Harvard Summer Program in Montevideo, Uruguay

  Uruguay

Montevideo

Term: Summer 
Dates: June 20 - August 15, 2010

Description: In 2006 Uruguay became first country in Latin America to develop a national program to provide all students and their teachers a laptop. As part of the One-Laptop per Child initiative (OLPC), which MIT has been promoting, the Ministry of Education funded the CEIBAL project as a way to close Uruguay's digital divide. The plan is to offer all students and their families universal access to telecommunication, content and online services. Thus far, the program has distributed 300,000 computers to students and teachers, by far the most ambitious OLPC program in Latin America.

This program explores the intersection of anthropological and educational research and theory building. Topics include the comparative ethnographic studies of educational forms (including craft apprenticeship and formal schooling); socio-cultural theories of cognitive and linguistic development; and varieties of literacy, including computer-based literacy, which we term "cybercy." We work to demonstrate how ethnographic inquiry and theorizing can provide critical insight into the ways digital technologies mediate practices of the school and local community.

Highlights: Course: An Anthropological Perspective on Media in Education

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: TBA

Experience Required: yes

adequate conversational Spanish fluency to carry out ethnographic research.

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Uruguay Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Essay
• Transcript
• Written Application

Harvard Summer School Study Abroad Programs's Mission Statement: The Harvard Summer School makes Harvard's academic resources a distinguished faculty, well-equipped laboratories, fine museums, and a world-class university library available to men and women of many ages, backgrounds, and nationalities through an intensive summer session of liberal arts courses in Cambridge and overseas. Our international student body includes Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, visitors from other colleges and universities, highly qualified secondary school students, adult learners, and nonnative English speakers seeking to refine their language skills. Students take courses to challenge themselves academically, meet degree requirements, prepare for graduate school, gain college experience, advance their careers, and pursue personal enrichment. Students, who study at Harvard Summer School may reside in a supportive residential environment, commute to campus, complete courses via distance education, or participate in one of the faculty-led programs based abroad. Many come to experience the extraordinary environment of Harvard College academics, resources, and residential life. Harvard Summer School serves the University community by providing faculty with teaching opportunities that allow them to experiment with new materials and teaching methods. Students from many Harvard schools take advantage of the breadth of summer course offerings to meet requirements for concentrations and degree programs, and to create more flexibility within their term-time academic program. Harvard graduate students from abroad can work on refining their English language skills, and Harvard College students take advantage of the summer session to expand their cultural, social, and intellectual horizons by studying abroad.