Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony - or "Niedersachsen" - in the northwestern part of Germany is marked by a rich diversity of landscapes. The state stretches from the idyllic East Frisian Isles in the North Sea to the Harz Mountains, the most northern chain of the central German low mountains.

More than 20 per cent of the state's area is protected land. The largest bioshere reserve - almost 300,000 hectares in size - is the "Wadden Sea National Park" which was established and recognized by UNESCO in 1986.

Lower Saxony has a population of around 8 Million people and is a rich agricultural state. Wheat, rye, oats, and potatoes are the main crops. Cattle are raised for beef and dairy produce. The state is also famous for its horse studs. Picturesque marsh landscapes, vast areas of heathland, the fairy tale Weserbergland, idyllic river landscapes as well as a multitude of towns remarkable for their cultural history and traditions are the characteristics of Lower Saxony and offer many options for an interesting vacation.

E-Learning in Teacher Training in Lower Saxony

The Lower Saxony State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development (NiLS) started Internet based teacher training in 1999, using its educational server NIBIS and n-line, a custom made learning and cooperation platform.

Changes in school organisation, educational standards, curricula and the role of ICT in schools require additional qualifications and new ways of training.

In 2004/05 hundreds of primary school teachers were trained in blended learning courses. Traditional face-to-face courses and visits to classrooms alternated with online phases: learning at home, group communication (e-mail, forum, chat), presenting results and audio conferences.

The course programme and all online materials were developed by small teams of teachers, assisted by external consultants.

The future: 3480 schools statewide with 81.000 teachers form the target group for numerous blended learning courses.