Funglode, Jointly with the U.S. International Society of Technology in Education, Will Train Teacher Trainers in the Effective Integration of Technology in Learning Methods

Funglode’s Center for Educational Studies will coordinate the program with the ISTE, announced Funglode president Dr. Leonel Fernández during the welcome event hosted by the institution in honor of Richard Culatta, ISTE president.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the “Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo” (Funglode), will co-host the training of teacher trainers for the effective integration of technology in learning. The program will consist of part-time courses that will eventually certify the participants in the program.

The former President of the Dominican Republic and Funglode president, Dr. Leonel Fernández, provided the information on the upcoming educational program during keynote remarks delivered to welcome ISTE president Richard Culatta to the country. Mr. Culatta headed the Technology Education Office of the U.S. Department of Education during the Barack Obama Administration.

Culatta traveled to the D.R. invited by Funglode.  On Thursday, March 21, he delivered a conference titled “Educating Digital Citizens: Tendencies that Connect the World.”  Yolanda Ramos and Marbellis Castillo, from ISTE, also participated in the event.

In his remarks, Fernández discussed the use of technology as an instrument to encourage teaching methods and highlighted the possibility of establishing a permanent collaborative Project with the ISTE that would allow, in its first stages, a series of 10 part-time modules.

ISTE’s expansion in Latin America was highlighted by former President Fernández.  He mentioned the relationship established in Puerto Rico, in all of Central America, Peru and Chile, aside from having an international network of universities in the United States and abroad, as well as with schools and colleges.

He also indicated that linking up to this important network will help strengthen and push forth training possibilities in the Dominican Republic.

During his remarks, delivered at Funglode’s Auditorium – packed with a very attentive audience – Fernández expressed that this alliance will mark an important difference in the country. He also added that it was a priority to provide training for teachers, especially at a time when there is a technological revolution taking place at the international level and a revolution of knowledge. “We should all be in a permanent state of learning and assume this task with humility, because in reality we have gone from an industrial society to a society of knowledge, and that implies the total renewal of knowledge as we know it.”

About the Conference and the ISTE
Culatta was invited to the country bringing with him impeccable credentials.  During his four-year tour in the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S.

Department of Education, he managed to achieve that 98% of all U.S. classrooms were connected to the Internet. “In the beginning we went from 100% of disconnected centers to 15% of connected schools, just by reformulating the meaning of the term ‘connected schools,” explained Culatta.

Establishing a vision that would allow the trainers to assume new training models is the starting point, explained the education expert, because it will lead to a desired transformation that will guarantee effective training methods in learning technologies and have access to technical infrastructures.

Culatta also spoke of the ISTE standards, which take into account various characteristics to define the profile of the students that use digital media outlets.  He also explained how the digital citizenship is defined and how the responsibilities and opportunities of an inter-connected digital world are established.

The ISTE courses are designed to promote the role of the mentor in schools, districts, and Ministries of Education.  The institution divides the path of learning into three segments that help the participants to quickly assimilate the ISTE standards, both for students and teachers, and apply them to the role of coach or mentor.

Another important point is to take a profound look at computer thinking as a fundamental competition, through the areas established by the curriculum.

Yamile Eusebio, Director of Funglode’s New York Office, delivered the welcoming remarks and presented Mr. Culatta to the audience.

Invited guests included Josefina Pimentel, former Minister of Education; the Vice rector of the Global Institute of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (IGLOBAL), Victor Villanueva; as well as teachers and directors from the country’s various regions. Also in attendance: professors from the private sector and representatives from various areas of the Dominican educational sector.