Fluency with IT Training at schools with DSL

CEDF-IT had a meeting with Angeli Badelles of Globe Telecom, a leading mobile carrier in the Philippines, and Aimee Tejano, of Innove, a sister company involved in providing landlines and core networks. It seems they have an ongoing project to supply Internet connectivity to 300 schools, using DSL where it is available and dial-up elsewhere. I suggested that we organize teachers training in Fluency with IT for, initially, those Cebu schools with DSL connections, and they seemed receptive to the idea. Perhaps they will sponsor the training. Bringing new technologies to schools is great but insufficient. It gives them a fishing rod, but doesn't teach them to fish. The human factor is really important -- how do we prepare teachers and administrators to undertake the fundamental and far-reaching transformations that need to take place for their schools and students to take their rightful place in a digitally interconnected world? CEDF-IT and Globe will be starting an IT Trends series of technical talks. The first one is scheduled on December 8 with Dennis Posadas, venture capitalist and author of Rice Bowls and Chips, as a speaker (with a panel, that may include me). Globe still has to identify another speaker to talk on "creating an innovation ecosystem" or something.