A TOTAL OF 500 teachers and school leaders from more than 60 countries around the world have gathered in Cape Town to showcase how technology can transform education
A first for Africa, the four-day Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Education Forum (WWIEF) started yesterday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
The forum is part of Microsoft's education initiative - Learning Partners - which helps teachers and schools globally to improve students' experiences and skills through technology.
Microsoft South Africa managing director Mteto Nyati said the initiative was backed by $500million (about R3,4billion), and had reached more than 196 million teachers and students in 114 countries since its inception seven years ago.
Nyati said throughout the year more than 200,000 teachers worldwide had participated in local and regional events to win a place at this event.
The teachers will spend the week sharing and debating their respective projects that use multimedia tools such as audio, video or videos with colleagues and judges, he said.
Nyati said this would be in line for global awards in categories on innovation in community, collaboration, content and peer review prizes, where teachers vote for the projects that impressed them the most.
Yesterday morning, the teachers visited Cape Town's elite St Cyprian's School. They also visited Hout Bay High School, which serves the informal settlement of Imizamo Yethu.
The school was built during the apartheid era and was designed to cater for 250 students but now has 462 pupils.
The school facilities are limited, providing a small playground and little opportunities for extramural sporting and cultural activities.
According to organisers, the visits were meant to give visiting teachers an opportunity "to see what South African classrooms are like and hear about the challenges and successes of the country's education system".
Today, Microsoft Worldwide education vice-president Antony Salcito is set to give the keynote address.
He said they expected to talk about the need for empowered teachers, strong school leaders, better curricula and the ability of students to connect with one another and globally.
This would be followed by an interactive panel discussion with previous WWIEF winners and learners about conservation projects in schools.
Other keynote speakers over the next few days include Larry Rosenstock of High-Tech High Schools.
He will talk about effective teaching and its interplay, and how they integrate a diverse student body, among others.
Exhibition of Worldwide Teacher Projects and Innovative Schools forms part of the several colourful events that have been lined up.