The global Innovative Schools Programme seeks to promote 21st century learning opportunities for students in selected countries around the world. In each of the countries, an innovative school is working collaboratively with Microsoft using research-inspired learning principles and best-in-class technology to design and implement teaching and learning strategies that ignite students’ natural desire to learn and prepare them for success in today’s evolving global economy.
The aim of the Microsoft Innovative Schools Programme in Malta, particularly the Pathfinder School Programme, is to help the selected school build on its successes and continue implementing even further innovative practices in its daily operations. St Paul’s Bay Primary School was selected as a Pathfinder School in the global competition because of its willingness to think differently, its commitment to innovation and its proven ability to change and improve.
“Our vision as a Pathfinder school is the constant commitment towards becoming a leading school in the eLearning process,” explains the school’s head, Lina Deguara.
“In line with the motto of Maria Regina College,
“Always Creative, Innovative, Professional”, St Paul’s Bay Primary has always shown a willingness to think outside the box and has committed itself to innovate its practices. In addition to the official school website, the individual classes have also been encouraged to set up their own site, thus helping students assimilate more closely the communicative qualities of the internet. ICT has become fully integrated within the school’s Development Plan, leading to its widespread use by both staff and students, where a number of e-Twinning projects have also been pursued.”
Other recent initiatives undertaken by this school include the setting up of the eLearning Focus Group as an integral part of the School Development Plan, a blog for the head of school, as well as a blog that provides more technical support among staff, the opening of a YouTube channel for the school, the installation of a Wi-fi internet system and the introduction of smart boards and projection facilities in classrooms.
The school has also produced its own school DVD and the school’s administrative tasks are being regularly posted online.
Other initiatives include collaborations with national and international entities as well as hands-on experience on ICT and various media. An interesting innovation is the use of multimedia and interactive presentations prepared by teachers and students to be shown during assemblies as follow-ups to educational visits or activities held in classes.
“St Paul’s Bay Primary School is the perfect example of how the recently announced Partners in Learning Agreement between Microsoft and the government can be put into practice,” explains Fabianne Ruggier, Academic Programme Manager at Microsoft Malta. “Through the Innovative Schools Programme, which is an integral part of the Partners in Learning Agreement, Microsoft works with the government, educators and partners offering assistance with intellectual property, technology expertise, experiential knowledge and the support of our global community. Together we create a process for locally tailoring technology integration and a roadmap for holistic school reform.”
The Partners in Learning Agreement reflects Microsoft’s stance to support the government’s ICT in Education objectives stressed in various national education policies. “Microsoft is working closely with the government to back the achievement of these objectives with activities on a national but also at school and teacher level. We firmly believe that through a public-private partnership with the education stakeholders we will expand the reach, improve the quality and boost the accessibility of educational programmes through joined-up resources and know-how.”
Through the Innovative Schools Programme, Microsoft makes available to the participating schools top education experts such as Michael Fullan, Bruce Dixon and Dan Buckley to help the school deploy a holistic approach to completely transform the learning experience of the students. The head of school, the senior management team and the staff can participate in professional development activities in four dimensions: teaching, learning and assessment; capacity building; leadership and a culture of innovation and the learning environment
St Paul’s Bay school is now part of a mentor group with a mentor school assisting with knowledge and advice on innovative school practices and a set of other Pathfinder schools collaborating in a learning community while implementing the respective plans. The group in which Malta is participating is Group 1, and the other schools hail from Australia, Ireland, Portugal and The Netherlands. The schools are experienced in the implementation of new learning methodologies such as educational gaming and robotics, producing in-house resources by students and teachers for personalised learning and fulfilling successfully a child-directed approach.
As well as continued training for staff, and a maximisation of the students’ learning through ICT, St Paul’s Bay Primary’s future projects include the integration of ICT throughout the curriculum, the installation of interactive whiteboard systems, the setting up of a film recording studio and the introduction of a roaming computer laboratory, strengthening and increasing the number of class websites and ensuring more internal and external collaboration through ICT.
“Our students will also have the opportunity to communicate more with other local and international schools through web conferencing, children’s blogs and hands-on sessions, which will empower them with enhanced audio-visual skills. We will also seek more involvement and access for parents and more collaboration with local entities and organisations,” added Mark Azzopardi, teacher and Innovative Schools Project co-ordinator.
Mr Azzopardi added: “In order to embrace innovation and be successful in its implementation, a school has to engage with a number of varied stakeholders with different outlooks.
“In this regard, the Pathfinder Programme is enjoying the support and the input of a number of stakeholders, namely the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education (DQSE) and its eLearning education officers and staff within the e-learning centre, College Principal Mario Testa and the senior management team of the school, led by Ms Deguara, the educators and all the school’s staff, students and parents, Microsoft Malta, St Paul’s Bay Local Council and local entities in St Paul’s Bay, as well as a number of important business partners.”
“Together we are working to consolidate the school’s innovative programme. Our belief is that a problem is not an obstacle, but a challenge that we can overcome. We want to lead by example so that other schools within the college, and other schools around Malta and Gozo, can be more innovative. Thus we can offer the best for the children, who must be fully equipped to work and live in this fast evolving and globalised world,” Mr Azzopardi concluded.
St Paul’s Bay Primary School is also online at http://mrcstpaulsbayprimary.wordpress.com