BIZ-TECH

Intel empowers teachers in Uva Province:

ICT development in far-flung corners

Pushing its agenda of imparting 21st century skills to teachers and students, Intel announced that it has trained over 2,500 teachers in the Uva Province and 19,000 government teachers islandwide to date.

Uva Province Chief Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa handing over the certificates to teachers who completed the Intel Teach teacher professional development program.

At a felicitation event, marking the culmination of the Intel Teach program held at the Mahanama College, Moneragala, Uva province Chief Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa gave away certificates to 150 new Intel Teach Master teachers for successfully completing the Intel Teach teacher professional development program and subsequent training of their fellow teachers. Special plaques were also presented to Principals of well performing schools and master teachers.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister said, "It is heartening to see the involvement of companies like Intel making headway in providing ICT to these areas which have been deprived of technology. This should be an example to others as well."

Speaking at the occasion, Country Business Manager, Intel EM Ltd, Indika De Zoysa said, "This is a new beginning for the people of the Uva province. We are determined to aggressively push for the development of ICT in such far out places in Sri Lanka and our efforts will herald a new beginning in the ICT sector in these areas."

The Intel Teach Program improves teacher effectiveness through professional development, helping teachers integrate technology into their lessons and promoting students' problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. Working with the National Colleges of Education around the country to train Teacher Educators and student teachers Intel Teach is the largest, most successful program of its kind and has, to date, trained over 19,000 government teachers around the country and over 2,500 teachers in Uva province.

An End of Training (EoT) Analysis of Intel Teach in-service program of 2010 conducted by Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB) revealed that over 95 percent of these teachers have benefited through integration of technology into their teaching and passed on illustrated effective uses to their students and their school work. Accordingly, over 19,000 government teachers have been trained around the country with over 2,500 teachers in Uva province.

Prior to the event Education Ministry Additional Secretary, Anura Dissanayake, who supports Intel Education initiative through Education for Knowledge Society Project (EKSP) said, "This is the ideal platform for teachers to mould a new society of teachers who will pass on their knowledge and expertise to another ICT skilled generation."