Imagining the Future of Learning

1. Imagining the Future of Learning Mexico’s Primary Education Meets Child-Center Technology

2. Mexico’s Basic Education System: Elementary Public School enrollment (2006/2007): 14,585,804 students Primary school attendance has gone from 65.7 percent to 97.2 percent between 1970 and 2007. INEE, 2007

3. Mexico’s Basic Educational Problems • Low Reading Comprehension scores • Low Science Scores • High Repetition Rates • 23% of Sixth Grade students reported to have repeated • at least one grade. • INEGI Encuesta Educativa, 2007

4. Mexico’s Basic Educational Problems • Quality and Equity • Untrained Teachers • Traditional, Teacher-centered Methods • Teacher Union

5. Mexico´s Inequality and Poverty´s Problem Inequality (Gini Index) Poverty (% population with less $2 per day)

6. Mexico’s Basic Educational Problems Level of Achievement by type of primary school

7. Science Achievement in Mexico In 2006: Mean and Distribution of Student Performance in Science Literacy -PISA 2006

8. Consequences and Prediction If we don’t do anything about low achievement scores Then the children of today will become the under educated and under paid adults of tomorrow.

9. New Learning Approach • Technology • Revised Curriculum for 5th and 6th grade • Enciclomedia Textbooks • Promotion of “child-centered” learning process (active learning) • New Role for Teacher: Facilitator • Encouraging Student Creativity and Learning

10. What Can We Do? Our Approach: Interactive and Collaborative Science Education — To create an effective learning tool to improve science concept acquisition and student collaboration around multimedia interactive lessons. To break down some of the barriers that stall the learning in Mexican children today, going directly to the students.

11. Critical Factors Future Education Technology interaction Learning From TV, Radio, (Online) School and outside school Learning with Interactive Media Agent Home School Home Learning with parents Reading class with paper-based materials Teacher Interaction

12. Our Inspiration Teachermate Enciclomedia One Laptop Per Child Cell Phone Chumby REFORZATECH

13. In 2008 the Teachermate was introduced in selected Mexican locations This gadget is great! Its helping the students work through math and reading comprehension activities interactively, how fun! Hmm, I still don’t know if I understand this, I wonder if anyone else is having this problem?

14. Meanwhile…in a science class at the same school, children explore using a microscope Wow, they really seem to like this experiment…I wish we had more microscopes so more of then could practice with the technology! Wouldn’t it be great if the Teachermate could help somehow What do you see? Is it my turn yet?

15. After the introduction of the ReforzaTech…. Tonight please check out the microscope activity on the ReforzaTech, we will have a review tomorrow. Oh good, I can look at ReforzaTech tonight because I don’t know If I’ll get a turn to look for as long as I want

16. Interactive Activities Home Experiments Soft, waterproof, changeable case make device durable and personalizable Peer Networking Buttons: Clasifiqúelo Compártalo ¡Ayuda! http://vweb.enciclomedia.edu.mx/recursos/actividades/interactivos/c_naturales/microscopio/index.html

17. Whoa, this is even cooler than what we saw in class! I wonder if Maria saw the butterfly under the microscope…I’m going to share it with her and rate this activity so everyone knows how great it is! Later that evening…. Look at the lung cells under the microscope! I wonder if anyone knows all the differences between plant and animals cells…. Good question, why don’t you post that question with the ¡Ayuda! button

18. Before class the next day…. Hey Maria, did you check out the microscope activity I shared with you? It is like what we were doing in science class yesterday but there is more to see! I’m going to try the optional experiment at home tonight!

19. Also before class, the science professor looks at what his students have used Excellent, almost everyone looked at the activity last night! Oh it looks like there is still some confusion on how an animal cell differs from a plant cell…I will revisit that in class again today to make sure I clear up their questions.

20. Challenges to Adoption • Role of the Teacher as a “knowledgeable expert” • Educational Policies • National Expenditure on Education • Teacher Union • Technological Literacy

21. Ethical Considerations • The interactive components can be anonymous so that student privacy is protected in the ¡Ayuda! forums and in the statistics presented to the teachers • The content is strictly educational and developed by the Secretary of Education. • We are targeting 5th and 6th grade students only • Not translated in all +60 indigenous languages

22. Summary • Widespread wireless internet has not yet reached Mexican schools • Our product builds on current technology to connect students locally through the discussion of science activities • Teachers benefit from students independently exploring the science content in the ReforzTech and posing questions anonymously highlighting what is still not well understood • Future versions could include even more student interaction through individual wiki pages which post additional science related activities and information

23. References • Heyneman & Loxley (1983) • UNESCO • World Bank 2007 • INEE, National Institute for the Evaluation of Education. • INEGI, National Institute for Statistics and Geography. • Children's Issues in México, Reimers Fernando 2007