Opportunity Analysis or Idea

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Mauricio Rivero

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May 3, 2012, 10:34:08 AM5/3/12
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Hello Fellas!

According to the Venture-Lab schedule we have to work in an opportunity idea for a specific market. I propose this (and this is the idea that i'm working right now in my own bussiness):

A technological consulting service fo the educational sector in 3rd world countries, this service will help to close the breach between the Digital Natives and Digital inmigrants. In theese countries the Information Technology  doesn't have the deep of impact necessary for changing or updating the educational model according to the advances of IT, instead goverments and private institutions or fundations are spending millions and millions of dolar (or local currency) buying computers or other equipement like the OLPC for schools in remote places and towns. This model is not bad, but, is not enough and lacks for a component TRULY necessary, and that is: Measuring+Monitoring+accompaniment. The current model only buy the computer and server some training program in the use of the computer, but the teachers not only need that, what they really need is a service of constant training (in a lapse of one or two years) where they learn progressively the smarter use of the technological tools for give the practival knowledge and solve real world problems.

What kinds of topis will learn the teachers and students in this consulting service? Things like:
Making their own Notebook using blogs, on-line and colaborative docs.
Configuring their own work place using the operative system and home pages like iGoogle.
Mastering the search engine to find usefull and practical data and information.
Making all kinds of multimedia content for buliding clases and delivering projects, using Web2.0 aplication like: Youtube,. Scribd, Google Maps, Issuu, Google Docs, Wolfrang Demostrations, and so on.
Sharing and working in social networks.
Configuring digital classrooms using MOODLE.
And the list will continue depending on the passion and commitment of the teachers and students...

Using technology in this practical way is fun and not so boried like a training program driven by a boring technical advisor without experience and passion in pedagogical work.

So this is my idea in a general way. As i said, i'm working in this model for 4 months and the result are being awesome!
The piloto program are being implemented in a small private school in the city of Barranquilla Colombia, and the teachers have gone from knowing NOTHING to correctly use ofice tools for development of academic periodical reports; that's pretty great!

As always you can give your opinions about this idea in this space and gave some real and perfect shape to this....

PD: Sorry for my english jejejejeje

Stebin John

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May 3, 2012, 11:00:08 AM5/3/12
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Mao, the idea is awesome.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like your developing a consulting service teaching teachers how to use technology correctly? 


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    Stebin

Mauricio Rivero

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May 3, 2012, 11:23:29 AM5/3/12
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The two of those!

Many services right now give the training for some short period of time (3 or 4 months) but this training is in the use of some tools like Blogger, Picasa, MOODLE, Smart Tcehnologies among others. But you can train the teachers in use those tools without give the strong and practical foundation in the smrater use of the tools for making class, improve the motivation of the students and give some solutions for the real problems in the world.

You can visit the website (in spanish) soon i will post the case of the school that i mentioned before.

Para obtener más opciones, visita este grupo en
http://groups.google.com/group/educatron?hl=es-419?hl=es.



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Regards,
    Stebin

Terry Patterson

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May 3, 2012, 11:24:22 AM5/3/12
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As John, that is what I understood from the message. As someone who has worked with faculty in higher education for many years; I can understand your predicament. On one hand, instructors need to know how to adapt technologies to pedagogical practices in an effective and efficient manner, and in a way that technology does not get "in the way", but improves the learning experience for the student instead of creating barriers of entry (for those of you familiar with the "creepy treehouse effect" by Chris Lott).  In essence, your concept of a consulting service is not a bad one, but I would recommend this:

  • Build community of teachers using technology in innovative ways and encourage them to share
  • Easy tutorials are powerful, but always engage the pedagogical aspect and include the suggestion of the technology equivalent to the face-to-face interaction that they are so familiar with.
  • Provide value added services for instructional design using technology. One thing I observed in all my years as an educational technologist was the mere fact that even though teachers want to use technology by themselves, they seldom have time to learn how to effectively create learning assets (learning objects) that can be used in a tech heavy classroom. As a result, the learning objects are of poor quality and poorly used effectively to address the learning goals. An engaged and tech savvy instructional designer solves their problems and delivers that value added service.
In the US, there are very successful teacher communities that get together for professional development in this area.  Look into creating a professional development community of teachers to deliver knowledge among peers and at the same time market your educational technology support services.

-Terry

http://about.me/terrympatterson

Mauricio Rivero

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May 3, 2012, 11:40:51 AM5/3/12
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Pretty awesome piece of advice Terry Thanks! i will look forward to it!

Para obtener más opciones, visita este grupo en
http://groups.google.com/group/educatron?hl=es-419?hl=es.



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Regards,
    Stebin

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