help to promote the  use of broadband content and applications in schools. TM Net’s  ultimedia in Education Malaysia can help guide them on the techniques of e-learning. As at end of last year, the  service provider had 495,000 Streamyx  (TM Net’s broadband service) subscribers. TM Net currently has more than two million dial-up users, and the challenge now is to convert them to broadband.

Time for government officials to go back to school
In an effort to groom civil servants, the government in India is planning to set up a National Centre of Governance that will train bureaucrats  in public administration, management, public relations and customer  relations. The school of government, proposed on the lines of the Kennedy  School of Government and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public  and International Affairs, will offer an MBA in public governance and  administration.

Internet kiosks in plan for education
Recognising constraints of limited number of faculty and physical infrastructure, the Planning Commission in India has suggested the government to set up Internet kiosks, imparting higher education.  The model is suggested for subjects  that do not require laboratory works. According to the draft approach  paper to the Eleventh Plan “Prerecorded selection of lectures,
tutorials and standardised tests  available at Internet kiosks, which students can access at will, can be  helpful”. The draft suggested the government to develop “autonomous  institutions” with the responsibility of testing and examination.

IBM joins hands with UP
government to groom students  IBM has signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh Government to provide quality training to IT students under  an ambitious programme titled Project INVITE. Project INVITE (Initiative to  Nurture a Vibrant IT Ecosystem) complements the IBM academic  initiative to groom IT students as a more competitive workforce.  IBM will shortlist leading  niversities and IT institutions in the State and  generate a student mass of 50,000, who would then be put into a  “mentoring” (training) process. The
student would be involved in creating prototype solutions for local   governance  needs at various levels such as public grievances information
system and civic bodies.

DU taking e-administration   further
Delhi University is all set to introduce a new student administration system soon. The system has been designed  by the Delhi University Computer Centre, which successfully  implemented an electronic admission process for the School of Open  Learning last year. Simple to operate, this programme can be used in the  most primitive computers and does not require the person using it to be  highly computer-literate. With drop-down options, the system  stores all the basic information on the  student from address and date of birth to the course opted for. It also  generates an enrolment number for each student automatically, which was  earlier usually done manually. Apart from storing information on the  student, the system also allows the University to have an electronic  database of details on its teachers.

i-flex Decision Support System
to monitor education quality  Banking software maker i-flex solutions has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the  Government of Karnataka to build a  Decision Support System (DSS), for the state’s department of education.  The DSS will help the department monitor the quality of  lementary  education in schools across the state  Estimated to cost approximately INR One Crore, the DSS in the first phase has helped the  arnataka State Quality Assessment Organisation  (KSQAO), a part of the Department of Education, analyse the quality of  education of around 19 lac children in 41,000 schools in Karnataka.

Mothers to supervise India’s school meal scheme
Mothers of students will be involved in monitoring the implementation of India’s school mid-day meal scheme,  under new guidelines formulated by the government to improve the quality  of food served under the scheme. The women will also have financial control of the programmes, in order to check the misuse of funds. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme which covers 120 million children in government-run schools is the  world’s largest school feeding programme. It aims to increase enrolment and attendance, thus  reducing the number of dropouts as  well as to ensure the food security of Indian children of a school-going age.  Some states have already started involving mothers in a supervisory role. In Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, schools keep a roster of mothers who are informed by their child when they are on supervisory duty. In Uttaranchal, mothers have been appointed ‘bhojan  matas’ and ‘sahayikas’ in all  government primary schools. And most recently, also in Orissa, the Chief  Minister directed that Mothers’ Committees be constituted in each of  the 43,000 primary schools to monitor the quality of lentils used in the  preparation of the mid-day meal.

Nasscom online test rollout from November
National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) is planning a nationwide rollout of the  NAC (Nasscom Assessment of Competence), a national assessment  and certification programme modelled on the lines of GRE, from November this year.  Nasscom and Hewitt Associates, in collaboration with BPO firms, have  designed NAC, an online test for assessing skills in six different  categories such as spoken and written English, analytical ability, keyboard  skills and logical reasoning.

In Varanasi, Vedic studies go hi-tech
Keeping pace with the introduction of computers at every level of education, Vedic studies have just gone hi-tech. Varanasi, the seat of Hindu learning in India is now producing     GenNext pundits well versed in computers.  Visit conservative bastions like the  Shri Vidya Mutt and other ashrams in Varanasi and you will see purohits and Vedic scholars, mouse in hand,  learning the scriptures on their  computer

More DU colleges in India
jump on to e-admission After St Stephen’s College, KMC and Hansraj College, the latest college of Delhi University in India to start  admissions online is Miranda House.  Judging by the number of online forms already submitted to all these  colleges, it won’t be long before DU admissions become synonymous with  just a click of the mouse