Enlaces
Encyclopedia
Enlaces is a Chile
an educational program designed to create a structural change in Chilean education in order to prepare youth, along with their parents and guardians, to participate in the emergent society of knowledge, and to create networks of communication that help integrate them with the world. Enlaces was started in 1992 by Chile's Ministry of Education
.
, the capital of Chile
. After 3 years the program had extended to the Ninth Region, the Araucanía Region
, (the part of the country with the largest indigenous population) with more than 100 schools participating in the program. When the government decided that this project was viable, it focused all of its efforts on the spread of this program to all the regions of the country.
the Canadian International Development Agency in global education, infrastructure, computer
s, access to educational recourses, technical assistance, and teacher training. In 2003, in order to continue their efforts to connect the country, the Ministry of Education signed an agreement with local telecommunication companies to offer low-cost broadband connection for educational institutions. Sixty percent of the students in Chile have access to broadband internet because of this agreement. In 2007, the Enlaces Program had 3,372,943 students, and 95% of the students in the country have access to computer.
Examples of the new technologies that Enlaces will implement are electronic whiteboards for math, palm pilots or pocket PCs for physics
, and projectors for teaching sciences. Other new strategies will include ICT in the classroom, where they will integrate portable technology and projectors in 3,000 classrooms, benefiting 87,000 students (3% of the total number of students). The goal is to implement this program in 16,000 classrooms by 2010.
The science
program is a good example of the direction in which the Enlaces program is headed. A very important aspect of this program is teaching style. Enlaces encourages the use of the HEI (hypothesis
, experimentation, instruction
) method. The new science classes are being developed in a multimedia format using simulations delivered via the internet.
This new program offers students many benefits. The classes that follow this methodology better prepare students for lessons and projects. When presented with an experiment, students can form a hypothesis, the teacher can demonstrate every aspect of the experiment using a computer, a projection system, and the internet, and the students can follow the other steps of the scientific method. While the use of simulations is not the exactly the same as doing the physical experiment, simulation eliminates the problem of lack of equipment and materials (such as chemicals for chemistry
, and animals for dissection for biology
) that many schools in Chile face.
. The idea was that children would bring the technology home with them, but this has not worked the way the Ministry had hoped. The majority of parents (especially those in rural areas) recognize the benefits of technology for their children, but feel that they cannot benefit personally. For adults who do want to learn more about technology, the Enlaces program offers an 18 hour digital literacy class where they learn the basic functions of a computer, how to use a word processor
, how to use the internet
, and how to create and use an email
account.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an educational program designed to create a structural change in Chilean education in order to prepare youth, along with their parents and guardians, to participate in the emergent society of knowledge, and to create networks of communication that help integrate them with the world. Enlaces was started in 1992 by Chile's Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education of Chile
The Ministry of Education of Chile is the Ministry of State responsible for promoting the development of education at all levels, to assure all people access to basic education, to stimulate scientific and technological research and artistic creation, and the protection and enhancement of cultural...
.
Test phase
The testing phase of this program began in 12 schools in SantiagoSantiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, the capital of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. After 3 years the program had extended to the Ninth Region, the Araucanía Region
Araucanía Region
The IX Araucanía Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions and comprises two provinces: Malleco in the north and Cautín in the south....
, (the part of the country with the largest indigenous population) with more than 100 schools participating in the program. When the government decided that this project was viable, it focused all of its efforts on the spread of this program to all the regions of the country.
First phase
From 1995-2007 (the unofficial First Phase of the Enlaces project), the government spent more than $121 million and international cooperation from organizations such as CIDACIDA
Things known by the initialism CIDA include:* Canadian International Development Agency* Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomia, Venezuelan institute of astronomical investigation* CIDA City Campus* Council for Interior Design Accreditation...
the Canadian International Development Agency in global education, infrastructure, computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, access to educational recourses, technical assistance, and teacher training. In 2003, in order to continue their efforts to connect the country, the Ministry of Education signed an agreement with local telecommunication companies to offer low-cost broadband connection for educational institutions. Sixty percent of the students in Chile have access to broadband internet because of this agreement. In 2007, the Enlaces Program had 3,372,943 students, and 95% of the students in the country have access to computer.
Future plans
In 2007, the Chilean Ministry of Education presented ExpoEnlaces 2007 where they showcased the latest innovations in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) so that people can understand the abilities of these new technologies and their uses in the classroom. That same year, the Ministry of Education published its new objectives and projects for the coming years. Didier de Saint Pierre, the executive director of Enlaces, divided the program into two phases, the first phase, which is coming to a close, focused on infrastructure in the schools and equipping them to install the necessary programs and administration. The second phase involves developing the technological infrastructure so that it has the capacity to improve the quality of learning in Chile. Once the basic technological infrastructure is in place, the Ministry will extend the technology to the remaining schools in less developed regions, and it will implement new technologies in the more advanced regions.Examples of the new technologies that Enlaces will implement are electronic whiteboards for math, palm pilots or pocket PCs for physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, and projectors for teaching sciences. Other new strategies will include ICT in the classroom, where they will integrate portable technology and projectors in 3,000 classrooms, benefiting 87,000 students (3% of the total number of students). The goal is to implement this program in 16,000 classrooms by 2010.
The science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
program is a good example of the direction in which the Enlaces program is headed. A very important aspect of this program is teaching style. Enlaces encourages the use of the HEI (hypothesis
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
, experimentation, instruction
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
) method. The new science classes are being developed in a multimedia format using simulations delivered via the internet.
This new program offers students many benefits. The classes that follow this methodology better prepare students for lessons and projects. When presented with an experiment, students can form a hypothesis, the teacher can demonstrate every aspect of the experiment using a computer, a projection system, and the internet, and the students can follow the other steps of the scientific method. While the use of simulations is not the exactly the same as doing the physical experiment, simulation eliminates the problem of lack of equipment and materials (such as chemicals for chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, and animals for dissection for biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
) that many schools in Chile face.
Adult Education
Part of the objective of the Enlaces program is to help the community through adult educationAdult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
. The idea was that children would bring the technology home with them, but this has not worked the way the Ministry had hoped. The majority of parents (especially those in rural areas) recognize the benefits of technology for their children, but feel that they cannot benefit personally. For adults who do want to learn more about technology, the Enlaces program offers an 18 hour digital literacy class where they learn the basic functions of a computer, how to use a word processor
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
, how to use the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, and how to create and use an email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
account.