Introduction
change scenarios, as a result of globalization processes, the restructuring of global power, the rapid advance of information technologies (ICTs), and the rapid mass use of the Internet, are changing all areas of society and education as locus of social transformation, is suffering, every day more vigorously, this impact. It is noted, so a paradigm shift [1] in education.
This essay aims to analyze the following proposition: "Education in Latin America is determined by sources outside their social and cultural processes." Deals, therefore, the paradigm shift that is affecting the educational community in Latin America, that the parachute has failed to react with the formulation of policies to accommodate the changes pertmitan posed by globalization processes.
To facilitate reading and understanding of the topic, this essay is divided into the following sections: The current context, Conclusion and Bibliography.
The current context
As a start, it could be noted that despite the efforts made in the region still remain abject poverty, illiteracy, and unequal income distribution because it operates under a neoliberal model and raises Villanueva (1995) "has deepened the levels of inequality in income levels, job quality and access to education" [1]. To this are added the challenges of the globalization and revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs) that represent paradigm shifts in teaching and learning strategies because it is a generation of children and young people very different, the call "Net Generation", which as noted by Tapscott (1998) is "exceptionally curious, confident, intelligent, focused, able to adapt, with high esteem, and targeted global [2].
Moreover, the educational system operates administrativamante technical and centrally through a Ministry of Education. This involves the development of educational policies that, in general, represent the government in power, and therefore do not consider the participation of the community of educators. This is critical to education do not gather the experiences of those in the daily pedagogical practice.
The issues outlined above are having a significant impact on the educational system in the region. It is possible to observe its effects on students of all levels of education. In Chile, for example, there are great differences in academic performance of students from public schools respects from those of private schools, although it is worth highlighting the efforts being made through the effective schools movement The [2] as a way to overcome the lack of financial resources in education. In addition, marked differences between the requirements in the admission requirements established by the Governing Council universities versus private or autonomous private external licensing process, which demands of the educational process varies from institution to institution. Although there are problems in entry behavior of students as a result of previous information and social strata, it is also true that great efforts are made to improve the quality of education provided. Following
Rivero (2000), "realize the urgent right to quality education throughout life is now a two-fold: to reduce or overcome poverty rising to national majorities and take into account the specific requirements processes of globalization and modernization in our societies "[3]. These broad objectives pose a great challenge to governments in the region. It is assumed that one way to overcome poverty [3] is raising educational coverage to the most deprived social classes, which also involves the implementation of social policies for urban and rural human settlements. However, it appears to have been easier to adapt to the processes of globalization or globalization, which has brought the region to take patterns from liberal organizations like the IMF and World Bank, which has meant big implications on the rights of peoples, such as education, keeping up the implementation of educational models of the northern countries and forgetting their context. According Meléndez (2007), "the supranational state part is making it meaningless to traditional nation-state. This would mean that much of the traditional elements of national sovereignty are subject to increasingly strong tension of the supranational and this is also a phenomenon that no one escapes "[4].
As can be seen in the educational field, the picture is not very encouraging in the region. There are signs of loss of ideological forces such as those of the memorable 68 generation in Chile, struggling after a more participatory and democratic education, as an ethos of reform. We have lost the romance of the great unifying force of old when teachers students and closely fought for his ideals in pursuit of a better education. They lack the dreams of youth and, as noted by Ramón Martín Mateo, former rector of the University of Bilbao, students are less political and more professional learners. Mateo (2007) notes that "the twenty plays to be brave and unselfish, to have political opinions and even express them so cumbersome, it is the same in a young man. The gray pressure [4] at least encouraged, young people rebelled "[5].
Meanwhile, it seems that teachers have lost their ideals as social transformers. No longer present with the same intensity, there is no love dedicated to his work, ultimately, the call is not noticed that every teacher must have to properly exercise their teaching. Do not forget that any educational activity necessarily affect the students, thus having less committed teachers will take students with deficiencies in cognitive, and ideological sociocultarales. Today we can see a generation of students is less reflective, less self-criticism, and less aware of their contribution to social change. And according to Matthew raises (2007), this is a generation less political.
This is the result of the lack of interest or opportunities for teachers to participate more actively in educational decision making, implementation of active methodologies [5] , curriculum development and evaluation systems. In this sense, Diaz and Inclán (2001) are very critical of the reality that teachers face in the region and suggest that these have become mere salaried employees lost their role as agents of transformation of society and responding only to policies plants. For its part, Giroux (1990) notes that "there is little confidence in the ability of public school teachers to exercise intellectual and moral leadership for the youth of our nation, ignore the role played by teachers in the training of students as critical and active citizens, or suggest reforms that do not take into account the intelligence, perspective and experience that teachers can contribute to a discussion [6 ]. Therefore, there is no doubt that the teacher should take a more active role in the educational aspect, to, from there, to help improve the teaching and learning strategies, the national curriculum and the co-responsibility of the student in the educational process . This also contributes to the development of educational policies that not only address the needs of the so-called globalization [6] but very importanse considered the reality of the region.
