A two week seminar in Shanghai: Integrating ICT in Education
- program and impressions
by Prof. Edna Aphek

Jerusalem, Israel aphekdr@netvision.net.il

1.Introduction
In June 2000 I conducted a two-week seminar on the Integration of the ICT in Education, in Shanghai, at the request of Institute of General Education, Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences.

It was my first visit to China and my first meeting with the Chinese culture and way of thinking.
I didn't know what to expect nor did I know how to conduct such a seminar successfully.
I was ignorant of the needs and ways of thinking and codes of behavior of my students as well as of my hosts. The "silent Language" of the Chinese culture was a mystery to me, and still is, I am afraid.
Though I had many fears and apprehensions as to the seminar and my ability to successfully conduct it , the seminar was a great success. My hosts were most hospitable and gracious. I had a wonderful experience. All I can say now, is that I am sorry the seminar was so short and had no continuation.
The following is a description of the seminar and some words about my impressions.

2.Background
In April 2000,I was approached by Mr.Uzi Israeli, the director of the Ofri Center at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who asked me to go to Shanghai and to conduct a two-week seminar on integrating the ICT in Education.
The Ofri center is the education branch of Mashav: The Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV) is in charge of all of Israel's cooperation and assistance activities, carried out through guidance and training, in Israel and abroad. The activity is funded in conjunction with third countries (e.g. the US, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Germany), and international agencies such as the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, the UN Development Program, and UNESCO.
Mr. Israeli contacted me in light of a specific request put to the Israeli Embassy in Shanghai, by the Shanghai Academy of the Sciences of Education.

2.1.A first draft
As per Mr. Israeli's request I prepared a first draft of the program to be sent to the seminar coordinator at the Shanghai Academy. Here it is.

Seminar on Integrating Computers and IT in Education: first draft issues to be discussed

A. The computer as a learning and working environment
-tools: PowerPoint, databases
-project based learning and the computer
-cooperative learning and the computer
-the E Book + (the Godard model) a model for interdisciplinary learning
-software for teaching specific subject matter: ESL, Science
-translation software
-teacher training for computer integration in the classroom-
-best practices integrating computer literacy

b. the internet and the curriculum, learning on the net
-introduction to the internet: e mail, search engines etc.
-portals and best sites for education
-educational projects for international participation- ThinkQuest, Bangemann (Stockholm) Challenge
-building a virtual community
-using internet tools for collaborative learning

Key Lectures:
Using the computer in the classroom - added value.
The Internet and the Formation of the Meta-State

The program was accepted by the hosting Shanghai Academy.

Team Teaching: finding a co-teacher
Since the two week seminar is an intensive one, and the workload is eight hours a day, its customary for the Ofri Center to send two teachers for each seminar.
Mr. Israeli suggested that my co-teacher would be Mrs. Drorit Wagner, whom I met for the first time, at the Ofri Center.
Mrs.Wagner had a long experience working with the Ofri Center.
We met several times and prepared a very detailed, day-by-day course outline based on the first draft of the program, approved by the Shanghai Academy.

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