Teachers take part in a competition to win an invitation to the global event, and a chance to win top honors worldwide. School leaders participate in professional development to help them reimagine their school communities.
The Partners in Learning Global Forum is the centerpiece event for Microsoft Partners in Learning, which helps teachers and school leaders more effectively use technology as a tool for innovative teaching and learning.
2010 Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum. Cape Town, SA.
On October 26, 2010 Microsoft kicked off the Global Forum in Cape Town, South Africa. The first time ever holding an event on African soil! As in past years, we were excited to be able to learn from and with educators from across the continent and around the world. More than 500 of the top teachers and school leaders from nearly 70 countries attended this year.
The Forum is the culmination of a series of country-level and regional events that take place throughout the year. Think of it as the World Cup for educators, bringing together the most innovative teachers and school leaders to celebrate innovation and share best practices. Teachers competed to receive one of twelve innovative teaching awards in four key categories. To get to this level, they had already been chosen as winners from among the 200,000 teachers who participated in local and regional events. To qualify, each teacher developed a project using ICT with his or her students. The projects were as varied as the teachers themselves – projects explored how to engage the elderly in technology, using social media in the classroom, addressing discrimination, and a host of other examples.
The school leaders attending represented more than 57 Pathfinder and 26 Mentor Schools which have been chosen to attend because of their commitment to innovative teaching and learning practice at the school level. These varied schools - well-resourced, poorly resourced, girls, boys, public and private - will begin a year-long engagement as part of the Microsoft Partners in Learning Schools Program. They will become the regional and global exemplars, and will guide other schools in their countries.
To learn more about this year’s Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum you can review features on Microsoft.com, The Microsoft blog, On the Issues, On the Issues Africa and Unlimited Potential. Also, watch our YouTube video and an image slideshow.
