Intel Teach to the Future program unveiled

Intel Philippines has launched the Intel Teach to the Future program, a $100-million worldwide initiative to address the barriers teachers face in effectively applying computer technology to improve student learning.

The program is designed to help teachers and students become well-versed in Internet and computer technology by making education entertaining and effective.

In the Philippines, Intel will invest in funding, equipment, curriculum development and program management to train more than 20,000 high school teachers through 2002.

Only 20 percent of today’s 3.17 million teachers worldwide feel prepared to effectively incorporate technology into the classroom.

In addition to lacking access to computers, teachers also require training to fully tap into the power of technology to enhance student learning.

"In today’s world dominated by the Internet and e-Business, it is important for students to learn strong technology and math skills in the classroom. However, technology in the classroom is most advantageous when teachers know how to use it effectively," said Christian Morales, vice president and general manager of Intel Asia-Pacific. "Computers aren’t magic, teachers are."

Intel Teach to the Future provides a flexible, modular curriculum delivered by teachers for teachers. The curriculum is based on Microsoft Office 2000 Professional as a teaching and learning tool.

Teachers are taught how to use the Internet as a resource in research, design a Webpage and use multimedia software. Key elements of the program include hands-on, face-to-face learning, a process focused on content to accommodate a wide range of subjects and grade levels, and ongoing evaluation.

Morales and Intel Phils. general manager Robin Martin presented the program to President Arroyo in Malacañang recently since the initiative supports the goals of her administration’s information and communications technology (ICT) agenda.

Intel Teach to the Future will provide the teacher training component of the PCs for Public Schools Program of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) that will provide PCs to 1,000 public schools.

Intel Teach to the Future is part of Intel Innovation in Education, a global multimillion-dollar effort to prepare students as well as teachers for tomorrow’s scientific and technological demands. Until 2002, the program will train more than 400,000 high school teachers in 20 countries.

In the Philippines, 16 regional training agencies (RTAs) have committed to provide the training in their respective regions. The goal is to train 20 other teachers to produce 20,000 trained teachers by 2002.

Intel Teach to the Future has the support of the DECS, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines-National Institute for Science and Math Education (UP-NISMED).

The DOST selects and organizes the RTAs and manages the pre-service teacher training; the DECS chooses the participating teachers and monitors the teacher training, and UP-NISMED undertakes the curriculum development and review.