Diaz and Inclán (2001) note that "educational reform acts of government, ie, for actions which the State provides elements to guide education policies are the result of a complex process that involves internal and external components to social and educational reality of a country "[7]. These authors also emphasize exogenous agents such as globalization that is leading us to devise a global world view of education and take as their own standards set from the eyes of countries developed. For its part, Filmus (2004), states that "it is not possible to raise the quality of education strategies to promote highly homogeneous versus heterogeneous realities. The possibility of finding solutions to educational problems of each region, city or institution appears from this logic linked to conditions for taking decisions on the same level found the problems to be solved "[8]. These approaches, processes involve moving towards educational solutions where regional interests are considered and the supranational. This could achieve the education necessary balance that must exist in the region: one party responds to the needs, without losing national values \u200b\u200bwhile moving towards global integration.
Conclusion Ultimately, education in Latin America faces the great challenge of adjusting to a society in constant change due to the processes of globalization which has distracted attention towards supranational interests, in many cases lost national identity . Educational change in the region should try to reconcile their own needs with those that the international demand.
education is facing a paradigm shift which the two main actors, ie Teachers and students must be fully aware. On the one hand, moving from a national to a supranational context represented by the processes of globalization and its impact on education and, secondly, the transformation in cognitive, as it passes from a behavioral model to another called constructivist. These issues have broad impact on approaches to teaching and learning strategies, curriculum development and evaluation systems. However, the absence of educational policies that reflect the needs of the region have lost both players in a way, as agents of change. Therefore, one could argue that education in Latin America is determined by forces outside their sociocultural reality and the need to reflect deeply on this matter, otherwise the forces of globalization could consume the region, thus lose their own ideological character and sense of participation and identity that any educational process should have. Bibliography
DÍAZ, A. and Inclan, C. The teachers in educational reforms: Subject or executor of foreign projects. Revista Iberoamericana de Education [online]. April 2001, no. 25. Available online: http://www.rieoei.org/rie25a01.htm. [Cited July 6, 2007].
Filmus, D. American education: between change and adjustment. Educate Argentina [online]. June 2005 .. Available online: http://www.educar-argentina.com.ar/JUN2005/educ45.htm. [Cited July 6, 2007].
Giroux, H. Teachers as intellectuals. Rule [online]. 2004. Available online: http://www.lie.upn.mx/docs/semopta/profesores.pdf. [Cited July 6, 2007].
MELÉNDEZ, M. The educational reforms in Latin America. Education in a globalized environment. Undergraduate Reading Course. Available online: http://www.utemvirtual.cl/plataforma/aulavirtual/contenido_s_p.php?llaveid=38050. [Cited July 6, 2007].
RIVERO, J. Reform and inequality Education in Latin America. Revista Iberoamericana de Education [online]. August 2000, no. 23. Available online: http://www.rieoei.org/rie23a03.htm. [Cited July 6, 2007].
Tapscott, D. Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation. Meridian online]. January 1998. Translated by Fernando Vera. Available online: http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/jan98/feat_6/digital.html. [Cited July 6, 2007].
VILLANUEVA, R. Education at the crossroads of development. Revista Iberoamericana de Education [online]. January 1995, no. 7. Available online: http://www.rieoei.org/oeivirt/rie07a06.htm. [Cited July 6, 2007].
[1] In the "Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas Kuhn defines a paradigm as a set of ideas that facilitate communication in a community.
[2] is a movement which seeks in better understanding organizational variables of academic achievement of students.
[3] Studies by ECLAC (1999), to 1997, urban poverty in Latin America committed to more than 125 million people and 35 of every 100 households, there are close associations of such status and precarious employment the educational equity gap.
[4] The term "gray" is alluded a la policía franquista.
[5] Las metodologías activas reflejan el cambio paradigmático en educación: se pasa de un modelo conductista sea otro constructivista.
[6] El profesor Soler del Departamento de Filosofía de la Universidad de Valencia señala que la “mundialización” es la tendencia natural e irreversible como fenómeno de unificación de las comunicaciones y formas de vida, entre otros, mientras que la “globalización” es un fenómeno esencialmente económico, como proceso de integración económica internacional.
Autor: Fernando Vera. MA en Ciencias de la Educación c/m en Administración Management and Education, MA in Teaching and Research University (c), currently engaged in doctoral program in Educational Sciences.
