written by: Jorge Mahecha. It's true: There is an epidemic of “enseñas,” or alternative teacher training programs, in Latin America, as Marcelo Cabrol correctly noted in an earlier blog. Enseña por Colombia (ExC), launched early 2011 after a year and a half of initial development, is a young organization going full steam ahead, its first group of teachers set to deploy in … [Lee más...] about Structural solutions
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Learning from a former youth assassin
“I’d rather kill than be killed.” These were the words uttered to me by the 19 year old former armed group member sitting across from me at a cafe in a paramilitary controlled community in Colombia. One year after being allowed to leave the armed group, he still had nightmares and visions of those he had assassinated; experienced trouble sleeping; and his new home built from … [Lee más...] about Learning from a former youth assassin
Learning One to One
The introduction of technology in education is gaining momentum worldwide. One model of incorporating technology into education that has gained tremendous traction in Latin America and the Caribbean is One-to-One computing. The term "One-to-One" refers to the ratio of digital devices per child so that each child is provided with a digital device, most often a laptop, to … [Lee más...] about Learning One to One
Film and Education
The discussion about education is both a full-length feature film and takes place in films themselves. Here are my recommendations: 1. "Waiting for Superman" and "The Lottery". Is it fair that a child's future depends on a lottery? Can all children learn at the level of the high expectations adults place on them? I wonder what the equivalent of the lottery is in Latin America. … [Lee más...] about Film and Education
Homework in class, the lesson at home
Teachers typically spend 80-90 percent of their time in class to teach the lesson. The lesson must be the same for all the students. Both the good and the bad students are taught the same content and are expected to learn the same. Students do their homework at home, where they must carry out the assignment without the guidance of a teacher. Wouldn’t it be better to do the … [Lee más...] about Homework in class, the lesson at home