Chapter 1: Five Years of the Romanian Internet Learning Workshop: Building an International Community of Experts

In the summer of 2001, the “Romanian Internet Learning Workshop” (RILW) took place for the fifth time, organized by the cultural society “Polygon.” This chapter discusses the particular context of Romania with regard to Internet access and learning and presents a flavor of these unique workshops that have taken place during the first five years. It begins with the ideas and needs that led to the first conference event and evolution of the visionary goals.

The situation in Romania is special, in that there have been recent changes in the political, social, and economic systems that have necessitated fundamental changes in the educational system. This is why initial and professional continuing teacher education in Romania must be able to offer teachers a sound technical infrastructure accompanied by up-to-date factual information as well as training in modern didactical methods, including the use of new media and the Internet. This is one of the professional responsibilities of the first author, main organizer, and Chairman of the RILW, Mihai Jalobeanu, and lies firmly behind the initiative of this annual international conference.