caribbean Paramaribo, Suriname February 29th March 2nd, 2012 The Use of ICTs and Innovative Approaches to Enhance Education

caribbean Paramaribo, Suriname February 29th March 2nd, 2012 The Use of ICTs and Innovative Approaches to Enhance Education

Virtual Educa Caribbean: Virtual Educa is a multilateral initiative addressing E d u c a t i o n, I n n o v a t i o n, C o m p e t i t i v e n e s s a n d. For the last decade, Virtual Educa has been instrumental in putting together programs in support of these topics, mainly in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. As an Organization of American States (OAS) project, Virtual Educa is committed to extending the benefits of its programs to the entire region, with specific focus on the non Spanishspeaking Caribbean. The first Virtual Educa Caribbean conference will contribute to the goal of making XXI century instruments available to youth and educators. The first Virtual Educa Caribbean conference, with a focus on the non Spanish-speaking Caribbean, will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname from February 29 to March 2nd 2012. The event will take place concurrently with the VII Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education organized by the Organization of the American States.

Objectives: Include the non Spanish-speaking Caribbean region in the activities of Virtual Educa. Offer participants the opportunity to see concrete evidence of how ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) and innovation in education are applied, including examples and best practices through workshops, exhibits and conferences. Focus not only on advanced technology but also show participants the low-tech means that are available. Benefits: Suriname will also be the host country of the OAS VII Inter- American Meeting of Ministers of Education on March 1 and 2, 2012. Holding this event and the Virtual Educa Caribbean Conference at the same time will create an unprecedented opportunity for decision makers, corporations, civil society, youth, educational institutions, teachers and other relevant stakeholders working in the area of ICTs and innovation in education to meet and see how policies and practices may be implemented. This is an excellent opportunity for Caribbean and Latin American businesses to showcase their innovative technology as well as to network and develop business opportunities in any of the 34 OAS member countries that will be represented at the event.

Activities: As not every country has the resources for sophisticated ICTs in Education, Virtual Educa offers a forum for relevant stakeholders to develop innovative ways to meet demands in education, whether through ICTs or through other means. Virtual Educa Suriname will include workshops, exhibits, and conferences, by experts from different parts of the Americas and Europe. Private companies and academic institutions will showcase initiatives related to innovation in education and technology in the exhibition space. Workshops / Exhibits / Conferences Participatory activities on: Teacher Training Use of ICTs in Education Digital Content Interactive exhibition and demonstrations of innovative products and ideas. Expert presenters will share the most up-to-date knowledge in the field and experiences in practice.

Message from the Ministry of Education and Community : Onderwijs is heden ten dage niet weg te denken zonder het gebruik en de toepassing van ICT en innovatieve technologie. In dit kader luidt Het Ministerie van Onderwijs en Volksontwikkeling het jaar 2012 van Cohesie en Innovatie binnen het Onderwijs met het organiseren van : The First Virtual Educa Caribbean Conference, the use of ICT and innovative approaches to enhance education van 29 februari-2 maart. Het ministerie is al geruime tijd bezig met het formuleren van een Nationaal ICT-beleid voor het onderwijs. ICT in het onderwijs vergt echter een breder aanpak. Het ministerie is zich ervan bewust dat door ICT kwalitatief hoogstaand onderwijs binnen het bereik wordt gebracht van vooral zwakkere sociale klassen wonend in stad, district en binnenland. Het Ministerie vindt dat zij hierin kan voorzien indien zij via het internet en conform geaccrediteerde didactische en pedagogische standaarden, Virtueel Onderwijs distribueert naar onderwijsfaciliteiten in alle leefgebieden, waardoor leraren, leerlingen en studenten in hun eigen omgeving goed onderwijs kunnen consumeren. Het Ministerie wilt daarvoor innovaties doorvoeren in het onderwijsproces, het leermateriaal, het wettelijk en regulerend kader, en gebruik maken van Virtueel Onderwijs, ICT platforms en breedband internet. Met het organiseren van Virtual Educa in Suriname doet Suriname een concrete stap naar het in kaart brengen van de status en gereedheid voor de implementatie van ICT in Onderwijs. Op alle niveaus zal hierdoor een meetinstrument ingezet worden om na te gaan of ons infrastructuur, onze onderwijs inhouden, onze manier van overdracht Fit for the Future is. Wetenschappers, beleidsmakers, docenten, studenten, leerkrachten, leerlingen en de gemeenschap zullen de gelegenheid krijgen om hun bijdrage te leveren in het geheel. Het gebruik van ICT in het onderwijs zal alleen de gewenste resultaten opleveren, als ze wordt toegepast door zowel de Docenten, leerkrachten als de studenten en leerlingen met het doel de kwaliteit van het onderwijs te verbeteren en te verhogen. Met de hedendaagse technologie waarbij ICT in onderwijs tot in het binnenland verwezenlijkt kan worden, zal dit de manier bij uitstek zijn om interactief onderwijs overal op aarde mogelijk te maken. Daarom verwelkomen we een ieder om de beste praktijken met ons uit te wisselen op de komende 3 innovatieve dagen. Raymond Sapoen Minister of Education and Community

Message from the Organization of American States: I am delighted to welcome you to the first Virtual Educa conference to be held outside the Spanishspeaking Caribbean and Latin America. The OAS is excited about the many opportunities there will be for students and teachers, policy makers and educators, administrators and businessmen to learn and share innovative technologies for use in the classroom of the 21st century. Virtual Educa Caribbean aims to stimulate new thinking in the area of education. This may involve the use of sophisticated modern technology or the use of basic materials that encourage innovative thinking, particularly in regions that do not. We are fortunate to have individuals and institutions representing the public and private sectors who come from Europe, the Caribbean, North, Central and South America. All have one thing in common: a belief in education as key to the health and well-being of this hemisphere's citizens and the development of their countries. We have three days together to explore opportunities for providing broader access to innovative programs in education using Information and communications Technology (ICTs) and to share resources and ideas. The belief that Latin America and the Caribbean can learn and share best practices across language barriers needs only a platform which facilitates citizens coming together to make it happen. Let us take this opportunity to promote social inclusion and regional integration for the future of our children and our countries. Maria Levens Director, Department of Human, Education and Culture Message from Virtual Educa: We are so glad to be here! It has certainly been a long way since the moment that we decided to share our twelve-year expertise with colleagues from the non-spanish or Portuguese speaking Caribbean. Virtual Educa is an initiative on the new education paradigm, a consequence of the globalization and the ICTs world that characterizes the 21st century. As an OAS project, we are committed to extending the awareness on such topics, as well as to implement those programs that may help communities all over the region. We certainly hope that the 1st Virtual Educa Caribbean Conference, being held in Suriname, has an excellent outcome. It is always a challenge to convince our societies of the benefits associated to the use of technologies for Education and Training, since its relatively recent start. But consider this: only making available quality Education for all will we be able to contribute on the sustainable development of our societies, while our teachers greatly benefit of sharing a global network of knowledge. Many thanks to the Government of Suriname, the Ministry of Education and Social, the University and many other institutions. It has been a very rewarding experience to work with an enthusiastic team of very committed professionals, as well as to feel very welcomed by the citizens of this wonderful country. José María Antón Secretary General, Virtual Educa