1. Promising emerging opportunities to improve the poor effectiveness of teachers’ professional development
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

2. Some stark facts THIS IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
500m users in the developed world and elite of the developing world
4 billion non-consumers subsisting on less than 2 US$ a day in India, China, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Africa and the Eastern European countries
THIS IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

3. A possible future
The non-consumers are the ones that need the technology the most because ICT opens up options and creates opportunities which up to now have not been possible
ICT can break barriers of geography which have existed since time immemorial
For the non-consumer, ICT is not an alternative but an instrument for progress and growth – a passport to a better life
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

4. The role of EDUCATION UNESCO’s ‘Education for All’ challenge
Literacy, Numeracy and now ICT
Many nations are responding to the UNESCO challenges
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

5. India The Hole in the Wall
What happens if you provide poor children with free, unlimited access to computers and the Internet?
Children respond rapidly and some become teachers within a few days
Creates a demand for low-cost energy and technology
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

6. Uzbekistan
Of the 10,000 schools, only a few have ICT currently – but the Council of Ministers are planning to have a computer network in every school by 2010
The capacity building for teachers is a huge challenge
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

7. The Digital Divide Top A travelling school bus on the Isle of Man
Bottom
A school bus stationed in Magubu village in Qunu, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

8. Welcome to the African Teachers Centre.
This Centre offers all African teachers information, news and resources on issues relating to using ICTs for effective teaching and teacher professional development. The Teachers Centre is a resource mainly for the African Teachers Network. The African Teachers Network (ATN) is the second flagship project of SchoolNet Africa.
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

9. South Central Asia
UNESCO sponsors a radio soap in Uzbek and Tajik languages
Deals with:
Family and reproductive health
Agricultural themes
Contemporary national issues through story lines of the radio serial drama
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

10. Swaziland The Computer Education Trust (CET)
Given the task of implementing and managing a computer education project in secondary and high schools. Operating in close partnership with the Ministry of Education, the CET aims at introducing computer skills to teachers and students in Swaziland by:
Developing teaching materials appropriate to the teaching and learning environment in Swaziland’s schools. 
Training teachers and students in secondary schools.
Ensuring the provision of appropriate software and hardware in schools.
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

11. Expected outcomes Computer literacy
Enhancing quality of life in society
Reduction of digital divide
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

12. Keys to effective training programmes
Introduce applications that provide clear benefits for pupils and teachers
Encourage a broadening awareness of a wide range of ICT resources with less emphasis on word processing and more on resources which are currently underused such as the Internet, , and video-conferencing
Promulgate the idea of ICTs as tools for lifelong learning for teachers as well as their students
Promote information literacy as well as ICT literacy
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

13. Contd.
Consider the types of ICT resources available to teachers in school
Encourage teachers to reflect on and make decision about their own ICT development needs on an ongoing basis
Flexible training and development opportunities
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

14. Professional Development that Works
Spend less on hardware, more on human infrastructure
Take teachers seriously and adapt to their needs
Centre capacity building around practical issues instead of computer applications
Address the emotional dimension
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

15. Contd. Create a culture peer of coaching and mutual support
Use surveys and assessment to guide planning
Provide time for invention and lesson development
Adapted from ‘Secrets of Success’ (UNESCO)
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

16. Persist ! ___________________________________
Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education

17. Thank you for your attention
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Mike Aston Consultant ICT in Education