Recognising Innovative Teachers at the APAC Partners in Learning Forum

Last Thursday evening (22 March 2012) we had the great pleasure to recognise some amazing teachers from across the Asia-Pacific Region at the Microsoft APAC Partners in Learning (PiL) Forum in Auckland, New Zealand.

Microsoft’s Education Director for APAC, Mr Neil Jackson (“James Bond”) and Microsoft Australia Academic Programs Manager, Ms Jane Mackarell (“Pussy Galore”) hosted the James Bond themed evening at the spectacular Wharf  Restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand – bringing style, ceremony and a tremendous amount of fun to the celebration.

Congratulations to all of our award winning teachers from across the Asia-Pacific region.  Below is a list of our Country, Category and Educators’ Choice winners and runners-up.

Country Winners

	Australia Ms Alice Leong Nga Fu from Merrylands High School, NSW Project Title : Level Up
	Brunei Winner : Mr Abdul Walid Misli from Puni Temburong Primary School Project Title : Digital Technology Fostering Brilliant Learners in Education
	Indonesia Winner : Mr Estu Pitarto from SD Islan Al Azhar 14 Semarang Project Title : Indonesian Wisdom through Understanding of Javanese Culture
	Japan Winner : Ms Mariko Okamoto from Fujinoki Elementary School Project Title : Digital Lyrics Card
	South Korea Winner : Ms Hyun Jung Kim from Dongli Primary School Project Title : Social Bookworm Project
	Malaysia Winner : Ms Zamimah Azaman from Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang College Project Title : The Journalist
	New Zealand Winner : Mrs Julie Breen from Howick College Project Title : PE Green Screen
	Philippines Winner : Ms Shateen Serana from Tuan Datu Hadj Abdullah Nuno Memorial High School Project Title : Mangrove Planting & Rehabitation
	Singapore Winner : Mdm A’bidah Abdul Gafoor & Mdm Sharizah Mohd Amin from St Hilda’s Secondary School Project Title : To Sell or to Develop on Authentic Learning Experience
	Sri Lanka Winner : Mr Ranjith Priyakelum from Hingurukaduwa MV Project Tiltle : Let’s learn computer hardware
	Taiwan Winner : Ms Hsun-Hui Chen & Ms Yun-Ting Hsu from Sacred Heart School Project Title : Blooming Jasmine
	Thailand Winner : Mr Kobwit Priyawat from Nonsi Witthaya School Project Title : Learning with ICT : Biotechnology Issues
	Vietnam Winner : Mr Bao Thien Huynh from Lawrence S. Ting School Project Title : Narrative Literature

Category Winners

‘Extended Learning Beyond the Classroom’ Category
Runner Up : Mr Stephen Baskerville from Australia
Project Title : Wild School

Winner : Ms Hsiao yun Chuang from Taiwan
Project Title : Tainan – Starved & Stuffed

‘Collaboration’ Category
Runner Up : Mr Estelito Mendoza from Philippines
Project Title : What can the youths do ?

Winner : Mr Byeong Guk Yu from Korea
Project Title : SNS Based Learning

‘Knowledge Building & Critical Thinking’ Category
Runner Up : Mr Peter Smythe from Australia
Project Title : Flipped Learning

Winner : Mr Dongkuk Lee from Korea
Project Title : Technology Education in Middle School

‘Innovation in Challenging Contexts’ Category
Runner Up : Mrs Nura Uma Annisa from Indonesia
Project Title : Delivering Nationalism to the Early Age Students Using Multimedia Interactive Reading Tool

Winner : Ms Edalyn Olis from Philippines
Project Title : e-Dokyo ITO

‘Cutting Edge Use of Microsoft Technology for Learning’ Category
Runner Up : Ms Kanteera Ouanapaporn from Thailand
Project Title : MS Paint Game

Winner : Mr Takayuki Mineshima & Ms Yoshiko Nakahira from Fujinoki Elementary School
Project Title : Digital Block

Educators’ choice awards

Runner Up : Ms Barbara Warne & Mr Mark Thornton-Pett from New Zealand
Project Title : Powerful Learning Piece by Piece

Winner : Mr Zainuddin Zakaria from Malaysia
Project Title: Borderless Classroom

Congratulations again to all of our winners and finalists!

Background to Microsoft Partners in Learning

Some of you may not be aware of the history of Microsoft Partners in Learning and the PiL Forum, so here’s some of the background…  Back in 2003, Microsoft announced Partners in Learning to help educators and school leaders connect, collaborate, create, and share so that students can realize their greatest potential. PiL includes elements such a:

• Peer Coaching and Mentoring
• Envisioning Workshops
• Partners in Learning Schools Program
• Teacher Training Programs
• Partners in Learning Network
• Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum
• Higher Education Initiatives
• Microsoft Partners in Learning School Research

Over the last eight years Microsoft has invested over USD$400M in Partners in Learning. We have programs in place in 119 countries and through those activities have trained over 10 million teachers and reached over 204 million students. 

The Partners in Learning Network now has over 4.8 million registered users. Are you one of them?  If not, you should sign-up today!  It’s an easy way for you to be a part of Partners in Learning.

And a final word –don’t forget that you may be an Innovative Educator!   Be sure to sign up to the Partners in Learning Network to keep updated on next year’s Innovative Teachers Awards and events – Microsoft may well recognise your efforts and you could be among next year’s award winners!!