Innovative Teachers Programme

Programme Aims

The Microsoft Innovative Teachers Programme aims to:

• Deliver continuing professional development (CPD) to address the needs of teachers and help them throughout their careers
• Manage the online sharing of knowledge
• Share innovation through virtual classroom tours
• Establish online communities to help teachers exchange information
• Create best practice examples of how technology can be used in education

• Download more information about the Innovative Teachers Programme as a PDF file (594 KB/1 min 26 secs at 56 Kbps)

Programme Benefits

The benefits of joining the Innovative Teachers Programme include:

• Continuing professional development using Microsoft software
• Access to best practice learning projects that can be downloaded for use in the classroom
• Membership of online communities that share good practice ideas
• Support in obtaining skills certification
• Regular updates on the programme and innovative practices
• Support from an online mentor

Virtual Classroom Tours

Virtual Classroom Tours enable teachers to experience and reproduce the classroom successes of other teachers through proven sets of learning tools, plans and practices. Each tour features a learning project that has been used in real life, and comes with National Curriculum references and guidance on assessment.

Tours are available online and include:

• An overview of the learning project
• Background and planning documents
• Teacher resources

Innovative Teachers Network

The Innovative Teachers Network is a secure, online portal where educators can come together to share classroom success based on high-quality professional learning resources and teacher-driven content. Within the community, teachers will have access to a library of resources including articles, tutorials, learning materials and samples of content made available free by Microsoft and its content partners. Members can use collaboration tools to engage in communities of practice and will be able to access a personal thinking and working space within the network, built easily with 'MySite' tools.

Education professionals will be able to:

• Create and share digital content using ready-made templates
• Search, browse and rate educational content
• Access and use services offered by content providers and other partners
• Initiate or join communities, forums, discussion groups and online projects
• Define, initiate, individualise and share personal web pages
• Use online tutorials, easy-to-use training manuals and wizards that can be accessed 24/7
• Use email, file storage and message boards to communicate and collaborate

• Find out more about joining or setting up an online community using the Innovative Teachers Network

Innovative Teachers Software Grants

The Innovative Teachers Software Grant is designed to encourage innovation and collaboration. It will be awarded to applicants who satisfy the selection criteria outlined in the Innovative Teachers Programme Software Grant Application Pack.

There are two application periods, allowing projects to start in the autumn or spring terms.

In addition to other benefits, those who receive a grant can also expect:

• Software licences for current Microsoft desktop applications and operating systems, including the current Microsoft operating system and Microsoft Office
• Access to professionally produced online software support materials
• Online collaboration for designing and sharing best practice models

Details on closing dates and how to apply for a Microsoft Teachers Software Grant can be found by downloading the Word documents below. Applications for the grants are open for a limited period only, so please submit yours without delay.

• Download the Innovative Teachers Programme Software Grant Application Pack as a Word document (120 KB/17 secs at 56 Kbps)
• Download further details on Software Grant Applications as a Word document (39 KB/5 secs at 56 Kbps)

Accreditation and Continuing Professional Development

We encourage teachers on the programme to gain accreditation for their continuing professional development. By joining online communities and producing virtual classroom tours, they can achieve Innovative Teacher status. This enables them to apply for a Microsoft grant to fund further development of their work, and establish collaborative learning projects.

Those who gain Innovative Teacher status are authorised to use the Innovative Teachers toolkit to deliver CPD, and are supported in working towards a nationally recognised accreditation.

• Find out more about IC3 skills certification on the Certiport website

Registration and Further Information

• Register now for the Innovative Teachers Programme

Please note that online registration for the Innovative Teachers Programme is only available in the UK. If you are outside the UK and would like to register, or you simply want to find out more about the programme, please email us at the address below:

• Email address for enquiries outside the UK is itn-uk@microsoft.com