Worldwide
The
Intel® Teach Program is
the most successful
educator professional
development program of
its kind in the world.
The Intel Teach Program
aims to build students’
21
st
century
skills through quality
teaching. This program
has to date trained more
than 6 million teachers
globally, and is
committed to reaching a
goal of at least 13
million teachers
worldwide by 2011.
During the 1990’s independent research in the U.S. began to highlight a growing
need for teachers to understand more about how to integrate technology
effectively in classrooms. In 2000, Intel introduced Intel Teach, a professional
development program for teachers.
India and China were early participants, but before long, many more countries
joined the program. The value of Intel’s content-rich courses, independently
evaluated and adapted for each country’s environment, was quickly recognized by
teachers and education professionals throughout the world.
Australia
In 2003, Australia launched Intel Teach together with the NSW and Victorian
departments of education The program rapidly expanded to public schools in
Queensland the following year, when in addition, a pre-service version of the
course began at the University of Western Sydney. In 2005, Deakin University in
Victoria introduced the pre-service curriculum for undergraduates.
The Intel Teach
program was expanded in 2006 with the introduction of a new
course, Intel Teach Thinking with Technology, which uses a series of online
interactive thinking tools to increase student engagement and higher order
thinking. 2007 featured another milestone, when Australia became one of the very
first countries worldwide to implement the new Intel Teach Essentials Online
Course. In addition during this year, Charles Sturt University (Albury) and
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) joined the pre-service program.
In 2008, South Australia’s department of education took the opportunity to take
up Thinking with Technology, a course which aligns particularly well with recent
education initiatives in the state. Courses have also been recently introduced
for non-government school teachers in Victoria.
The Intel Teach Program is a joint initiative between Intel and participating
departments of education.
Evaluation
The program is continuously measured to gauge its impact and improve and
localise the curriculum for the Australian education environment. The
independent evaluation team at Deakin University is headed by Carol Oakley, who
also recently completed a 3 year impact study of the Intel Teach Program
throughout pre-service institutions in 10 Asia-Pacific countries, including
Australia.
Findings from Deakin University’s annual Impact Survey have confirmed that
integrated technology teaching practices are becoming a mainstay in the
classroom due to the Intel Teach Essentials Course. Survey results reveal the
strong impact of the course on teaching and learning as teachers develop and
implement curriculum that effectively uses ICT to generate inquiry driven,
collaborative learning. Teachers and schools are leveraging the Essentials
Course to increase student engagement in their learning and to better prepare
students for success in today’s knowledge economy.
Key findings of the Impact Survey include:
94 percent of 2005 Essentials Course participants currently engaging their
students in technology-based practices.
The trend to more frequent classroom ICT use with 73 percent of respondents
using technology weekly or more, compared with just 33 percent two years ago.
Increasing whole school change towards project-based and inquiry-driven
teaching and learning.
Source: Deakin University Impact Survey Results, July 2006
To date over 17,000 Australian teachers have completed the Intel Teach Program
and by enhancing students 21st century skills, the program is helping to develop
the knowledge-based workforce necessary for Australia’s future.
(Compiled November 2008)
