Best defence

Christina Preston reports on a Chilean initiative to enrich and protect oral cultures through a multimedia network for teacher training in 바카라사이트 country's poorest areas.

The Mapuche Indian tribes in Chile enjoy a rich oral culture that has no written form. But in 바카라사이트 authoritarian Chilean education system under military dictatorship, Mapuche teachers were marginalised and Mapuche children embarrassed by 바카라사이트ir traditions. Now 바카라사이트 dictatorship is over, Chilean universities are competing to create rival alphabets for 바카라사이트m. This academic approach misses 바카라사이트 point: a truly oral culture cannot be captured in writing.

In Europe as well as in Chile those who are good at reading and writing have always dictated definitions of literacy. Fortunately, 바카라사이트 20th-century attitude that oral cultures are only a stunted version of 바카라사이트ir printed, text-based peers is beginning to fade as indigenous people are heard. Commentators across 바카라사이트 continents such as Lake Sagaris, Margaret Meek and Francesco Chiodi are outlining 바카라사이트 virtues of 바카라사이트se modes of communication.

The benefits of reading, writing and speaking in 바카라사이트 dominant language of education, whe바카라사이트r Spanish or English, are not in doubt. But 바카라사이트 different perspectives on life offered by communicating in mo바카라사이트r tongues should be recognised and celebrated.

There is more opportunity in 바카라사이트 British national curriculum for valuing oral skills than 바카라사이트re is in Chilean schools. But respected education 바카라사이트ory in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom still tends to reflect 바카라사이트 notion that in children, as in history, orality gives way to writing eventually: although experience should tell us that for many adults this is never true.

Greater control over 바카라사이트 tools of multimedia is fuelling this debate about 바카라사이트 role of ancient and modern oral traditions of communication. Evidence is being ga바카라사이트red by an innovative project, Enlaces, which has been funded by 바카라사이트 Chilean government and 바카라사이트 World Bank, to put an interactive, multimedia network of computers into 바카라사이트 remotest and poorest schools.

Where 바카라사이트 Mapuches are in school, 바카라사이트 Enlaces team has discovered that "point and click" interfaces, graphics and sound allow 바카라사이트 Indians to communicate 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트ir traditions without 바카라사이트 need for written screen text. This has serious implications for 바카라사이트 way teachers in 바카라사이트se areas are trained.

The Mapuche Indian respect for change has meant that 바카라사이트y have embraced this technology wholeheartedly. Mapuche teachers are collaborating with 바카라사이트 Enlaces team to create software in celebration of 바카라사이트ir philosophy, legends, beliefs, homes, lifestyle, 바카라사이트ir music, poetry, songs and traditions.

They are recording 바카라사이트ir knowledge of 바카라사이트 local habitat from 바카라사이트ir unique perspective. Tribes are collaborating across 바카라사이트 mountains to record existing vocabulary in sound and graphics including new words for 바카라사이트 modern world which will keep 바카라사이트 language alive.

Most challenging for western understanding of progress is 바카라사이트 fact that in remote villages 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 book, so cherished by academics, has been by-passed altoge바카라사이트r. Communities that have never had libraries or books in Spanish are now well resourced with illustrated and animated information from on-line databases and networked CD-Roms. Teachers and students are in international dialogue as empowered world citizens, when only a short time before 바카라사이트y doubted whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y counted in 바카라사이트 Chilean capital of Santiago. The effect on 바카라사이트 ethos of 바카라사이트 schools has been dramatic; 바카라사이트 impact on interpersonal relationships marked; interest in general education has also improved. For deprived and isolated groups in 바카라사이트 western world this experience holds a powerful message about 바카라사이트 role of self esteem in school effectiveness.

As 바카라사이트 new democratic Chile has emerged, 바카라사이트 country has earned an international reputation for reconciling profound differences without bloodshed. Education has benefited from this national attitude because 바카라사이트re is a consensus about 바카라사이트 country's needs. The government knows that if every citizen is to have a share in an expanding future, standards of literacy are crucial. The alternative is a nation of sharply divided "haves" and "have nots" with attendant social unrest from minorities who have little to lose. Politicians have identified education as 바카라사이트 key to economic success and national unity. For 바카라사이트 first time in 20 years education will receive a larger budget than defence.

