Thailand, BANGKOK, February 21, 2014 – Khadiyah Armanakun, English teacher at the Anuban Betong (Suphap anusorn) School in Yala, has been selected as this year’s Expert Educator by Microsoft Corporation. She will represent Thailand at the 2014 Microsoft in Education Global Forum in Barcelona, Spain, during 11-14 March 2014. Out of more than 22,000 entries worldwide, she is selected as one of the 250 teachers to present at the global forum where innovative teachers meet. Khadiyah is recognized for her efforts in improving children’s lives by adopting technology in an innovative and structured way.
For many students in the south of Thailand, English is their third or fourth language – behind Thai, local dialects and Malay. Khadiyah’s after-school program “5 Steps to Mastering English Public Speaking” incorporates a variety of technologies to spark students’ interests in the language. In return, students become more proficient in the use of English and acquire essential 21st century skills necessary for work and life, such as collaboration, self-learning, analytical thinking, and creative innovation.
Promoting ICT in learning through the Microsoft Partners in Learning program
Khadiyah learned about the Microsoft technology through the Partners in Learning program (PiL). Microsoft Partners In Learning is a 10-year global initiative aimed at supporting schools and educators’ use of technology to help every student receive an excellent education and gain the skills they need in work and life. Thus far, the program has trained more than 9 million educators and reached more than 200 million students in 114 countries. In Thailand, Microsoft and the Ministry of Education have already trained 164,000 teachers nationwide, reaching 8.8 million students to date.
Khadiyah Armanakun said: “Thanks to training by Microsoft, I was introduced to how the easy-to-use Microsoft technology can benefit students. For example, I now ask groups of students to use the Songsmith application to sing songs, and the speech function in Microsoft Excel to learn the correct pronunciation of words. Including ICT in a fun and collaborative way ensures that they pick up the language quicker and meanwhile develop skills necessary to be successful in life. The recognition as a Microsoft Expert Educator and chance to travel to Spain, now gives me the opportunity to share my knowledge and learn from other teachers worldwide. I am grateful for this opportunity to further improve my lessons and give children the opportunity they deserve.”
Empowering teachers through the Microsoft Expert Educator Program
Microsoft’s Expert Educator Program recognizes the vital role teachers play in the community. It is an exclusive one year program created to recognize pioneer educators globally who are using technology to transform education. Working closely with Microsoft, Expert Educators advocate, share their experiences with peers and policy makers on effective use of technology in education.
Haresh Khoobchandani, Managing Director, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited, said: “Teachers like Khadiyah inspire us to continue making investments in education. Like no other company, Microsoft is in the best position to provide students and teachers with training; access to great devices, services and apps in the most secure manner for the education sector; and then give talents the opportunity to compete on a global platform and fulfill their dreams. Microsoft is proud to empower teachers and students around the world to make a positive change in society and embrace the 21st century skills. We are very proud of Khadiyah and are confident that she will represent Thailand at the 2014 Global Expert Educator in the best possible way.”
Globally, Microsoft has invested USD 10 billion (THB 300 billion) in education in the last five years. Microsoft Thailand has invested USD 5.2 million (THB 156 million) in education. Microsoft Thailand has trained 560,000 teachers and school leaders since 2003.
About 2014 Microsoft in Education Global Forum
The 2014 Microsoft in Education Global Forum (formerly the Partners in Learning Global Forum) takes place from 11-14 March in Barcelona, Spain. The Microsoft in Education Global Forum recognizes and celebrates the achievements of educators who are preparing students for life in the 21st century. 250 Expert Educators and representatives from 80 Mentor Schools will gather to collaborate, exchange ideas and share insights among themselves and with Microsoft. This high profile event is attended by more than 700 of the world’s most innovative educators, school leaders, and education leaders from 75 countries, along with government officials.
For more information on the Expert Educators attending the forum, see http://www.pil-network.com/Forums/ExpertEducators/Barcelona2014/GBR
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Established in 1993, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited provides world-class software that is easy to use and localized to suit the local market’s needs. It also has a compelling and consistent platform to build powerful business solutions that can scale from a notebook computer to a mainframe – class multiprocessor systems using Microsoft technology. For further information, information, please visit the Microsoft (Thailand) website at: http://www.microsoft.com/thailand.
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