5 November 2003 Media Statement

Developing e-learning teachers for the future

The expertise of teachers in using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to help students learn will get an important boost with the first ever appointment of e-learning fellows, Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced today.

“These ten teachers were selected from more than fifty applicants across New Zealand. They are representative of a growing group of educators committed to developing innovative e-learning practice that is focussed on lifting student achievement,” Trevor Mallard said.

“The fellowship year gives teachers the time and support networks to research how to best meet their students’ learning needs in new and exciting ways.

“Making sure young New Zealanders have the skills that equip them for life and work in the 21st century is a key education priority for our government that sits alongside our firm commitment to building an innovative and dynamic economy.

“That’s why the government is investing heavily in ICT in education. Some $4.02 million has been earmarked for the year-long fellowships over the next four years – part of an extra $77.6 million dollar ICT investment in education.

“These fellowships will greatly contribute to national and international research as new approaches to learning through ICT are developed and shared. The fellowships will add another important dimension to ICT use in schools.”

Under the fellowships, teachers are released fulltime from their teaching duties for a year to work on their research project. Ultralab South is co-ordinating the academic support for the project. The research includes:

- Andrew Carswell's exploration of how high-end 3D animation technologies can create virtual environments for senior science students.
- Gaylene Mackereth from Edgewater College in Auckland will explore ways to develop life-long learning habits in language students by connecting them to new ‘real world’ learning opportunities online.
- Claire Derham-Cole from St Albans Primary School in Christchurch will research how e-learning can raise the achievement of Maori students in a bilingual classroom.

A full list of the fellows, their research topics and schools is attached.

Successful applicants for E-Learning Teacher Fellowships 2004

Teacher
School Project

Primary teachers
Karen Newbrook
Mangorei Primary
New Plymouth To show how e-learning can enhance the learning environment of students with special needs and make their day’s learning easier to get through with less anxiety, more success and better results
Mel Rodden
Cashmere Primary
Christchurch Online environments as a tool to facilitate effective teachers as colleagues and leaders.
Blair Giles
Ponsonby Primary
Auckland Focussing on students’ creativity – exploring students’ creative engagement and interest from working inside an ICT rich e-learning environment
Anne Mason
The Correspondence School Project e-SCHOOL; in what ways can students feel ‘delight’ and how does this impact on their learning?

Fellowship targeted at Te Reo Maori

Claire Derham-Cole
St Albans Primary
Christchurch
e-Learning in a bilingual classroom
Exploring how e-learning opportunities can raise the achievement of Maori students.

Teacher
School Project
Secondary teachers
Lynda Walsh-Pasco
Roxburgh Area School
Developing e-teachers for the future; what are the best methods of teaching and how could they be adapted to an online classroom?

Andrew Carswell
Hillmorton High School
Christchurch Transforming the science syllabus into a discoverable landscape for learners using high-end 3D animation technologies to produce virtual environments.

Maurice Alford
Lytton High School
Gisborne Learning more about what role multimedia production can play in developing new approaches to motivating Te Reo Maori learners and teachers to engage with digital technologies as learning tools.

Liz Stevenson
Trident High School
Whakatane Image based online mentoring with possible focus on learning in, about and through the Arts.
Gaylene Mackereth

Edgewater College
Auckland
Developing language students into life long learners though using ICT to connect them to the real world, broadening their experience and exciting them.
Targetting French, Japanese, Maori language learners

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