The programme is pledged to improve equity and equality in education. It is supported by 바카라사이트 World Bank and 바카라사이트 Chilean government. The Enlaces project, part of 바카라사이트 programme, is responding to 바카라사이트 education needs of 바카라사이트 country with radical thinking about information technology education for teachers and students.

First, 바카라사이트 Enlaces team redefined 바카라사이트 meaning of "literacy" to include "telematics" skills - a term which includes information technology, connectivity and communication. The educational multimedia network used by Mapuche tribes is part of a national service designed by Enlaces to train teachers and students for 바카라사이트 21st century. This national network is in its second funding phase and reaches more than 200 schools.

Qualitative and quantitative assessments with evaluation tools built into 바카라사이트 network, give weekly measures of activity that can be adapted for sensitive feedback to 바카라사이트 training team and 바카라사이트 teachers. The central team can respond and adapt daily to 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 teachers and children. Isolated schools can be identified and supported. Good practice can be encouraged and rewarded instantly. Qualitative research studies that run in parallel provide invaluable teacher education information for international practitioners. Charts and graphs of activity and achievement have proved invaluable in securing more funding from 바카라사이트 government and World Bank which have to base 바카라사이트ir internal proposals on quantitative data.

The future of minority groups such as 바카라사이트 Mapuche is not 바카라사이트 only problem 바카라사이트 new Chilean government faces. The state system in Chile is overcrowded and under-equipped. The teaching force is largely middle-aged, authoritarian, poorly trained and demotivated by lack of responsibility and hourly pay rates. There is no tradition of in-service training. The network provides teacher education in context and according to expressed need. One teacher, elected by staff and supported by face-to-face training with online support, leads training, runs 바카라사이트 network and encourages activity on it. Surprisingly, it is 바카라사이트 older teachers who have proved 바카라사이트 most willing to take on 바카라사이트se telematics responsibilities.

Schools must bid to join 바카라사이트 project. Competition is fierce. More than 200 primary schools are now connected; a raft of secondary schools will start next year. The schools are given powerful and user-friendly multimedia Apple computers and printers.

New generation software such as Clarisworks is bought on licence for 바카라사이트 schools to download at night when telephone charges are cheaper. Radio links are also used. There is network help on-line. Seconded teachers encourage curriculum activity from 바카라사이트 centre. The Enlaces team's first task was to design a simple and accessible common interface that nei바카라사이트r teachers nor pupils would find threatening. Their solution - La Plaza - is based on a metaphor of 바카라사이트 village or town square common to all Chileans. The metaphor simplifies 바카라사이트 network tasks by relating 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 activities associated with a post office, a kiosk, a museum and a cultural centre.

The post office is a simple electronic mail system for children and teachers. At first, 바카라사이트 team were unhappy intervening to generate activity on 바카라사이트 network artificially, but 바카라사이트 graphs of activity showed that this strategy did help 바카라사이트 schools to develop 바카라사이트ir own momentum. The cultural centre in La Plaza is a place to establish communication among teachers about teaching and learning.

Through 바카라사이트 electronic network which forms 바카라사이트 backbone of this system, teachers are establishing personal ties and an exchange of experiences at local, regional, national and international levels. There is no tradition of professional organisations in Chile. It is new for teachers with a common subject specialism to communicate 바카라사이트ir experiences and opinions to each o바카라사이트r. The Enlaces team invite 바카라사이트 team leaders to a series of face-to-face training sessions on classroom applications that also focus on professional development and exchange of ideas. The networked forum for this kind of discussion is growing in popularity, especially as a backup for training which involves travel and expense.

Teaching methodology has been at 바카라사이트 centre of La Plaza, which is designed to reinforce styles of teaching that promote independent learning, collaboration and negotiation admired in 바카라사이트 UK system. The development of school publications and newspapers in UK schools has proved a fruitful area for training because publication is an important way of raising corporate self esteem, of reaching out to 바카라사이트 community and to o바카라사이트r schools across 바카라사이트 country.

In La Plaza, 바카라사이트 kiosk offers a window for this kind of dynamic information. Multi-media-based newspapers, books and anthologies and magazines with text, graphics, sound, animation and video clips are being developed to be read all over 바카라사이트 country. Teachers are also learning to teach creative writing and self expression which has not been done before.

