Harvard Summer Program in Montevideo, Uruguay
At a Glance
Dates:
June 20–August 15, 2010
Application deadline:
February 5
Cost:
$5,750
Accommodations:
To be announced
Slideshow
Contact
- Catalina Laserna, e-mail
Harvard College students can attend the study abroad fair to learn more about this program.
An anthropological look at technology’s role in education
Faculty: Catalina Laserna and Claudia Urrea
As the second smallest country in South America, Uruguay is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.7 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. In 1877, inspired by Horace Mann, the government established a nationwide educational system—pioneering universal, free, and compulsory primary education in the Americas—and as a consequence Uruguay became one of the most literate nations of Latin America.
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 (OLPC) initiative that Massachusetts Institute of Technology 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.
The importance of public education in Uruguay history coupled with its current commitment to implement the OLPC at a national level, makes it an ideal location to investigate continuities and changes brought about by having a critical mass of schools experimenting with how to incorporate the OLPC into ordinary classroom practice. In what ways is schooling tradition still the same? In what ways is it changing? What are the effects of both teachers and students being able to take the OLPC’s home? Look at it more broadly, how can this latest effort at improving public education be understood in light of Uruguay’s history and current socio-economic climate?
In carrying out our research, we collaborate with CEIBAL, the government program implementing OLPC at the national level. The Technology Laboratory of Uruguay, where the CEIBAL is housed, is our main local partner as is the Ministry of Education and Culture and selected local universities.
Course of study
ANTH S-1742 Study Abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay: An Anthropological Perspective on Media in Education (32562)
Catalina Laserna and Claudia Urrea.
(8 credits: UN, GR) Limited enrollment
This course explores the intersection of anthropological and educational research and theory building. We study the history and ethnography of education in Uruguay. 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-mediated literacy, which we term "cybercy." Working in teams, students carry out enthnographic fieldwork in schools that have been implementing Uruguay's One-Laptop-Per-Child initiative. The results of this collective research demonstrate how ethnographic inquiry and theorizing can provide critical insight into the ways digital technologies mediate practices of the school, local community, and society. In the second part of the course, students design culturally responsive interventions to be tried out at the schools. The findings will be shared with our host institution and the Ministry of Education.
Prerequisites: adequate conversational Spanish fluency to carry out ethnographic research.
Course credit
See Study Abroad Credit Information.
Faculty
Catalina Laserna, DPhil, Lecturer on Anthropology, Harvard University
Claudia Urrea, PhD, Visiting Scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Application
Students must be at least 18 years old, have completed at least 1 year of college or be a first-year student, and be in good academic standing to apply.
The application materials, outlined below, are due February 5:
- A completed online application (available in early December) that includes:
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee
- Contact information for 2 references
- A supplementary statement describing interest in the program, relevant coursework, and travel experience abroad (previous travel is not a prerequisite)
- Official transcripts (sent directly to the address below; unofficial transcripts are accepted for Harvard College students only)
Transcripts should be addressed as follows:
Matilda West
Study Abroad Coordinator
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
An interview will also be scheduled. Students will be notified of admission decisions by late February or early March.
Cost
The cost of the program is $5,750 and a nonrefundable $50 application fee. This covers the following:
- Tuition
- Room and some meals
In addition to the program fee, students are responsible for:
- A health insurance fee ($175; waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States)
- Transportation to and from Montevideo
- Personal expenses
- The cost of passports and visas (if the latter is needed)
- Any immunizations
Program directors will advise students of likely additional expenses. A sample budget for estimating expenses will be available soon.
How to pay and funding options
See How to Pay for payment deadlines, deposit amounts, and more information including funding options for Harvard College students.
Accommodations
To be announced.
Additional information
Contact Catalina Laserna, laserna@fas.harvard.edu.
Students with disabilities should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible. See Students with Disabilities for more information.