Intel felicitates teachers in Uva Province

Friday, 6 May 2011 01:52 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

New initiative reaps rich rewards in Moneragala

Over 2,500 teachers trained in UVA Province
19,000 government teachers have been trained to date island wide

Pushing its agenda of imparting 21st century skills to teachers and students, Intel announced that it has trained over 2500 teachers in the Uva Province.

Shashindra Rajapaksa, Chief Minister - Uva Province handing over the certificates to one of over 150 new Intel Teach Master teachers at the event. Others from Left - R. M. B. Rathnayake, Provincial Director of Education, Uva Province; Indika De Zoysa, Country Business Manager, Intel EM Ltd. – Sri Lanka Liaison office; Anura De Silva, EKSP Project Manager, Uva Province

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

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa 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.”

Country Business Manager, Intel EM Ltd. Indika De Zoysa, speaking immediately after the Chief Minister 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 Programme 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 programme of its kind and has, to date, trained over 19,000 government teachers around the country and over 2,500 teachers in the Uva Province.

An End of Training (EoT) Analysis of Intel® Teach in-service programme of 2010 conducted by Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB) revealed that over 95% 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.

Prior to the event Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, Anura Dissanayake, who supports Intel Education initiative through Education for Knowledge Society Project (EKSP) stated, “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.”

Present at the occasion were the Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa Province, Shashindra Rajapaksa; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, Anura Dissanayake; Chief Secretary, Uva province; Provincial Secretary, Uva Province; Provincial Director of Education Uva Province, R. M. B. Rathnayake; EKSP Project Manager Uva Province Anura De Silva, and his project team; Additional Director of Education Uva Province, Ananda Rathnayake and several other provincial officials, Zonal Directors, ICT coordinators, Principals of Intel Teach Master Teachers. The Intel Teach training team was also present to mark this special occasion.