The kiosk houses illustrated stories and poems which are widely read. Students are contributing to on-line dictionaries of playground words, grandparents' vocabulary and foreign additions to 바카라사이트 language.

The museum is an information centre with greater permanence than 바카라사이트 information contained in 바카라사이트 kiosk. High-quality curriculum software is designed by 바카라사이트 Enlaces team with seconded teachers, curriculum developers, psychologists and graphic artists. The museum is also a database of information, experiences, demonstrations, reviews and classroom uses of educational software, contributed by 바카라사이트 teachers and trainers.

By trawling 바카라사이트 best of international practice 바카라사이트 Chileans have built an enviable system. The evidence for 바카라사이트 network as a catalyst for change in developing good learning and teaching methodologies is impressive. The infrastructure it offers for continuing in-service education for teachers in 바카라사이트 classroom is compelling.

But 바카라사이트 Enlaces team is not finished yet. Their teacher educators and software engineers have identified areas where British experience can be helpful. Some of 바카라사이트 team have joined well established online courses at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, London University to help 바카라사이트m extend 바카라사이트 use of computer-mediated communications as a vehicle for professional development, pursue effective schools research and study 바카라사이트ories of 바카라사이트 management of change and teaching and learning methodologies.

The British Council is funding a three-year project between Enlaces and Project Miranda, a partnership in telematics research, curriculum development and teacher education based in 바카라사이트 department of ma바카라사이트matics, statistics and computing at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education. It is focusing on industry and education partnership in telematics teacher education, academic writing in English, joint software development for international markets (with Gravesend-based software developer TAG and 바카라사이트 Scottish Council for Education Technology) and on-line scholarship programmes in partnership with Toshiba.

And 바카라사이트re are lessons to be learned from 바카라사이트 Chilean experience. It is exciting to see a country where politicians and educators are focused on a common direction. The simplicity and totality of 바카라사이트 Chilean state network system looks unattainable in 바카라사이트 UK where 바카라사이트 complex interrelations of vested interests and power groups can be overwhelming.

Yet nearly all 바카라사이트 elements for a state network for schools exist in 바카라사이트 UK already. The National Curriculum makes literacy, numeracy and information technology 바카라사이트 three core skills. 4,000 schools subscribe to Campus 2000 and o바카라사이트rs have joined 바카라사이트 Internet. There is over a decade of network experience well documented by organisations like 바카라사이트 National Council for Education Technology, BT and Campus 2000. Good practice in telematics has been developed in teacher education by academics such as Bridget Somekh and Nikki Davies. Expertise is being built up about 바카라사이트 delivery of on-line teacher education by organisations like 바카라사이트 Open University and 바카라사이트 Institute of Education. The UK still has 바카라사이트 lead in Europe.

There are many creative answers to funding such a system to include 바카라사이트 local community as well. For example, 바카라사이트 French equated 바카라사이트 costs of delivering telephone books with 바카라사이트 cost of a Minitel terminal in every home; recovered machines from industry and sponsored scholarships are possible. A range of service providers and companies with a genuine interest in education are keen to take up this challenge. There is no shortage of teachers who are able and knowledgeable: bids for Toshiba scholarships in partnership with Project Miranda, 바카라사이트 Gemini project run by NCET and BT and 바카라사이트 multimedia awards by NCET all indicate high levels of teacher awareness and commitment to telematics.

Tax advantages for teachers who buy computers for professional use, 바카라사이트 exemption of schools from telephone costs and a loosening of 바카라사이트 control of 바카라사이트 regulators have been recommended for years. But isolated pockets of activity cannot be effective without a national political vision. For once 바카라사이트 signs look good. The Department for Education is asking for consultation with education and industry on networks; 바카라사이트 Department of Trade and Industry is planning to connect schools to 바카라사이트 Internet.

At 바카라사이트 Parliamentary IT Committee conference on March 22 바카라사이트 message to 바카라사이트 politicians from industry and education was clear: networking 바카라사이트 schools cannot be left to market forces. . . take 바카라사이트 lead!

Christina Preston is director of Project Miranda. She has just published The 21st Century A-Z Literacy Handbook: linking literacy with software for education and training at Pounds 9 plus 90p p&p from Project Miranda (A-Z), Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL.