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| Beth Watson, Education Director, Public Sector, Microsoft Asia Pacific. |
Validated by education leaders and governments as being exceptional thought leaders, this year’s APAC class of education innovators makes up close to a fifth of the 830 teachers and 150 schools being recognised as the best of education innovators from across the world. Almost 22% of MIE Experts from around the world are from APAC while around 15% percent of Showcase Schools globally come from the region.
“The 2014-2015 Microsoft Showcase Schools and Innovative Educator Experts is the largest group of education innovators ever selected in APAC. We are heartened to see more schools and educator experts in the APAC region, including emerging economies, receive the recognition they deserve for their pioneering efforts in using mobile-first, cloud-first technologies to increase the productivity of students and help them develop the skills they need in the workplace of tomorrow, “ said Beth Watson, Education Director, Public Sector, Microsoft Asia Pacific.
"Technology has the power to economically expand the impact of education, and accelerate the growth potential of every student, educator and school. This becomes even more critical to the future growth in APAC, given the young demographic profile of many countries in the region. These APAC Microsoft Showcase Schools and Innovative Educator Experts are leading the way in transforming learning environments and delivering more personalised education to students. We hope to continue celebrating innovation and the rethinking of teaching, learning and assessment, so that young people in the APAC region will be empowered to do more and achieve more.”
Microsoft Showcase Schools are selected for demonstrating strong vision for educational change through the effective deployment of Microsoft technology school-wide and applying this vision to the transformation of their local schools. Showcase Schools have also established their capability in creating a conducive environment for both students and educators to thrive.
Microsoft Showcase Schools are selected for demonstrating strong vision for educational change through the effective deployment of Microsoft technology school-wide and applying this vision to the transformation of their local schools. Showcase Schools have also established their capability in creating a conducive environment for both students and educators to thrive.
Brunei’s Chung Hwa Middle School BSB (CHMS) was one such example, selected for its excellence in transforming its school’s learning environment to deliver more personalised education to students, using mobile and cloud technology to better prepare students for success in the workplace. As an active Office 365 for Education institution user, CMHS utilises deep features of the software to enable anytime, anywhere learning that helps their students communicate and think out-of-the-box. CMHS was also the first school in Asia to integrate the use of Skype in the Classroom, using it together with other tools including Office 365, OneDrive, OneNote, Office Mix and Yammer to inspire educators to produce effective yet creative and thought-provoking lessons.
Kho Guik Lan, Principal of Chung Hwa Middle School BSB, said: ”Our school has always embraced technology at its best and Microsoft tools have inspired us to be experiential in our classroom environment, transforming our teaching and learning to the highest level of excellence.”
Thailand’s Bangkok Christian College (BCC) is another example, selected for its innovation in integrating Kodu - a visual programming language made specifically for creating games, as well as Project Spark – a "game maker" video game for Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Xbox One into its curriculum.
Watcharapong Apinyanurangsri, Acting Manager, Bangkok Christian College, said: “At Bangkok Christian College, we choose only the best education technology for our students to spark off their ideas creation process and enable them to learn to their fullest potential. We integrated Kodu and Project Spark into our curriculum, using these technology tools to conduct lessons as a special technology subject for our students.”
As Showcase Schools, BSB and BCC will work closely with Microsoft to lead innovation in education and communicate a vision for education enabled by technology through the hosting and mentoring of other schools in the community on transformational educational practices.
Showcase Schools also get connected to an international group of thought leaders as part of the Microsoft in Education community for further collaboration; Microsoft IT Academy membership, access to professional development for educators and support to drive innovation among staff, peers, students. The Showcase Schools will also be invited to regional education forums and exclusive monthly community webinars as well as Yammer group discussions.
Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts are selected for their inventive use of classroom technology and the demonstration of their ability to integrate progressive pedagogy with advanced technology to advance learning and better prepare students for the jobs of the future.
Kalpana Kishorekumar from Brunei’s Chung Hwa Middle School BSB has been recognised as an Innovative Educator Expert this year for her ability to lead innovation in education and using technology to improve student learning.
She said: “Teaching millennial students using conventional methods is no longer effective for the students of today. They have an untold need to see, feel and experience things throughout their learning process and technology plays a crucial role in enabling this. By catering for their needs through technology-enabled Problem-Based-Learning, Flipped Classroom and Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) pedagogies in my classes, students are encouraged to develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, shared responsibility and communication skills."
Another MIE Expert, Chao Suwanchol from Kanlayanee Si Thammarat School in Thailand, is known for his ability to nurture the creative use of Office tools during classes. Suwanchol has been active in teaching students on how to leverage these tools for effective presentations.
Suwanchol, said: “In today’s world, we are constantly surrounded by a vast amount of data and information. Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint, I teach my students to easily create infographics. The process enables my students to learn how to analyse and summarise key findings, keywords and key concepts from the wide range of information available and present it in a simple one-page graphic. PowerPoint is a great tool in enabling the hassle-free creation of infographics with a built-in Excel features to display graphs and data for easy reference.”
Ahmad Syairozi from SMP AL Hikmah Surabaya in Indonesia also integrates the use of Office into his everyday classroom lessons, and was selected as one of the top 15 Microsoft Innovative Expert Educators in Indonesia.
He said: “I strive to teach my students to become young researchers through the use of Microsoft technology tools. For example, for a project-based learning activity on cyberbullying, a serious issue here in Indonesia right now, students are tasked to research on cyberbullying facts, create diagrams from the data using Excel and draw conclusions from it. Additionally, the students reported their research findings through the use of Publisher and PowerPoint. The students loved the ease of using the software as it removed the need for manual calculations, and increased their interest in learning. I am heartened to see the increased engagement among students in the learning activities conducted through the use of new technology tools.”
Microsoft Showcase Schools in Asia
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Country
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School
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Australia
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Campbelltown Performing Arts High School
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Dallas Brooks Community Primary School
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Hermit Park State School
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Immanuel College
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Silverton Primary School
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Varsity College
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Bangladesh
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St. Joseph School
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Brunei
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Chung Hwa Middle School BSB
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Indonesia
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Sekolah Pelita Harapan International
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Korea
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BooGang Primary School
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Daegu JoongAng Middle School
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JoongAng Middle School
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Mireu Elementary School
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Malaysia
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Abdul Rahman Talib, National Sec
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Bukit Jelutong National Primary
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Sungai Pusu National Secondary
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New Zealand
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Baradene College
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Botany Downs Secondary College
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Singapore
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Chestnut Drive Secondary School
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Shuqun Secondary School
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Thailand
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Bangkok Christian College
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Vietnam
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American International School
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Nguyen Sieu High School
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