Microsoft Announces the 2014 NZ Expert Educators and Mentor Schools
Following on from our blog last week, Announcing the 2014 Expert Educators and Mentor Schools , Microsoft NZ is excited to announce that New Zealand's very own Theresa Bosch of Baradene College and Steve Martin of Howick College have been selected as Expert Educators. Added to this, Baradene College has also been selected as a Mentor School. As members of these programmes, Baradene and Howick will become a part of an exclusive one-year initiative that recognises pioneer educators and school leaders using technology to transform education.
Paul Muckleston, Managing Director of Microsoft NZ, commented that “Microsoft Expert Educators and Mentor schools are inspiring examples of how individuals and schools are using technology to prepare their students for the 21st Century. Not only are they doing innovative work in the classroom, but they are actively mentoring others and creating change within their own education systems. They set an outstanding example for their peers and we hope that they will benefit from the access to technology that they receive as part of Microsoft’s ongoing programs.”
What is an Expert Educator, and how did Theresa and Steve become one? The Expert Educator programme chooses 250 educators every year to become part of an exclusive global community of educational leaders, who use technology to positively impact learning and student outcomes. In order to be selected, Theresa and Steve underwent a rigorous application process, including an online application, learning activity and video. They were required to create a learning activity and a two-three minute non-professionally produced video that describes their project and how they used technology and innovative teaching practices to impact student outcomes.
Over the coming year, Theresa and Steve will work closely with Microsoft to lead innovation in education, advocating and sharing their experiences on effective use of technology in education with peers and policy makers. In addition, they mentor other educators and help train them in education technologies and on the use of Microsoft products and tools.
Theresa and Steve, as Expert Educators and Baradene College as a Mentor School will receive a range of benefits including:
- An invitation to attend the Microsoft in Education Global Forum, Barcelona taking place in March 2014
- Free Surface devices for their schools
- Insider access to Microsoft strategy and technologies
- Professional and career development opportunities and certifications including peer coaching.
In Steve and Theresa's own words:
Steve: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected as one of Microsoft’s Expert Educators! I look forward to making the most of the mentoring and learning opportunities that are now available to me, as well as being able to connect with like-minded educators at the Microsoft in Education Global Forum. Being a Microsoft Expert Educator will help me to increase learning outcomes for my students, as well as drive technology in education on a global stage.”
Theresa: "Being selected as a Microsoft Mentor School is an amazing honour for our school 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. I’m also thrilled to have been selected as one of Microsoft’s Expert Educators and look forward to the experience."
Click here for more information on Expert Educators and Mentor Schools!
We look forward to keeping you updated on our NZ winners' journey over the coming months.