Thursday, August 25, 2005

The Stellenbosch Declaration--UNESCO UNESCO sponsored the World Conference in Computer in Education in Stellenbosch, South Conference in July 2005. The Declaration about making information and communication technologies work in education emerged from the conference--it's worth reading and keeping; the goals are lofty and far-seeing. The language of the Declaration seems rather quaint to an American ear, even the notion of "a declaration" is remote from the usual contemporary emphasis on being cool and hip but that is all the more reason to read and reflect on an effort to use technology for the good of a world-wide public.  _____JH (Thanks to OL Daily for reporting on this document.) _________ From the preamble: We, the members of the group, hope that this Stellenbosch Declaration will improve the integration of ICT in Education as a resource for both better teaching and learning and as a preparation of citizens for the Knowledge Society. We address this to all stakeholders in ICT in Education: teachers, practitioners, researchers, academics, managers, decision-makers and policy-makers, in order to increase the access to Education for everyone around the World. Information and Communication Technologies are changing the World. We are now in the Information Society, a Society in which information is an essential and valuable commodity that one can buy, sell, store, or exchange. But this Society may also be the Society of the Digital Divide, enlarging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. As educators, we know that information and knowledge are not the same. We want not only an Information Society, but also a Knowledge Society in which Knowledge can be shared and distributed all around the world, enabling all children and all people to access Knowledge and to benefit from being educated. Education is a key issue in the Knowledge Society, and Educators have a major role and mission. Holding this Conference in Africa has made more visible the huge problems that African and other developing countries are facing, and it is the responsibility of all educators and decision-makers around the world to help such countries take part in the developments of ICT in Education. Having reflected on many aspects of Education and the influence of ICT on Education, we recommend that stakeholders and decision-makers in ICT in Education focus on 6 major areas that will shape a beneficial use of ICT in Education: • Digital Solidarity; • Learners and lifelong learning; • Decision-making strategies; • Networking; • Research; • Teachers.   8:42:46 AM    COMMENT []