Education Technology in Atzompa, Mexico:
Attitudes, Needs, and Application

Abstract 

This research takes a multidisciplinary ethnographic approach examining the use, knowledge, and perceptions of modern technology in Atzompa’s telesecundaria; a middle school located in a rural town 8 kilometers outside of Oaxaca City that utilizes the television in a national education format. As modern technology becomes an accessible educational resource to school such as Atzompa’s telesecundaria, new sets of global challenges and solutions are created for the students, teachers, administrators, community, and the government related to resources, teaching, training, and student preparation. Teacher narratives reveal insight into topics of universal education,
community participation, educational inequality, and the global workforce. 

Project Description 

With the project goals in mind, the research team consisting of Dr. Ramona Pérez (Anthropology), Kim McDougall (PH), Rachel Adams (Anthropology), Krissy Meckel Parker (LAS), Veronica Miranda (Anthropology), and Evan Rubin (LAS) set out to create the most effective experimental design possible with the resource that were made available. The team decided ahead of time that they were going to conduct taste tests for four different types of breakfast foods on groups of twelve children between the ages of five and ten. Each group would be randomly selected by team members at the school, while attempted to maintain an equal number of boy and girl participants. Initially, we predicted that we would get through four groups of children in a day, but the first day we had enough food left over that we managed to get through five groups. The second day we stuck to our initial plan, and only tested the food on four different groups. The foods would be introduced one by one to the children, they would rate them using our simplified Likert scale of smiley faces, and then we would move on to the next food. Our team did its best at reading the students without imposing our thoughts or feelings about the food. It was difficult to be enthusiastic about the project but at the same time non-partial to the food that was served. 

  Community Museums and the Web: Preserving Community, Culture, and History in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

The rich diversity of culture, tradition, and language in Oaxaca is currently facing an increased presence of  'globalization' through tourism and technology.  In Oaxaca, communities and individuals are accepting, negotiating, and rejecting  global commodities and values to fit their specific needs and interests.  As global products and values continue to enter Oaxacan communities the community museums will continue play a significant role in the preservation of community history and culture in Oaxaca.  Community museums throughout the world have begun to develop websites to complement the goals, values, and needs of the museum and may become a possibility for community museums in Oaxaca in the enar future.  This article examines the presence of information and communication technology  in Oaxaca, the construction of the new community museum in Atzompa, Oaxaca, the literature on community museum website guidelines and recommendations, followed by recommendations for creating and maintaining a community museum website for  Atzompa's community museum.