Presentation of the Mouse Emulator Project

Alan Kharsansky, David Vilaseca and Dario Mischener, teachers from the ICT track, Belgrano Campus, presented the Mouse Emulator Project for Disabled People on August 19th at the VII Latin American Congress on Special Educational Computing; the VII Latin American Exhibition of Computing, Telecommunications and Software Companies; and the II International Forum on Adaptive Technology and Technical Support.

Evita Tournament

The basketball and football teams of ORT Argentina are participating in the Evita Tournament and compete against other teams that represent schools and clubs.

Our school has already classified for the second round in the U-14 and U-16 categories. The teams are coordinated by Prof. Adrián Curutchet.

This Saturday, the basketball team will be playing at the “17 de agosto” club against Canavesi at 10am.

Coca Cola Cup

The football team -coordinated by Prof. M. Bolatti, Eduardo Hernández and the coach Pedro Larraquy- has participated in the Coca Cola Cup, which took place at Independiente Club, in Wilde. This tournament gathers the most important schools from the City of Buenos Aires and the Great Buenos Aires.

We congratulate the students who took part in this competition!

ORT Virtual Campus Distinguished at Canal AR

On August 27th, the digital newspaper “Canal AR” -specialized in the new information technologies (ITs)- published an article titled “Web 2.0 got to the School”. The article highlights the experience of ORT Virtual Campus, which enables the access to students’ and teachers’ productions through a net of weblogs.

The news article was produced from a video interview that Guillermo Lutzky –ORT Virtual Campus Director- gave to the digital magazine “Qué es Comunicación” (What’s Communication). Lutzky told them that the project was supported by the Institution, which decided to search for a redefinition of the school, by placing it in 10 years’ time and within the framework of the Information Society. “From the very beginning we knew that all our students had access to the Internet, most of them from home and others from cybercafés. Then we thought that the classroom could be enlarged far beyond the classroom environment, so many initiatives were generated through publication and production channels on the Internet”, explained Lutzky.

ORT at Marcos Aguinis’ New Book

We are very pleased to inform that the writer Marcos Aguinis has mentioned “ORT Sponsorship Project” in the “Good News” chapter of his new book called “The Atrocious Charm of Being Argentine 2”.

ORT Sponsorship Project is carried out by a group of students, graduates and teachers from the Industrial Design track (Belgrano campus) at a country school in Villa Adela, in the north of Santa Fe Province.

To view the page of the book where the project is mentioned click on the following link: http://www.ort.edu.ar/marcosaguinis.htm

Sporting Activities for 2nd year – Almagro Campus

The students’ coordinators and counselors organized sporting and recreational activities for all the 2nd-year students at the Sports Club. The aim was to promote the integration of the students, especially of those who have just started at the school.

On the other hand, a group of coaches and first-rate volleyball players (who compete at national level) visited the school, and shared games and recreational activities with 2nd-year students. This activity, just like the football school project coordinated by Pedro Larraqui, has an important cultural and educational value, both for teachers and students.

Those who participated in this experience felt motivated by the comments and indications they received from these top-level sportsmen and coaches, and they also felt happy for the time they spent together.

You can visit the blog of the Physical Education Department of the Almagro campus to get more information: http://almagroeducacionfisica.blogspot.com/

Solidarity Project with Francisco de Vitoria School

Within the framework of the Ceibo Project - Solidarity School, which promotes the practice of solidarity as an educational experience in all our students, 5th-year students from the Business Administration track (Almagro campus) are working on the creation of a ‘toy library’. This is carried out along with the students' coordinator, Lic. Liliana Kuperman, and 7th-grade students from Francisco de Vitoria School.

This primary public school is near our campus. After the first meetings and visits on the part of our students, we agreed (together with the School’s principals and teachers) that ORT students could not only pass on knowledge and acquired experiences, but also help in the continuous improvement of Francisco de Vitoria School. For that reason, ORT students have been working with 7th-graders from such institution in order to equip a playing room according to the needs and characteristics of the little ones.

Last Friday they visited our school and 5th-year students were the ones in charge of the ‘tour’ around ORT.

