Director’s Column
Greetings Educators,
Time marches on and this has certainly been a busy quarter for us on-campus. Our technology team recently hosted a study tour for a delegation from the Ministry of National Education in Algeria. The week-long study tour was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) as part of its Partnership Schools Program (PSP) and implemented by Creative Associates International, Inc. of Washington, D.C.
The purpose of the study tour was to help the Ministry enhance its existing ICT (Information, Communications, and Technology – what we often refer to as educational technology here in the U.S.) efforts with practical, experience-based programming examples and ideas for the Algerian Education system. The delegation participated in several presentations and school visits that included areas such as:
- Training staff in technology use and curriculum integration;
- Developing student skills using educational technology;
- Using technology to transform pedagogy, and
- Using software to manage records; communicate information;
assign homework; initiate communications with parents; provide
supplemental instructions to students; and increase accountability.
As part of the study tour the delegation visited Dewitt High School, Holt High School and Michigan Virtual University. As part of the visits they were able to view classroom teachers using technology to enhance student learning.
Upon completion of the study tour, participants identified 10 high-impact ideas that will benefit the Algerian ICT planning process.
Mr. Samir Boubekeur, Director of Donor Cooperation for Algeria’s Ministry of National Education and one of the attendees on the study tour commented, “The MEPI initiative has been the first communication between the Algerian and American education systems. It is launching the relationship between our countries.”
In addition, as part of the Partnership Schools Program, Michigan State University is also connecting classrooms in Algeria with classrooms in the United States. Four schools are currently part of a pilot program with 6 additional schools to be added in January. The pilot schools are Dewitt High School, Durand High School, and Pinckney High School all in Michigan and Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. And, we are looking for two more schools to participate in the linkage program starting in January! If you are an educator in grades 11 or 12 and are interested in having your class participate in this global initiative please contact me or Carrie Albin at 517-432-9259. You can find out more information by visiting the e3link.org website.
Best Regards,
Joseph Codde
Professor and Director
Educational Technology Certificate Program
Contact us at: 517-432-9259
http://edutech.msu.edu