News Release For Immediate Release
Contact:
Joan Munoz, Director
Global Teacher Foundation
diorectorjm@globalteacherfoundation.org
Global Teacher Foundation set to provide training worldwide
LINCOLN, Ca—The Global Teacher Foundation is contracting with schools worldwide to help teachers strengthen their skills for educating students. May 16, 2009 a team of volunteer teacher trainers will fly to Ecuador to provide its Teacher Professional Development Program at a school in this South American country. An additional high school Teacher Training Program is being scheduled for this fall in Kenya.
The mission of the Global Teacher Foundation is to enhance teaching methods with training for teachers around the world in the areas of motivation, discovery of individual talents and potential, core course knowledge, better instructional methods, improved communication and proper material review for testing. It supports the concept that education is paramount to social and economic development as promoted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Under the program, trainers are sent into the classroom to assess teaching strategies and design an individual professional development plan based on a teacher’s skills. Trainers present instruction and model teaching methods according to the needs of each teacher.
“Providing teachers with new strategies for educating their students benefits undeveloped countries for years to come,” says Joan Munoz, Director of the Global Teacher Foundation. “A more engaging style of education will give students a desire to continue learning beyond basic education increasing their chances for prosperity in all areas of their life.”
During the program trial run earlier this year, a total of 21 teachers at the Nakuru (Kenya) Mountain Park Academy learned skills for teaching groups of students with a variety of learning styles and capabilities. Prior to the training, teachers relied on blackboard copying and verbal lectures from the front of the classroom to instruct students in kindergarten through eighth-grade. They were able to improve their teaching after learning such skills as classroom management and differentiation, student involvement, alternative teaching methods and remediation as well as reading comprehension techniques.
In an evaluation of the training teachers wrote: “I learned multiple styles to make learning interesting;” “I now know when kids understand and then know when to continue;” “Now I can occupy fast learners and not ignore them while working with slow learners;” “I learned to motivate children.”
Volunteer teacher trainers are selected to meet the needs of the school setting in which the Teacher Professional Development Program is provided. For example, trainers at the Mountain Park Academy were skilled in such instructional specialties as primary reading, cooperative learning and peer tutoring. Some trainers heading to Ecuador are certified English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors.
Not only is the training tailored to the needs of each school but the overall program is evaluated on a continuous basis.
“We are constantly assessing and improving the training to meet the needs of the schools we serve,” says Munoz. “After our training in Kenya we have been requested to add HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum to our teacher training for our next trip to Africa.”
If you would like more details on the Global Teacher Foundation please contact us at infoservices@globalteacherfoundation.org
###
|
|