The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is a collaboration, started in 1989, of the 53 Commonwealth head’s of state to promote open and distance learning (ODL), as well as sharing resources and technologies. COL works with government officials to promote information and communication technologies (ICT) as a means to impact the areas of education, learning for livelihoods, and human environment.
One of the projects launched by the COL is the WikiEducator, a website that gathers people who believe education should be free and available to all. They aim at helping users plan, and develop educational projects, especially those based on free content. Through their Learning4Content program they are working at conducting workshops, train educators, and develop free educational content. At times all of this work is done virtually, other times participants have been able to meet to collaborate.
COL also helped coordinate the development of a Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC). During its initial stage, the VUSSC will focus on creating courses in Tourism and Hospitality, and Small Business Management.
The COL understands that millions of children worldwide have no access to basic education, and many more are taught by poorly trained teachers, and study in schools with few resources. Estimates are that about a billion adults worldwide are illiterate, or have received a very rudimentary education. And while COL focuses on the Commonwealth countries, it aims to help improve opportunities for all adults, children and the generations to come.
I truly love the “radical” idea behind these projects, that education should be free and accessible to all! May the Commonwealth of Learning continue with many more great projects!
Image info here.
La Commonwealth of Learning (COL) es una colaboración que empieza en 1989 con los mandatarios de 53 países que forman la unión de antiguas colonias inglesas. Estos de reúnen para promover la educación a distancia y abierta, así mismo que para compartir recursos y tecnologías nuevas. COL trabajar con gobiernos oficiales para promover tecnologías de información y comunicación que impacten las áreas de educación, entrenamiento de supervivencia y los espacios desarrollo humano.
Uno de los proyectos promovidos por COL es el WikiEducator, una pagina de Internet reúne a quienes creen que la educación debería ser gratis y estar a al alcance de todos. El proyecto les ayuda a sus usuarios a planear y desarrollar proyectos educaciones, especialmente esos que estén basados en contenido gratis. A través del programa Learning4Content trabajan para crear entrenamientos, capacitar educadores, y desarrollar material educacional de contenido abierto. A ratos todo este trabajo se lleva a cabo virtualmente, y otras veces los participantes logran encontrarse para trabajar en colaboración.
COL también ayuda a coordinar el desarrollo de la Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC). Durante su etapa inicial, la VUSSC se enfocara en crear cursos sobre hoteleria y turismo, y sobre administración de pequeñas empresas.
COL entiende que millones de niños alrededor del mundo no tienen acceso a una educación básica, y muchos otros reciben su educación de profesores mal entrenados o estudian en escuelas con pocos recursos. Las estadísticas dicen que hasta un billón de niños alrededor del mundo son analfabetos, o han recibido una educación muy rudimentaria. Y mientras COL hace énfasis en los países de la Commonwealth, su metal final se extiende a ayudar a crear oportunidades educacionales para adultos y niños alrededor del mundo por generaciones a venir.
Realmente me encanta la idea tan “radical” detrás de esta iniciativa, ¡que la educación debe ser gratis y asequible para todos! ¡Ojala que la Commonwealth of Learning siga triunfando y sean muchos buenos proyectos por venir!
Información sobre la imagen aquí.
Robert Kent
Hello, Colombianflowers: Your blog’s Latin American theme is appreciatd, and heere is a link which may of of interest to your readers:
Eliades Acosta CENSORED
NEW YORK, April 17, 2008 (Friends of Cuban Libraries) – On November 29 a government website, Cubarte, published a startling interview with Eliades Acosta, the former director of Havana’s National Library, in which he called for tolerance and greater freedom of expression in Cuba….
In an apparent turnaround from the hardline views he has expressed for decades, Acosta used the Cubarte interview to point out serious problems in Cuban society, comparing them to “red lights indicating a need for changes,” and declared: “We aspire to a society that speaks openly of its problems without fear, in which the news media report on life as it really is, without triumphalism, in which errors are publicly ventilated in order to explore problems, in which people can express themselves honestly….”
On the day following its publication, the article was removed from the Cubarte website by censors….
For the full article, please see the Recent News section of our website at:
http://www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org