Microsoft names 4 Malaysian teachers as ‘Expert Educators,’ selects 'Mentor School'

By Digital News Asia November 25, 2013

Four teachers named as Expert Educators, to attend Microsoft in Education Global Forum in Barcelona
Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang in Miri named first Malaysian Microsoft Mentor School

Microsoft names 4 Malaysian teachers as ‘Expert Educators,’ selects 'Mentor School' MICROSOFT Corp has selected four Malaysian teachers to be part of its first class of 'Expert Educators' as well as the first Malaysian school to be included in its Mentor Schools programme.

The two programmes, under the tech giant’s Partners-In-Learning initiative, recognise educators and schools globally which are using technology to transform education.

Partners-in-Learning is a 10-year, US$500-million global initiative aimed at supporting schools and educators’ use of technology to help all students receive an excellent education and gain the skills they need in work and life, the company said in a statement.

Over RM15.5 million (US$5.1 mllion) has been invested for the programme in Malaysia, which the company claims has reached over 210,000 teachers and 3.5 million students.

Microsoft Malaysia managing director Carlos Lacerda (pic above) said that tomorrow’s leaders can’t be educated with tools and practices from the past. A continuous investment must be made in the development of enhanced learning environments that lead to better outcomes.

“Therefore, we are honoured to recognise Malaysia’s amazing teaching professionals for the work they do every day to enrich the educational experiences of children.

“The global recognition accorded to these teachers and Malaysia’s first Microsoft Mentor School is testament to their passion and creativity in using technology, a feather in the cap for the Government’s education strategy especially since the announcement of the National Education Blueprint, as well as a gratifying acknowledgement of Microsoft Malaysia’s commitment to transforming Malaysia together, especially in the area of education,” he said.

The Microsoft Expert Educators for Malaysia are:

Ammani Jeya Pirathaba, of SMK Kempas, Johor Baharu, Johor, whose project called 'Poster Yourself!' is designed to enhance students’ English comprehension and to create a virtual classroom. Students conduct online research and turn the findings into a movie and virtual poster which is then shared with the world.

Dazeree Joan, of SMK Tamparuli, Tuaran, Sabah, whose 'Mini Research' is a project-based learning lesson designed to get students to make sense of the world around them and provide opportunities to use the target language in writing reports. Students work in groups to decide a topic for their mini research, collect data accordingly, analyse and share the data with their peers.

Zainuddin Zakaria (pic), of SMK Taman Bukit Maluri, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, whose project 'Kodu in the Classroom Around the World' uses the Microsoft Kodu GameLab so students learn to develop simple but very interesting computer games, designed specifically to raise awareness among the players about local environmental issues. Copies of selected games are sent to teachers in Australia, Russia, South Korea, Vietnam and Nigeria to be shared with students there. After playing these games, students these countries will then create new games that highlight the environmental problems they face and e-mail their games back to Malaysia. During these activities, students learn cooperation, logic and creativity, in addition to programming.

Zamimah Azaman, of Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang, Miri, Sarawak, whose 'The Journalist' is a flexible project-based simulation learning approach to maximise students’ learning and improve on their creative and critical thinking skills. The projects require students to fully utilise and apply the skills and content taught in a few related subjects such as English, ICT, Arts, History, Civics Education and Moral Education.

Zamimah was also recently celebrated as one of the most pioneering educators in the world at Microsoft’s annual Global Forum Educator Awards, as the first runner-up in the Knowledge Construction and Critical Thinking category, narrowed down from more than 250,000 teachers registered across national and regional forums throughout the year.

Microsoft also announced its first Malaysian Microsoft Mentor School – Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang in Miri, Sarawak, helmed by principal Hasimah Abang Zen.

“Being selected as a Microsoft Mentor School is an amazing honour ... and will inspire us as a learning community. We look forward to using this community to help us better prepare our students for the world of work, as well as sharing our experiences with schools around the world,” said Hasimah.

Microsoft names 4 Malaysian teachers as ‘Expert Educators,’ selects 'Mentor School'
This year, the Expert Educators and Mentor Schools programmes selected 250 educators and 80 schools to be part of an exclusive global community of education leaders who use technology to positively impact learning and student outcomes, Microsoft said.

To be selected, educators and schools undergo a rigorous application process: They are required to fill out an online application, create a learning activity and a two-to-three minute non-professionally produced video that describes their project and how they used technology and innovative teaching practices to impact student outcomes.

The winners are selected by a worldwide group of judges who used a broad set of criteria to assess the educators’ and schools’ evidence of learning, collaboration, knowledge construction and critical thinking among other things.

Expert Educators and Mentor Schools receive a range of benefits including: