NEWS: Teaching goes to another level

MICROSOFT Malaysia recently hosted the 5th Regional Innovative Teachers’ Conference in Kuala Lumpur, under its flagship Partners-in-Learning initiative with the Ministry of Education, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and TakingITGlobal, an international non-profit student organisation.

Held for the first time in Malaysia, the four-day conference was aimed at assisting educators in developing teaching methods and school curriculums that empower students to become agents of change.
Yasmin Mahmood

This year’s conference was also the first time that student sessions were held concurrently with sessions for teachers.

Focused on engaging students to critically examine real world issues and providing them with opportunities to act upon them locally, this year’s theme of Empower, Enact, Engage: Becoming Agents of Change initiated conversations about globalisation and its effects on education.

More than 80 teachers and 50 senior government and education officials from at least 18 countries participated in field-trips, , collaboration projects and student forums at the conference.

The conference is an integral part of Microsoft’s roadmap for students in Malaysia concerning their engagement with technology throughout their education.

“Our aim with the innovative teachers programme is to help educators further their professional development, promote the creation of best practices, award software grants and give them access to online learning communities,” said Microsoft Malaysia managing director Yasmin Mahmood.

The software giant also announced its RM3.045 billion investment in its DreamSpark programme, aimed at equipping and empowering the next generation of software developers by providing professional-level tools to tertiary students.

Through DreamSpark, more than 870,000 students in Malaysia will gain access to the company’s product-portfolio at no cost, helping them fully realise their potential during their academic experience and equipping them with the skills they will need for the workplace.

Education secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Zulkurnain Awang said that traditional teaching and learning methods need to be supported by an ICT framework, and there needs to be deep and continued collaboration between the private sector and government agencies to help teachers develop the country’s human capital.

“The ministry is always receptive to positive change in classroom practices and the approach of integrating ICT into teaching and learning situations provides an excellent opportunity for us to level the playing field and raise the bar of education achievement and standards,” he said.

Commending the company for using its global reach to enhance education in partnership with government agencies, UNESCO Bangkok director Dr Kim Gwang-Jo said that the conference was in line with the organisation’s vision of education as a key to greater social and economic development.