Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

10.13.09 | In a small, rustic community school in Chiapas, Mexico, a group of indigenous children are working with computers for the first time.

Jose I. Icaza and Yolanda Heredia y Ole Borch, whose Tecno-Tzotzil program won a 2009 Digital Media and Learning award, delivered 20 new laptop computers at the start of the school year. Each computer came complete with open-source software activities designed specifically for the Tzotzil students.

“The computers are inherently participatory machines,” said Icaza. “When one student opens a laptop, it instantly connects wirelessly with other nearby users. In the classroom, learning activities will encourage students to share their results with their peers, and comment on results of other students.”

Icaza found that collaboration and participation came immediately to the students. “The main dynamic at the classroom was someone discovering something exciting and shouting, ‘Hey, see what I found!’” Suddenly other kids began to do the same, and in no time most of the kids were trying out the same thing.”

Tecno-Tzotzil was designed to help reduce the educational gap experienced by Mexico’s disadvantaged indigenous population. Icaza and Ole Borch anticipate that digital media will provide learning opportunities for both instructors and students, and that the children will discover innovative ways to problem-solve.

For more photos and videos from the city of San Cristobal and the communities of Naxoch’II and Tilili go here.

The Digital Media and Learning Competition is an annual effort designed to find—and to inspire—the most novel uses of new media in support of learning. It is supported by the MacArthur Foundation in partnership with HASTAC. For more on 2009 competition winners go here.