Interactive whiteboards Designed for schools, interactive boards enable computers to be used collectively. The teacher or the pupil can not only write and wipe off

(just like a blackboard) but also display and modify any type of document: texts, images, sounds or videos, and record them (using a stylus that acts like a mouse). The IWB is not trying to revolutionise teaching but to improve and enrich it. It operates without Internet connections using sources prepared beforehand (enriched by interactive exercises and various multimedia activities). The technology is simple and easy to operate. The teacher can keep control over his class and call upon multimedia whenever he wants without being an IT expert. Teachers can also follow appropriate training courses and exchange their experiences in workgroups. 1 + 1 For “every digital board purchased, one interactive whiteboard offered”. This DSF operation aims at inciting mature countries to equip their classrooms with IWBs, by enabling them to make the most of low-cost technologies and take part in digital solidarity.

A mobile digital class at 1,000 $ Due to the progress made in different technologies, today a class can be equipped for about 1,000 $. For example, the DSF has developed a mobile digital class comprising an interactive whiteboard (fixed and unfoldable), styluses for teacher and pupils, a video projector and a computer fitted with a webcam and its loudspeakers. (This equipment may be accompanied by an electricity generator).

Community portals for digital educational resources The DSF want to initiate and support the development of community portals for bringing teachers together in order to create, develop, use and share digital educational resources (especially those intended for interactive whiteboards), more especially Africa-orientated. Three separate portals are programmed in teachers’ three working languages: French, English and Arabic. The first French-speaking portal, provisionally baptised “Sankoré” is being set up at present. *

The “Sankoré” portal has the vocation of bringing together: All available French, English and Arabic-speaking digital resources English-speaking resources that can be used as a reference for developing their equivalents in French and Arabic Tools for training teachers in digital education Tools for producing programmes (teaching tools, software, teachware, etc.) Programmes (year, course, lesson..) evaluated by teachers Organisation of a community of teachers On-line courses ...

The “digital education for all” programme is a part of the Franco-British initiative dated March 27th 2008 launched by the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the French president Nicolas Sarkozy and aimed at creating an open partnership with other countries for - “Reaching the objective of universal primary education for all by 2015” - “Educating 16 million children in Africa by 2010”» - “Recruiting and training an extra 3.8 million teachers” As the year 2009-2010 is placed under the sign of education for Africa, the “Digital Education for All” programme has extended its partnership to the FIFA and the football leagues to make use of the impact of the 2010 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa. Source: Global Digital Solidarity Fund