Microsoft honored the Jordanian Delegation at the sixth annual Worldwide Innovative Education Forum, which included two Pathfinder Schools and two Innovative Teachers, for demonstrating a profound dedication to helping their students learn by leveraging effective and engaging technology resources for teaching critical 21st century skills, such as collaboration, critical thinking and social responsibility.
The Worldwide Innovative Education Forum (IEF) that took place from 26 - 29 October 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa is an event organized by Microsoft for teachers and schools around the globe to celebrate their innovation and recognize the leaders in the field of education.
Myrna Seikaly, Microsoft Jordan Citizenship Lead stated, "I would like to extend warm congratulations to Jordan's top teachers and education leaders for being recognized as forward-thinking educators who promote the effective use of technology as a tool for innovative teaching and learning."
She added, "The Innovative Education Forum is one of Microsoft's various education initiatives that underscores Microsoft's commitment to expand the power of education through the use and adoption of technology in education. The Innovative Education Forum focuses on the role technology can play in addressing classroom challenges, enhancing teaching practices and inspiring teachers everywhere to seek and apply innovative approaches that help prepare students for today's changing world."
Haif Bannayan, CEO of the Jordan Education Initiative, stated, "The local Innovative Education Forum (IEF) that was held in partnership between JEI, Microsoft and the Ministry of Education was a real success story that makes us proud of our partnership with Microsoft, and always eager to provide our Ministry of Education with the best support possible."
He added, "We are also very proud of our Discovery School teachers who had been a true success at the local and the regional competitions, adapting to new teaching techniques quickly and demonstrating leadership in creativity, ambition, and hard work."
Representing two of the most innovative teachers in the world, Jordanian Futooh Khareetah from Queen Nour Secondary School along with other members of her group from Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia competed with their "Accepting Each Other" project, and were the first place winners for The Educator's Choice Award. On the other hand, Jordanian Fedaa' Zarara from Al Nuzha Secondary School was the only individual project from the Arab region to be selected as a semifinalist for her 'Vocational Training' project. Both Jordanian teachers had previously been chosen as winners at the regional and local levels.
Futooh Khareetah, stated, "It is an absolute honor to have received the Educator's Choice Award at the Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Education Forum, for demonstrating a unique approach that technology can create to improve learning opportunities and meeting the needs of today's generation of students. My team and I competed against so many great education leaders and the experience was truly one-of-a-kind. Being a leader in education and helping students realize their full potential requires a passion for innovation, and our main focus at the Queen Nour Secondary School is to promote and encourage innovation in the classroom in order to create an attractive learning path for all our students."
As for the most innovative schools in the world, Al-Jubaiha School (Principal Maryam Al-Louzi) and Al Sefaa Bint Awf School for Girls (Principal Manal Alqador) were winning pathfinder schools at the Worldwide IEF. These Jordanian schools have demonstrated strong school leadership with a proven record of innovation and successful change implementation.
The 2010 Worldwide Innovation Education Forum award ceremony attracted more than 500 teachers, school leaders, press and education thought leaders from more than 60 countries competing for one of 13 Global Innovative Education Awards to celebrate their best practices in the classroom.
The Innovative Education Forum is the centerpiece event for Microsoft Partners in Learning (PiL), to honor innovative teachers and schools, and to showcase how technology can further educational transformation by being appropriately incorporated into curricula, pedagogy and classrooms.
PiL is the 10-year, nearly $500 million commitment by Microsoft to transform education systems around the world. Since its inception, the Partners in Learning program has reached more than 196 million teachers and students in 114 countries.
