1.
What is the Partners in Learning Initiative
in China ?
2. What are the main components
of the Partners in Learning Initiative
?
3. How long is the cycle
of the Partners in Learning Initiative
?
4. What is the main purpose
of the initiative?
5. Who are the main objects
of the initiative?
6. What are the three roles
of the full-time IT teachers?
7. How are the courses arranged?
What kind of basic knowledge does it need?
8. Dose this initiative take
the west of China as emphases?
1. What is the Partners
in Learning Initiative in China ?
On November 20, 2003, Microsoft and China's
Ministry of Education (MOE) signed a cooperative
framework in support of China's informatization
efforts in primary education £¬ which kicked
officially off Microsoft Partners in Learning
program in China. According to the framework,
under the guidance of MOE, Microsoft will
over the next 5 years contribute no less
than US$10 million dollars in investment,
donations and other forms of support to
the informatization of China 's primary
and normal education, with special emphasis
on rural and remote areas. In addition
, Microsoft will establish IT teacher
training centers and IT classrooms, develop
distance learning technologies, products
and solutions, and develop and localize
teachers' IT skill training and teaching
curriculum in order to promote the integration
of IT education and traditional subject
teaching.
2. What are the main
components of the Partners in Learning
Initiative ?
It is composed of IT classroom construction,
curriculum development and teacher training.
3. How long is the
cycle of the Partners in Learning Initiative
?
The cycle of the initiative is 5 years.
4. What is
the main purpose of the initiative?
The main purpose of the initiative is
to enable full utilization of ICT in K-12
Education and narrow the digital divide
between urban and rural areas.
How to narrow the digital divide brought
by imbalance development of local economic?
How to enable full utilization of ICT
in K-12 education and help more people
to enjoy the benefits of ICT, particular
in rural area ? In order to solve these
questions, with the guidance of MOE, Microsoft
works with relevant educational institutions,
educators, cooperative partners and many
college students to promote the reform
of educational idea and encourage innovation
in teaching and learning through application
of IT China's K-12 education and realize
full potentials of all relevant people
in learning, work and life.
5. Who are
the main targets of the initiative?
On demand of practical needs of China
's current teachers training, this initiative
orients its work at IT teachers of secondary
schools.
6. What are the three
roles of the full-time IT teachers?
Role 1: Teach IT courses
Role 2: Maintain and manage
IT classrooms
Role 3: Share and spread
IT skills among the teachers in school,
and provide support for teachers of other
subjects
Note: the 3 roles can
be borne by one full-time IT teacher simultaneously,
and also can be borne by two different
teachers or network administrators. Role
3 can be freely selected at the above
conditions.
7. How are the courses arranged? What
kind of basic knowledge does it need?
There are two modes of training, DVD teaching
(primary training) and In-class teaching
(secondary/advanced training). Cooperating
with the online technical support platform,
we have provided a continuous study environment.
Primary Training:
With the help of the province education
department, Microsoft has dispatched 3000
sets of DVD to three provinces, and selects
five cities as the experiment teaching
districts, in which Microsoft undertakes
the work of teaching coaching and examination
managing. And Microsoft will also provide
online support by portal website.
Secondary Training:
This training is mainly undertaken by
three training centers to organize province-grade
training, 10 days for each term and 30
persons every class. 300 key teachers
from each province will be trained from
July 2004 to June 2005, 900 altogether.
(Another 100 key teachers will be trained
after it according to the process of project).
There are two courses for training: "Office¡±
and the Teaching Activity & Management,
Operating System Installation, Maintenance
and Management. The course of ¡°Office¡±
and Teaching Activity & Management
is taught by the lecturers selected by
normal university, and Operating System
Installation, Maintenance and Management
is taught by the outstanding lecturers
selected from the Certified Technical
Education Center (CTEC) of Wuhan , Lanzhou
, Kunming by Microsoft. Senior Training
for lecturers: In July of 2004, Microsoft
will organize experts to train the lecturers
of the three training centers and administrators
of the project. With the guidance of the
Ministry of Education, Microsoft works
with the local partners to research and
develop the technology & solution
of distance education (electronic teaching)
through the technology center which locates
in Beijing . At present, Microsoft cooperates
with Tengtu Company, offers technology
support to Tengtu for developing solution
of ¡°Education Resources Office¡±. Based
on Microsoft Office 2003 and the professional
resources on developing of Tengtu, the
solution aims to offer professional, customized
and localized products for education,
and improve teachers' abilities on education
application.
8. Dose this initiative take the west
of China as emphases?
According to the framework and with the
guidance of MOE, Microsoft will over the
next 5 years contribute no less than US$10
million dollars in investment, donations
and other forms of support to the informatization
of China's primary and normal education,
with special emphasis on rural and remote
areas. |
