APEX is an innovation in teaching and learning that connects students' learning to the development goals of the community. It prepares the youth academically and technically to pursue post-secondary education and a career or enterprise of choice by exposing them to relevant curriculum, interactive activities and real life applications. APEX views the strategic role of secondary education in addressing the emerging technical and entrepreneurial needs of the community and it helps foster a spirit of service among students. APEX truly enables the students to become real world learners, local change makers and significant contributors to the development of communities

معلمان باید استانداردهایی برای موفقیت تعیین کنند و دانش آموزان را آگاه سازند که از همه آنها انتظار می رود به این استانداردها دست یابند. این توصیه ، دو موضوع بسیار با اهمیت را به یکدیگر پیوند می دهد:
یکی تعیین استانداردهای هدفمند ، یعنی استانداردهای مهم، چالش برانگیز و قابل حصول و دیگری انتقال انتظارات معلم به دانش آموز،یعنی انتظار دستیابی آنان به این استانداردها ، این توصیه از این رو اهمیت دارد که علاوه بر پیشنهاد دستیابی به بعضی استانداردها ،پیشنهاداتی نیز برای اجتناب از استانداردهای دلخواه (۱) و ناپایدار (هوس برانگیز) (۲) دارد. همچنین توصیه می کند، از استانداردهایی که برای دانش آموزان قابل حصول نیستند ، دوری شود و از استانداردهایی که دانش آموزان بدون هیچ تلاشی می توانند به آنها دست یابند نیز پرهیز شود و سرانجام این که نباید انتظارات زیادی از دانش آموزان به خصوص گروه های کوچک تر دانش آموزی داشت .

Enhancing Education and Training

The development of new multimedia technologies and the growth of the Internet in recent years have given Europeans access to an incredible range of information and resources. Successfully exploiting this potential for improving education and training depends far more on pedagogical and organisational issues than on the technologies themselves.

The introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) has to be accompanied by a far-reaching reorganisation of learning structures. In addition, it is vital that technological innovation is developed to serve education in highly diverse learning contexts, while respecting linguistic, cultural and social differences.

Innovative Thinking

Offering more Europeans the opportunity to develop new skills at any age and to any standard will not only improve the competitiveness of EU enterprises and the employability of EU citizens, but will also promote social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development.

Lifelong learning has therefore been a core EU policy since 2001, when EU Member States agreed, in an EU Council Resolution on e-Learning, to act together to enable easier integration of ICT into education and training systems.

European action in this field is set by following key documents:

• Designing Tomorrow's Education (European Commission's eLearning Initiative). This 2000 strategy paper sets out the need for new approaches to education and training and continued development of quality multimedia contents and services. This initiative has been fleshed out by measures taken under the European Commission's eLearning Action Plan (2001-2004), and the eLearning Programme for  2004-2006 which will focus on a series of priority areas chosen for their strategic relevance to the modernisation of Europe's education and training systems.
• A European Area of Lifelong Learning.  Since it adoption by the European Commission in 2001, the Communication entitled, "Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality" has been the guiding principle for the development of education and training measures across Europe. This document stresses the need for EU Member States to adapt their formal education and training systems to the demands of the modern environment, breaking down barriers between different forms of learning and giving all EU citizens the chance to develop information and communication technology (ICT) skills.
• Future Objectives of Education and Training Systems. This report, adopted by the Ministers of Education in 2001, set a number of shared objectives to be achieved by 2010 and emphasises the importance of ICT in modern education and training systems. It was followed by a 10-year work programme, approved by the European Council. These documents constitute the EU strategic framework of co-operation in the fields of education and training.

Two important instruments the European Commission uses to promote the effective use of Information Society technologies into education and training are the two key programmes in these fields, namely Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci. Socrates has a specific line, Minerva specifically dedicated to open and distance learning, and the educational use of ICT.

The vocational training programme Leonardo da Vinci has been innovation-led from the outset and supports many projects that make extensive use of ICT for training purposes.

The eLearning Initiative itself has launched a set of projects to further enhance our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of e-learning and to provide good examples and relevant information for the education and training community.

The EU's Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is also supporting research on the contribution of Information Society technologies to innovation in education and training through its Technology Enhanced Learning Strategic Objective.

Combined, these initiatives will help to meet the Lisbon target and to lay a foundation to build on beyond 2010

سمپوزیوم بین المللی طراحی مدارس برای آینده که در January 26-27, 2007 در آتن یونان برگزار می شود.از طریق لینک زیر مطلب می توانید به سایت اصلی این همایش مراجه کنید. 

The aim of the symposium is to present Today's Achievements, Future Challenges and Expectations in the field of educational technology. 

Powerful new technologies promise to transform education and training in ways previously unimaginable. Rapid advancements in educational technologies in the years ahead could enable new learning environments using simulations, visualizations, immersive environments, game playing, intelligent tutors and avatars, reusable building blocks of content, address distributed communities of learners, and many more. There are many challenges in the process of educational innovation that must be addressed in order to take advantage of these technologies to improve learning.

Advanced technologies developed to meet other purposes must be translated into affordable tools for learners to use. Technical standards must be deployed to help guide the development of educational content that will be drawn from countless sources throughout the world. The technology community has to form stronger partnerships with the educational community. The educational institutions need to prepare for rapid technological change. Location: Athens, Important Days: Submission of abstracts December 15, 2006 Provisional acceptance of abstract December 20, 2006 Submission of full papers January 12, 2007

موضوعات همایش:

The themes of the symposium include:

Augmented and Virtual Reality applications (applications in teaching and learning)

Robotic Technologies in education

Wearable technologies in education

Mobile Technologies for Ad-hoc learning (tools, methodologies, case studies)

Connecting Formal and Informal Learning, Connecting schools, science museums     and centers

The role of Science Centers and Research Laboratories in Education

Evaluation methodologies

Quality and Standardization Issues in Education

تصویری از محل برگزاری همایش:

هدف از ایجاد این وبلاگ ارائه اخبار و مقالات نوآوریهای آموزشی هم به زبان اصلی و هم ترجمه آنها به زبان فارسی می باشد.