From: Peter Baak <pbaak@gn.apc.org>
Message-Id: <9503101113.AA10789@gn.apc.org>
To: dsevic1@peg.apc.org
Subject: Welcome from I*EARN The Netherlands
Cc: bcoppinger@peg.apc.org, ed1@igc.apc.org, fhoffman@euronet.nl, krbrown@igc.apc.org, pcopen@igc.apc.orgTo The Honorouble Mr. Don Hayward,
Minister of Education, Victoria, AustraliaDear Sir,
On the occasion of the Student Forum on March 15 I would like to express my congratulations for the progress that has been made in your state concerning the introduction of New Media in Education.
Allow me to introduce myself by telling you the story of how I became involved in this endeavour. I will conclude with a description of the process of introduction and use of new communication technologies in education in The Netherlands.
Five years ago, on a visit to New York, I stumbled upon educational applications for electronical communications through computer and modem. I was puzzled what to make of it and even more doubted my capability to introduce it to the Amsterdam schools I work with. Nevertheless the potential of these communication technologies fascinated me.
On coming to know I*EARN and after meeting the dedicated people face to face things fell into place. Telecommunications proved a way for me personally to keep in touch with new educational and social developments within other settings, other societies and cultures - through the people I had met and learned to appreciate, that became new friends...
Since then - and with this inspiration - I have been able to work with teachers and students using computer and modem to communicate, teach, learn and grow. The many opportunities I*EARN offers - it absolutely *is* a resource network - have meant great personal satisfaction to me and provided many opportunities within the job I have - supporting teachers in using technological and educational innovations.
Introduction of Educational Technologies
In The Netherlands computers have been introduced widely into schools for Secondary Education in the period 1987 - 1991 with a follow up to stimulate inetegrated use in the period of 1991 - 1995 (PRINT-project). The large scale introduction of computers within all Primary schools has just been concluded after the 4-year project "Comenius" (ratio of 1 computer for 60 pupils).
Recently the educational and financial climate has not been very favourable for following up the computer with modem and other communication technological innovations, except for the level of Vocational Training. The "BVE-Net" project has $ 25 million in the coming four years for stimulating the use of Internet and development of new electronical educational services.
Future developments
Two recent political developments give new perspectives on the participation of Dutch schools in I*EARN: In December the Netherlands government approved a "National Action Plan" for the electronic highway, supplying a framework within which the Ministry of Education will be able to make policies concerning telecommunications.
Just recently (last week) a new educational program "Socrates" has been approved by the European Union, in which opportunities abound for the use of telecommunications by students, teachers and schools (which stands in contrast with previous similar programs which focused on exchange visits *in person*)
I*EARN
For many primary schools (on teacher and pupil level) communicating in English proves too difficult to handle, so the possibilities to participate in I*EARN are limited. Yet I have been able to set up small local and regional projects, by applying the principles that I have learned from many I*EARN projects. As a result of this last Fall the number of Dutch (and Flemish) I*EARN schools grew from two to eight.
The communication and exchange of ideas within I*EARN in general and with the Australian I*EARN Center and Bill Coppinger in particular have been very helpful in this. I often use examples of the way Broadford High School functions concerning e-mail organisation, use of Internet and educational projects.
Dear Sir, I hope I could offer you some insight in a 5 year long development I have gone through concerning educational use of telecommunications. I am very glad that Bill Coppinger is one of the people I have met through I*EARN, keeping me on the track of high quality education.
Peter Baak
I*EARN coordinator The Netherlands
Support Institute for Amsterdam Education, ABC