F. Onetto says: “The human being is not only satisfied with receiving; he has the need to give. The need to give is the need to experiment that one can do people good, can take care of others, heal, protect and nourish them. Doing people good is also gratifying because the other gets some benefit. By providing opportunities to take care, feed, teach, help and assist others, we are creating well-being conditions”. Therefore, we will continue building spaces where our students can develop active and committed bonds with the surrounding community. Soon you will get more news on this project, so that we can continue sharing such a fruitful experience.

The History of the 20th Century through Toys

The exhibition of games and toys of the itinerant museum “El Galpón” was carried out last week at the Almagro campus auditorium, and it was coordinated by Omar Otero Mac Dougall (school teacher of Natural Sciences).

The exhibition made a 'trip' along the history of the 20th century through toys. There were trail trains of important brands; national and imported windup cars; construction toys like Meccano, Märklin, and The Little Engineer; old vehicles; wooden and metal horses; and tricycles, among others. There was also an interactive scale model that integrated different playing systems (new and old). It exhibited rail installations and different constructions, such as ships, cranes, motorboats, bridges, and signs made with the Meccano and other construction toys.

Congratulations!!!

We congratulate Greta Ponieman, 1st-year student from ORT Belgrano campus, for having participated in the metropolitan phase of the Ñandú Mathematical Olympiads, and for the mention she obtained for her good performance at the third level of the contest.

Technological Workshop for Primary Schools

ORT Technical School, Belgrano campus, organized a 4-day Technological Workshop for primary schools. The schools accepted the invitation, visited us, and shared some activities that were framed so that boys and girls could investigate, design, build, and fundamentally learn by playing with technology.

All the activities were developed by our senior high-school students as part of their training process. During the visit, the children worked in small groups to solve challenges related to the design and construction of machine-robots. They also participated in 3D interactive games, and in the recording and editing of radio programs.

National Junior Olympiads of Science

Today, Tuesday 21st, ORT Technical School Belgrano campus is hosting the National Junior Olympiads of Science. There is a test to select the team that will represent Argentina in the next International Junior Olympiads of Science, which will be held in Taiwan in December. Fifteen ORT-school students will participate, and the rest of the students come from other three schools. The test is simultaneously taken in Rosario, Mendoza and Bariloche by approximately 30 or 40 students more. We wish good luck to all the participants.

Tracks' Workshop for 3rd-year Students

During the first week of August, 3rd-year students from ORT junior high school participated in various activities organized by coordinators, teaching staff and students from the different tracks, who presented the educational proposal of each of the tracks. The aim was to give them comprehensive information on the choices the school offers, promote the importance of choosing and connect them with their own skills, abilities, aptitudes, interests and preferences.

The students chose three tracks to participate in the workshops and meetings that were carried out on August 15th and 16th. Such activities dealt with the subject matter, working modality, characteristics of the professional and university fields of each of the tracks, so that they could “experience” and “experiment” the transition to senior high-school level.

Those who are interested in having a look at the pictures of the activity, please click on the following link: http://terceroalmagro2007.blogspot.com/

Mass Media Track

Within the framework of the Vocational Guidance Program offered by the School, we have invited different colleges and universities specialized in Mass Media. During the talks, the students will get information on the courses of study they can take in the future and have direct contact with their principals and teachers. We thank the collaboration of: TEA (Image, Sound, Journalism, Sports Journalism), AAAP (Argentine Association of Advertising Agencies), ETER Communication School (Radio, Journalism, Sports Journalism), FUC (University of Cinema), CYEVIC (Center of Research and Experimentation on Video and Film), IUNA (University Institute of Arts), UBA (Communication Sciences), UBA (Image and Sound), ORT Institute of Technology (Design tracks), San Andrés University (Communication).

Congratulations!!!

We congratulate Julián Eisenschlos, 6th-year student from the Musical Production track (Almagro campus), and Yair Litman, 5th-year student from the Chemistry track (Almagro campus), for being part of the team that will represent Argentina at the 22nd Latin American Olympiads of Mathematics, which will take place in Portugal.

Special Effects Workshop for the Mass Media Track

On August 10th, Metamorfosis FX -the academy of special effects- visited ORT Belgrano campus. At the workshop, which was organized for 5th-year students, different topics related to the exciting field of the Media were discussed:

* Digital Effects: operation of state-of-the-art programs.

