1. Bridging Traditional Culture With ICT Education Gohar Grigorian Yerevan State University

2. Lack of knowledge of computer use and ICT, Absence of understanding how ICT can be applied to education, Lack of confidence of both teachers and students in use of ICT, Problem

3. Inexperience, Reluctant to change, Limited access to resources, Unreliability of equipment and classroom practices. Problem

4. Glocalization Glocalization connects the growing global with local.

5. School Connectivity program Acquiring ICT skills, English language acquisition and cultural exchange Connecting rural Armenian 6 th grade students with US students 10 students on 5 computers

6. School Connectivity program Project Harmony arranged connection with a class of US students Project Harmony designed the forum format Internet Training was conducted by myself

7. School Connectivity Program

8. Bridging ICT connectivity in schools Stages of Development 1.Chat room 2.Cultural/historical trips with photographs 3.Students shared experiences through chat room and shared photographs electronically 4.Mutual exchange

9. Traditional-ICT Event Organized Event designed using TOT with my students for use of ICT in classroom Brainstorming with my ten students to bring all stakeholders together to garner support of ICT in school Designed a cultural event to bridge the gap

10. Sustainability of the Project Support of stakeholders (students, teachers, headmaster, parents and friends) Promoting familiarity, acceptance and support of ICT in the school through using traditional/cultural elements as a bridge

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18. Implementation of the event Invited other students, teachers, headmaster, family and friends to the event Arrange for performances by students in school of traditional singing and dancing

19. Implementation of the event Introduction of ICT connectivity program using PowerPoint projection of wall poster with photographs by students for audience Intermittently student singers’ and dancers’ performance of traditional pieces

20. Event Program Created traditional puppets replicating Armenian and US student exchanges, with translator puppet Replicated computer chat rooms on PowerPoint projection Traditional puppets portrayed students participating in ICT connectivity program, replicating experience for audience

21. Event Program Students in audience placed sticky dots on a flower petal poster to evaluate their perception of ICT usefulness for the school Open visual evaluation of the usefulness of ICT in the classroom by students in the audience

22. Lessons Learned For acceptance of ICT in ICT-naive schools, to reduce failures in interventions to introduce ICT in rural education: 1.Involve all stakeholders 2.Use culture traditional symbols to increase comfort levels and understanding to bridge gap between stakeholders and ICT 3. Make the bridging experience interactive and entertaining

23. Amateur Video of the Event

24. Thank you