Microsoft Australia today announced the state and territory winners of its annual Innovative Teachers Award, recognising 11 visionary teachers whose innovative teaching methods incorporating technology in the classroom is enhancing student learning and engagement.
“The Innovative Teachers Award is about teachers using technology in an imaginative and innovative way to grab the attention of their students,” said Microsoft’s academic programs manager, Ms Felicia Brown.
“Schools do not need big budgets to make this happen. These entries prove that, and they can potentially be reproduced in any school across the country,” she said.
“International research shows that students who are established computer users perform better than those students with limited computing experience. Through the Partners in Learning Program, we are making a $10 million, five year commitment to integrate technology to the curriculum of Australian schools so that all our students can get the chance to experience the endless possibilities that technology offers,” she said.
This award not only gives recognition to the teachers, but provides them with a platform to share their visionary teaching practices with peers at a local, national and international level.
The winning teachers will attend the 2008 Australian Council for Education Leaders Conference (ACEL) in Melbourne.
As part of the award, Microsoft will also host the teachers at the joint Microsoft and UNESCO Innovative Teachers Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June 2009, where they will compete for the national title and the opportunity to represent Australia at the Worldwide Microsoft Innovative Teachers Conference in 2009 where the global winner will be decided.
The competition is open to teachers from government and non-government schools and this year’s winners maximised the capabilities of Web 2.0 in the classroom, incorporating wikis, blogs and podcasting into learning activities to pique the interest of technology savvy kids.
“Some of the winning teachers’ projects show how technology can, for example, engage students who previously had little interest in attending class and when they did attend they were disruptive,” said Ms Brown.
“Technology makes learning interactive and fun, and students can become so absorbed they don’t even realise how far they are advancing. Their self esteem soars and before you know it they can’t wait to get to class,” she said.
The Innovative Teachers Award is an initiative under Microsoft Australia's Partners in Learning program. Partners in Learning, in partnership with State governments, aims to increase Information and Communications Technology skills in teachers and improve educational outcomes for Australian students.
An important element of Partners in Learning is the recognition of the achievements of pioneers in education who work tirelessly to integrate technology into the curriculum and classroom. Recently, 21 teachers from 13 countries, including Australian Innovative Teachers Forum winners, Mr Phil Lockhart, Mr Hugh Soord and Mr Tobias O’Connor were given the opportunity to meet with Mr Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman to discuss their groundbreaking work in education.
Through a series of programs, key investments, software and training, Microsoft seeks to reward outstanding teachers, as well as provide professional development to teachers who act as technology and educational change agents at their school. To date, the program has reached 87,000 Australian teachers.
2008 Microsoft Innovative Teachers Award Winners
Australian Capital Territory Dr Colleen Spence, Merici College
New South Wales Mr Michael Wilson, Drummond Memorial Public School
Northern Territory Mr Serge Komadina, Centralian Senior Secondary College
Queensland Mr Jason Evert, Yarrabah State School
South Australia Mr Mark Tattersall, Murray Bridge High School Mr Mark Sparvell, Victor Harbor R7 School
Tasmania Mr Gordon Forsyth, Claremont Primary School
Victoria (joint winners) Ms Ann Mirtschin, Hawkesdale College and Mr Rod White, Melbourne Grammar School, Caulfield
Western Australia Ms Margot Whittle, St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls Mr Toby Trewin, Hale School
For information on the winning teachers’ individual projects and initiatives, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/australia/education/pil/innovativeteachers/awards.mspx#
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