More than 5,200 middle and primary school teachers in Shanghai will be trained to use Internet technology to improve teaching by the end of this year, thanks to the “Teach to the Future” program offered by Intel Corp.
They will join other teachers in Beijing and neighboring provinces to learn how to use the advanced technology of Intel’s three-year US$100 million global training program.
By the end of next March, more than 10,000 Chinese teachers in primary and middle schools will be enrolled in the program free of charge. Intel will pay for the equipment, teaching materials and staff.
Education authorities expect the program will be able to shatter the traditional spoon-feeding mindset of the traditional Chinese education and encourage teachers to focus on discovering the students’ talents and helping them express themselves more freely.
Wang Tianfu, an English teacher in the Qinghua Middle School in downtown Luwan District, put his teaching materials on disk and presented them to his classes on the computer. He even invited the students to update and rate his teaching materials.
He also asked students to search for information on the Internet, quizzed them on their findings and gave prizes to spark the interest of his students who are studying English.
“Students should not be taught to memorize for tests and cram their heads full of references. This will dampen their creativity,” said Wang.
Officials from Intel China Education, which is in charge, said the program is expected to be extended to poor inland regions next year.
(China Daily 01/02/2001)
