Sunday, November 15, 2009

Singapore schools lead the way in tech use

Singapore schools, lauded the world over for their maths and science curriculums, are now also serving as role models in the use of technology for teaching.

A group of education experts from software giant Microsoft told The Straits Times at a conference in Brazil last week that many countries have their eye on Singapore schools because they have managed to integrate the use of technology into lessons effectively - something which schools elsewhere do only superficially.

Microsoft vice-president for worldwide education programmes Anthony Salcito said one example of Singapore's success in integrating technology within the curriculum is BackPack.NET, a S$20 million project by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Microsoft Singapore. It was started in 2003 with the aim of transforming teaching through technology and allowing mobile learning.

Ms Jenny Lewis, an adviser to Microsoft's US$500 million (S$700 million) education initiative Partners in Learning, said Singapore schools are gaining attention for the way they use technology to teach "21st century skills" such as collaboration critical and creative thinking.

The Straits Times (14 Nov 2009)

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