The Plan Ceibal is a Uruguayan initiative to implement the “One laptop per child” model to introduce Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in primary public education and is beginning with the expansion into secondary schools.

In four years Plan Ceibal delivered 450,000 laptops to all students and teachers in the primary education system and no-cost internet access throughout the country. As of 2009, results include increased self-esteem in students, improved motivation of students and teachers, and active participation by parents (94% approve of the Plan according to a national survey performed in 2009).

The success of Plan Ceibal is not only due to technological innovations, but also to achievements such as the creation of a training plan for teachers in primary education, the active inclusion of the society and teachers in the project and the successful design and implementation of a monitoring and evaluation model to measure the impact nationally that serves as a guide to define future actions in the Plan.

Ceibal Project emerged as a result of the digital gap that existed in Uruguay between the people who didn’t have access to technology and to those who did. It was impelled during Tabaré Vazquez’ term of office. Vasquez was the main proponent of this pioneer project; although it was inspired by Nicholas Negroponte‘s One Laptop per Child project. It raised three principal values: to distribute technology, to promote knowledge and to generate social equity.

The project was named “Ceibal” like the typical Uruguayan tree and flower called “ceibo”, known in English as Cockspur coral tree. Ceibal also stands for “Conectividad Educativa de Informática Básica para el Aprendizaje en Línea” (Educational Connectivity/Basic Computing for Online Learning in English). The OLPC XO-1 computers used in the project are nicknamed “ceibalitas”.

Goals[edit]

Ceibal Project tries to promote digital inclusion and decrease the digital gap that exists among the Uruguayans and between Uruguay and the rest of the world. However, this goal can be accomplished only if it is complemented by an educational plan for teachers, students and their families. The educational plan of Ceibal Project tries to create the technological resources, the teacher’s formation, the creation of suitable content and the social and familiar participation.
Ceibal Project has strategic principles: equity of knowledge, equal opportunities for children and youth, and the provision of tools to learn not only knowledge given by the school, but also knowledge that the child can learn by him or herself. The original expected outcomes defined the right to have an internet connection at school as well as at home, explicitly (“1.2.3. EXPECTED RESULTS”) of^{[1][circular reference]}.

General[edit]

• To improve the quality of education through the new technological system.
• Providing computers to every scholar and teacher of the public education, promote the same opportunities for all.
• To develop a culture based on collaboration between children, a child and teacher, teachers with each other, families and school.
• To promote a sense of criticism of technology on the pedagogical community.
• To provide an internet connection at home as well as at school to all students.

Specific[edit]

• To promote the laptops as a useful tool in the schools.
• To offer the teachers a suitable technological and pedagogical formation of the new technologies.
• To produce educational resources, with the new technological tools.
• To inspire an innovational mind of the teachers.
• To assure a good development of the project by a supportive system and technological assistance.
• To involve the parents in the implementation of the project, not only in the schools but also in the houses of the scholars.
• To promote the proportion of relevant information of all the people involved in the project, in order to improve it.

Phases[edit]

• To assure a good development of the project by a supportive system and technological assistance.
• To involve the parents in the implementation of the project, not only in the schools but also in the houses of the scholars.
• To promote the proportion of relevant information of all the people involved in the project, in order to improve it.

Stages[edit]

2007

In April the presidential decree 144/007 signals the kick-off to provide a laptop to each primary school child and his teacher in every public school, as well as training for its use, and the promotion of educational proposals
In May the pilot phase starts in Villa Cardal (Departamento de Florida), in which 150 students and their teachers participate. Villa Cardal is a town of 1,290 inhabitants and has just one school of 150 students. For this pilot phase laptops were donated by OLPC
In October through an open tender, 100,000 OLPC laptops and 200 servers are awarded^[2]
By the end of 2007, all children and teachers from Florida have their laptops.

2008

The XO laptops a tool to appropriate technology” which took place in Colonia del Sacramento (Departamento de Colonia) on 5, 6, and 7 June 2008, in support of Ceibal Project

Before the end of the year, more than 175,000 laptops are delivered, completing the whole country with the exception of parts of Canelones, Montevideo and its metropolitan area
In September Ceibal Project and Teleton (Uruguay) signed an agreement that committed Ceibal to adapt its laptops to the needs of children with motor disabilities.
In December the educational portal Plan Ceibal is created: Plan Ceibal

2009

In April work is started with small companies in the interior of the country to provide decentralized technical support, within the framework of the Rayuela Project with the Inter-American Development Bank and DINAPYME
In June on-line courses aimed at students in teacher education are launched in support of the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP)
In the same month, the first national monitoring and evaluation system is developed to work within the Ceibal Project^[3]
In August laptops are delivered to private schools
In the same month laptops for the visually imparted are delivered
In October the plan is fully covered including Canelones, Montevideo and its metropolitan area, all children and teachers in the country have their own laptops, with a coverage of more than 350,000 children and 16,000 teachers.

2010

In May private companies sponsor Ceibal classrooms in their companies as part of their social responsibility projects
In November the pilot project in r