* Dolls in movement: use of methods and specific materials.

* Animatronics: use of electronic and mechanical techniques.

The speakers showed different examples of make-up techniques live by using 3 students as models.

ORT at Fundación Tzedaká’s Great Solidarity Night

On August 8th, Fundación Tzedaká organized a fundraising event at the Sheraton hotel for the third consecutive year. The “Great Solidarity Night” raises part of the funds that help to provide assistance to more than 9.000 people in need from our community throughout the country.

On this occasion, ORT Technical Schools were present at this initiative and collaborated with their best asset: the students. They took part in fundraising activities and in the logistics of the event.

ORT Argentina congratulates Lic. Darío Werthein on his new position as President of Fundación Tzedaká, and wishes him the greatest success.

ORT Argentina Students Participate in Raya Cowan Summer School in Israel

The students Rodrigo Romarowski (from Almagro campus) and Nicolás Ponieman (Belgrano campus) traveled to Israel on August 2nd to participate in the ORT Raya Cowan Summer School organized at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Students from different parts of the world will also take part in this program, which will deal with issues of their interest. The participants will carry out research projects, which will be guided by top-level scientists.

The students’ selection process included an evaluation on their scientific knowledge, their level of English, and a personal interview via videoconference.

Even though this is a three-week-immersion program (where students spend 6 hours a day studying), they will visit the National Museum of Science and Technology in Haifa, the Technion, and they will have a tour around Jerusalem and the North. As they said: “… we have organized amazing activities and tours to many places in Israel”.

ORT at “Científicos, Industria Argentina”

The well-known TV program “Científicos, Industria Argentina”, which is presented by Adrián Paenza on channel 7, broadcast material on the “Mouse Emulator for Disabled People” project. Such project was developed by teachers and students from ORT Information and Communication Technology track, Belgrano campus.

To view the broadcast (in Spanish), click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8cAQcdF6ok&eurl=

March of the Living 2008: Belgrano campus

Dear parents and students,

The March of the Living 2008 will take place on April (2008) to commemorate the Holocaust Day and the creation of the State of Israel. This project aims at congregating teenagers from all over the world in meaningful geographical areas for the Jewish people and for humankind –Poland and Israel- which are related to life, to heroic resistance to extermination, to the fight for dignity, and to the importance of memory in the present and in the future.

The March of the Living is an experience which allows us to remember the meaning of the Holocaust by raising awareness of the atrocities that took place in the 20th century. The idea is to promote a deeper understanding so that events of such magnitude do not repeat again in the history of humanity.

In Israel, all the people take part in the emotive ceremonies of Yom Hazikaron and the celebrations of Yom Haatzmaut, which in 2008 commemorates the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State.

ORT is committed to educating today’s young people so that they can transmit this message to future generations, with the aim preserving the memory of the facts that occurred in the Holocaust.

Those 4th and 5th-year students who are interested in participating in this experience in April 2008 can contact the Jewish Education Department of the school. Telephone number: 4789-6538 // E-mail: rutht@ort.edu.ar. The cost of the trip is U$S 3.200.-

Kind regards and Shalom,

Jewish Education Area

Teacher Training during Winter Holidays

During the winter break, ORT School organized crash training courses and teacher meetings at both campuses, with the aim of strengthening and improving the teaching-learning processes.

Some training issues stood out, among which we can mention the project on “Teaching for Understanding”, by ‘Latitud’ Educational Consultancy of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the training on the development of educational resources by the CREA (Teaching and Learning Resources Center). At the same time, the students’ counselors introduced various training projects to continuously improve our students’ follow-up and monitoring processes.

Congratulations!

Joaquín Koifman and Nicolás Ponieman, students from the ICT track (Belgrano campus), participated in the IX Latin American Olympiads of Information Technology and got an award on “Correspondence”. Joaquín obtained a silver medal and Nicolás won a bronze medal. Students from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Portugal and Venezuela took part in the competition.

Congratulations, Jorge Chikiar!!!

We congratulate Jorge Chikiar, teacher from Mass Media track, for winning the Prodanza award for the play "Voraz". The award was granted by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires.

Congratulations, Pablo Bursztyn!

