Technology Driven Education Advanced In Trinidad and Tobago

Thousands of students and educators gathered in Trinidad and Tobago at the 2nd Virtual Educa Caribbean Symposium to explore how to seize the power of Information and Telecommunication Technologies (ICT) in addressing education challenges. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the OAS and Virtual Educa was held in Port of Spain from May 19 to 20, 2014. 

Opening the event, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin recognized how the use of ICTs is changing the sector by expanding access to quality education, connecting people, enabling the creation of networks of ideas and impacting research and development efforts. “Let us make the decision to be part of this transformation process” he said, urging countries and partners from different sectors to work together to support a modern education system.  

Conferences and exhibitions allowed participants to exchange experiences and to witness new technologies being used to advance innovation in education. Teacher training workshops were also conducted by internationally renowned experts, such as Dr. Fred Mednik, Founder of Teachers Without Borders and Dr. Kevin Franklin, CEO of the Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts, and Social Science (ICHASS) at the University of Illinois, U.S., among others; who presented teachers with new techniques and methodologies to infuse ICT into the curriculum and help empower students to succeed in today’s hyper connected and competitive world.  

“It is symposiums like this, facilitated by the very forward thinking of the OAS and Virtual Educa, which demonstrate to us, as a region and as a hemisphere, that the time has come for us to attend new education systems in our individual countries” declared  Hon. Dr. Tim Gopeesingh, Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago. The Minister also highlighted that the country has become a leader and a pioneer in Latin America and the Caribbean in the area of ICT development in its education system.  

At the event, the ‘21st Century Virtual Classroom’ initiative was launched as a public-private partnership between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the OAS, Virtual Educa and Samsung. The pilot will establish a series of technologically advanced classrooms designed to benefit thousands of students and educators in schools across the Caribbean. “With the success of this pilot, we plan to expand to other markets in Latin America to help schools with fewer resources adopt the digital tools they need to provide their teachers and students with a better learning environment” announced Hyunchil Hong, VP of Samsung's Latin America Division.  

The OAS has partnered with Virtual Educa - a multilateral cooperation initiative that promotes innovation in education - since its origins in 2003. Together, and with the support of host governments, Virtual Educa Symposiums and Gatherings continue to advance technology driven education in Latin America and the Caribbean as a catalyst for human development and social inclusion.  

The XV Virtual Educa International Symposium will be held in Lima, Peru from June 9 to 13, 2014.