iEARN Teachers Training Workshop Karachi

iEARN Teachers Training Workshop Karachi 5th,7th & 9th October'2004

iEARN-Pakistan in Collaboration with District Education Office-Female Secondary held a 3 days teachers training workshop.

19 teachers from 10 schools located in various districts attended the three days training organized by iEARN in collaboration with District Education Office-Secondary and Higher Secondary, Female, at the iEARN Computer Lab in the Brazil Government Girls High School.

The sessions are facilitated by a group of iEARN-Pakistan teachers and staff members. Who presented an exciting, collaborative and experiential learning environment mostly based on hands activities on computers and internet. The teachers were extremely enthusiastic and motivated to introduce projects that connect their schools and students to other students and schools around the world.

Major Workshop Outcomes:

During the workshop sessions, participants:

	were exposed to and discuss iEARN’s mission and vision
	got familiar with and navigate iEARN web site and available resources at hand
	practiced using iEARN's technology tools and be aware of the difference between them
	Find out the underlying objectives and cross curriculum aspect of anyone iEARN online collaborative project and its correlation to teaching standards
	Understand the nature of asynchronous /synchronous communication in online collaborative projects
	Find out and discuss how to prepare students for online collaboration
	Identify and discuss the various theme based projects suitable for Pakistani curriculum
	Select and plan a project that correlates to participants’ curriculum objectives and teaching standards.
	Establish long-term professional relationships and a sustainable sense of community

Future Directions:

In order to make the teachers efforts successful in the schools where they will implement these projects plans; we need to provide them continued support. This core group of dynamic teachers need to continually meet with each other and develop a community of iEARN teacher’s expert in promoting online projects and can continue to support colleagues and students.

Following are some network building and support strategies:

	Meeting on every last Thursday of the month of this core group of 18 educators. The iEARN staff will hold the meeting in Brazil school along with mini training sessions and sharing of more resources
	iEARN trainers and volunteers will be available for school visit to provide onsite support to teachers and students.
	All the 9 schools that attended the workshop have computers some are in the process of being installed. The authorities need to ensure they are installed fast, with complete networking and teachers working on iEARN should be given an access to these computers and internet.
	We are willing to hold a day long students workshops in each of these schools once the computer laboratory are set up and networked completely (details can be worked out later)