Microsoft Malta announced the winning Maltese teacher who will be attending the forthcoming European Innovative Teachers Forum due to be hosted in Moscow.
The winning project in fact was the one developed by Miriam Schembri from St Thomas More College Fgura Primary A. Entitled Tell me a Story, Ms Schembri’s project consisted of thematic activities such as story telling, targeting early childhood skills and development through the application of technology and the use of computers. Ms Schembri will now have the opportunity to present her winning project during her attendance at the Innovative Education Forum in Moscow between 22 and 25 March.
Antoinette Costa from St. Thomas Moore School in Zejtun placed second whilst the third place was awarded to Edith Galea from St Nicholas College in Rabat.
Now in its eighth year, the European Innovative Education Forum forms part of the Innovative Teachers and Schools programme, a global community of educators and schools sponsored by Microsoft’s Partners in Learning programme. The Forum is a gathering of innovative teachers and other education experts from all over Europe and provides an outstanding opportunity to reinvent education and get new inspiration. The Moscow forum is expected to attract over 300 teachers from around 44 different countries across Europe who will be meeting to share ideas about innovation in education and the role of ICT in education.
Fiorella Ellul Sullivan Microsoft Malta Academic Program Manager said “the European Innovative Education Forum rewards those teachers who best manage to instil the use of information technology in their students’ everyday learning environment in line with 21st century learning. Malta too has a lot of valid experience in the field of ICT in education to offer to other European and global countries as the high level of participation in this competition clearly shows and we are proud at this year’s competition entries which have been of a very high standard.”
Prof Grace Grima, Director General at the Directorate of Quality and Standards in Education described this competition as an opportunity for teachers to showcase the very same efforts that they put into delivering ICT education to their students. “The didactic potential of eLearning in schools is huge and is fast becoming a popular tool in our classrooms. We are delighted with the level of projects submitted for this year’s competition which show how computer-based technology can be an excellent teaching and learning tool and how teaching software can be integrated in all subjects in the curriculum to create more interesting, interactive and inclusive learning.”
Lorna Schembri, Service Manager ICT in Education at the Directorate for Educational Services said “ICT has huge didactic potential and this is why we are all the time investing in innovative technology. We are very happy that for yet another year we have collaborated closely with Microsoft Malta to make this competition a very popular one which is seeing an increasing participation from a growing number of teachers. Participating educators acknowledge that this forum highlights how computer-based technology can be an excellent teaching and learning tool. Nowadays educators recognise the fact that technology is not just a subject but it’s a supportive tool, making activities more interactive and more motivating both for the pupils and for the teachers themselves. “
During the Forum in Moscow, a panel of distinguished education leaders from across Europe will form a judging community to evaluate all exhibited lesson examples to identify a winning selection of a handful of educators as Innovative Teachers of the Year for their solutions to improve the way students learn to use technology. Entries will be participating in a number of different categories such as Innovation in ICT Usage, Innovation in the Community, Innovation in Content and Educator’s Choice.