About ITEN

1. What is ITEN?

ITEN is a Professional Network of Educational Leaders from all backgrounds and education levels that wish to share knowledge, experiences, research and good practices in the field of teacher education. Using a strategy of horizontal cooperation, ITEN provides a discussion space for all teachers in the Americas.

All teachers of the Americas represent the core of ITEN. Through the promotion of collaboration and interaction, we hope that all participants will assume a role of leadership by learning from one another. We aim to intertwine ideas that add creativity to each member, and hope that ITEN becomes a space that generates change that benefits the professional development of all members.   

2. Who can participate in ITEN?

Teachers, teachers in training, educational leaders, experts, researchers, Ministry of Education officials, teacher unions, research centers, civil society organizations, academics, and all those interested in teacher-related topics. 

3. What is the relation between ITEN and the OAS?

The Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN) is an initiative of the Organization of American States (OAS), developed and coordinated by the Office of Education and Culture (OEC) of the Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC). For more information on the OAS, please click on the following link: www.oas.org.

4. What countries participate in ITEN?

ITEN is an initiative of the Organization of American State (OAS) that is integrated by the 34 member states of the Americas. For more information on OAS Member States, please click here.

5. I am a citizen of a country that is not an OAS Member State. Can I be part of ITEN?

Although ITEN is an initiative led by the 34 OAS Member States, citizens from other countries can participate in the majority of ITEN activities, including the virtual community and seminars.  

6. How do I become a member of ITEN? Can I invite other colleagues to join?

To become part of ITEN, you must subscribe to the virtual community following this link: www.itenamericas.org. We hope that ITEN becomes a vibrant community that incorporates educational leaders from diverse backgrounds and various points of view. We are always delighted to have new colleagues join our community!

7. I am new to ITEN. How can I participate?

There is no requisite for participating in ITEN, just an interest in exchanging ideas and collaborating with others in pursuit of improving the teacher practice and quality of education. Once registered, you will be able to register for interest groups, share publications, documents, photos, videos, events, participate in forums, and learn about scholarships, seminars and courses.

Additionally, you can participate in other activities such as online courses and virtual seminars. ITEN activities are currently in a state of recess, with online courses and seminars resuming very shortly. All members will be informed of these opportunities through the notifications section in the community.     

ITEN Activities

1. What activities are offered through ITEN?

ITEN has developed this virtual network in response to the needs of teachers and other professionals working in education throughout the region, and to provide them with tools that encourage collaboration, professional development and the exchange of good practices. ITEN promotes horizontal cooperation through three primary pillars: information exchange, capacity strengthening and technical assistance. The primary components of ITEN include the virtual community, series of virtual seminars, online courses, and social communication tools.  

2. Is there a cost to participate in ITEN activities?

The majority of ITEN activities are free for participants. In addition to free member registration, members will also find the virtual seminar series and social communication tools (Facebook and Twitter) available at no cost.

Online courses offered by ITEN generally have a cost that varies according to the type of course. Community announcements will be sent to members in order to inform them of these opportunities. ITEN course participants will have the opportunity to obtain partial and complete scholarships for these courses. For greater details on costs and scholarships, please review the specific details of each opportunity announcement.

3. What is the difference between an online course and virtual seminar (webinar)?

Virtual seminars (webinars) are brief presentations roughly 60 minutes in length that address various relevant topics in the field of teacher education. Each webinar has at least one specialist, who is invited to give a presentation related to programs, projects, experiences and good practices in education. Webinar participants view the presentation in real time by connecting to a virtual platform. All online seminars are free, and are recorded and placed on the ITEN Youtube channel for future access.

Online courses differ from the virtual seminars in that they have a specific study program and are concentrated on one topic. Students use learning modules accessed through virtual platforms and are instructed to complete various assignments and participation requirements to obtain a certificate once the course concludes. The length of each course varies from one to three months, and requires the active participation of students and completion of all assignments within the respective time frame.

4. How do I stay informed on the latest news and activities of ITEN?

To stay informed on the latest news and activities of ITEN, you first must register for the virtual community (www.itenamericas.org.) Registered users will receive news through the informative bulletin and notifications sections.

About the Online Courses

1. What are the course topics?

The topics addressed by ITEN courses vary each year. In previous years, ITEN along with partner organizations such as Evolucion Foundation and Cisneros Foundation have offered courses on the following topics: Collaborative Network Projects, Peace Education and Conflict Resolution, Use and Integration of ICTs, Teaching Basic Skills in the Management of Educational Institutions and Literacy Teaching.  

2. What are the associated course costs? Are there scholarship opportunities?

The cost of courses varies according to each specific case. ITEN and its partner organizations give course participants the opportunity to obtain partial and complete scholarships. For more information regarding costs and scholarship opportunities, please review the submission calls.

3. Are certified awarded for course participation?

Participants that satisfy all course requirements will receive a certificate verifying their participation.

4. How is the application process for these courses?

Details are provided in the announcement of each course and differ based on the nature of the course.

5. Does ITEN offer presential courses?

ITEN currently offers online courses only.

6. Does ITEN offer Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD courses?

No, currently ITEN only offers professional development courses that do not figure as part of the curriculum of any degree program.

About Virtual Seminars (Webinars)

1. What are the topics of virtual seminars?

The topics addressed by ITEN seminars change each year. In previous years, ITEN has offered virtual seminars in the following areas: challenges and good practices in the development, implementation and monitoring of teacher evaluation; ICT integration in educational institutions; multiculturalism in the educational agenda; teaching skills for the future of education; regional norms of practice for Caribbean teachers; integration of conflict resolution skills/social and emotional learning experiences in the curriculum; “bullying”: an introduction to prevention and intervention measures; tendencies, best practices and current debates on teacher policy; educational leadership, confronting the educational challenges of the 21^st Century; innovative technique for literacy teaching; creating a culture of respect in the classroom; transforming education through group learning; learning environments mediated by ICTs, among others.

For more information, please follow this link: http://itenamericas.net/page/webinars

2. How much do these virtual seminars cost?

Currently, the virtual seminars offered by ITEN are free.

3. Are certificates offered for participating in virtual seminars?

For the majority of virtual seminars, participation certificates are not offered. Some specific webinar series, such as those organized with International Reading Association and Teachers without Borders, were accompanied with certificates for participants that completed all seminar requirements.    

4. How does the registration process for participating in virtual seminars work?

Those interested in registering for virtual seminars must complete the online form with their contact information and filling out other relevant categories. The link to the online form can be found in the announcement of each seminar. 

5. How do I access videos and other related resources of past Webinars?

To access resources of past seminars, click here.

2016 Activities

1. What courses/virtual seminars will be offered in 2016?

ITEN activities are currently in a state of recess, with online courses and seminars resuming very shortly. All members will be informed of these opportunities through the notifications section in the community.