Pablo Bursztyn, 6th-year student from the Mass Media track -Belgrano campus-, will be playing during the presentation of the CD ‘Leave me and Cry’ (Aqua Records) by Maxi Trusso, support artist for the Rolling Stones and Cher among others.

Pablo will play with Alejandro Teran (Charly García’s violinist), Ciro Fogliatta (from ‘Los Gatos’) and Jorge Chikiar (Mass Media teacher), who will be in the keyboard and the Rhodes piano. The presentation will be on August 7th at 9pm at the Cultural Center Rojas.

AMIA – Reflection activity

To commemorate the 13th anniversary of the AMIA bombing, students, teachers and 2nd-year counselors from Almagro campus gathered to recall and reflect on what happened in 1994. The participants of the activity debated and watched parts of the film “18 J”. Students showed a reflective attitude and got involved with the activity.

Citroen visits ORT

On July 13th, Valentina Solari, Press Manager of Citroën Argentina, visited ORT School (Belgrano campus) to get acquainted with the redesign of the Citroën car model 3CV2010 -a project which is being carried out by ORT students and graduates.


She was welcomed by Fernando Shalom, Director of the Industrial Design track, and the designer José Luis Denari, who is in charge of training the students on this project.

Valentina Solari visited the “DAT” (Integral Center of Design, Art and Technology), where students develop their work. She also had a look at the drawings with the design proposals done by the students who are part of this project.

Vocational and Occupational Guidance Program

With the aim of guiding our 6th-year-students in their vocational choice process, we have implemented as of June 2007 a Vocational and Occupational Guidance Program to create a meaningful, interactive context for reflection, which will help our students to autonomously choose according to their interests and personal needs.

The program includes: giving students updated information about different university courses and working environments, connecting our students with professionals and university students, and providing strategies so that they can conduct an effective job search.

As part of this project, various activities were carried out, among which we can mention informative talks and “Expo University", through which students had the chance to learn about different educational projects of the country’s leading universities and colleges, including Universidad de Buenos Aires, ITBA, Di Tella, San Andrés, UCES, UCEMA, IUNA, Universidad de Palermo, Universidad de Belgrano, CAECE, and -of course- our prestigious Institute of Technology.

We think that helping our students choose their vocational identity is a shared challenge between the family and the school. For that reason, we are always looking for different ways to improve the excellence of our educational project.

English Immersion Program 2007

Why is it that we all like to be told stories? What magic do stories hide? It’s amazing how storytelling captivates huge audiences, in spite of the sophisticated technological advances there are in the present world.

On July 16th, the English actress Nicola Bingham, who studied at Rose Bruford college of Speech and Drama in London, carried out a storytelling show for our 1st-year-students (Belgrano campus) on scenes from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by the famous Welsh writer Roald Dahl.

Nicky Bingham proved that storytelling can be a useful, powerful tool in EFL.

Visit of ORT Montreal Mission

During their trip to Latin America, ORT Montreal Mission visited ORT Argentina Schools on July 13th with the aim of strengthening the bonds between both Institutions. They were welcomed by members of the local Board of Directors, the School Principals and Senior Staff of the Institution.

At Belgrano campus, ORT Montreal representatives visited the different school laboratories and facilities, and the Teaching & Learning Resources Center (“CREA”). Students from the Industrial Design track and the Information and Communication Technology track showed the visitors some of their projects: the Citroen car Redesign and the Mouse Emulator for disabled people, among others. Then, students from the Mass Media track interviewed the President of ORT Montreal, Jacob Kincler, at the TV studio of the Institution.

Later on that day, they had a tour around Almagro campus, and stopped at the Chemistry Laboratory. After that, students from the Electronics track made a presentation on Robots and their characteristics.

ORT Argentina had the great pleasure of welcoming Jacob Kincler, President of ORT Montreal; Dr. Mel Schwartz, Past President of ORT Canada; Mayer Ghoddoussi, ORT Montreal Board Member; Stella Gelerman, ORT Montreal Board member, Fundraising honorees; David Gelerman, Fundraising honorees in 2006; Barbara Weiss, ORT Montreal supporter; and Dr. Eliot Goldberg, ORT Montreal supporter.