Panel on Low Cost Computers for Education and Training

During the 2008 Virtual Educa panel, “Low Cost Computers for Education and Training,” panelists discussed the global initiative, One Laptop Per Child, a program which provides personal computers to children in developing countries in order to reinforce educational instruction and bridge the digital divide.

 

Internationally recognized experts, José Santana, Director of the Presidential
Commission of Science and Technology; Sulima Gonzaléz of the Ceibal Project in Uruguay; and William Ortíz of the Dominican Ministry of Education, comprised the panel.

 

Santana outline the objectives of the initiative and explained the plans for the development of a computer donation program in the Dominican Republic. The program will take place over 3 years and will involve the support of the Dominican Ministry of
Education.

 

The initial aspiration is to aquire 150,000 low-cost personal computers. Before initiating the project in the Dominican Republic, experts want to evaluate the experiences of other countries in order to devise a practical implementation strategy.

 

William Ortíz, General Director of Educational Information Technology of the Dominican Ministry of of Education,
presented the low-cost computer models currently being considered — part of the evaluation process taking place prior to final decision making.

 

He highlighted the advanced steps taken by the Dominican Ministry of Education in the area of technology. Since the creation of the Educational Technology Program in 1997, 600 connected centers and 559 laboratories were established throughout the country, and 8,000 computers were installed,
more than 150 of which have internet access. Moreover, 7 videoconference rooms were constructed and currently provide service to 500 million users.

 

Sulima González discussed Uruguay’s experience, concerning the goal of bringing technology to the greatest number of students possible inorder to bridge the digital divide. The Uruguayan plan emphasizes the incorporation of technology in teaching processes, in this
regard, the computer serves as an important tool for obtaining desired pedagogical objectives.

 

González posited that the plan has been recommended as a country-wide project in an effort o expand the program’s reach and meet the population demands required to acheive important development quotas.

 

Virtual Educa Caribe, an initiative of Global Foundation for
Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), was launched in Santo Domingo during the Inter-American Forum on New Technologies that took place in April, 2007.The forum seeks to promote discussion and foster the use of new technologies in education, capacity building and training. In this sense, Virtual Educa Caribe seeks to contribute to elevating labor efficiency and ultimately economic growth and competitiveness in the
country.