Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Mr.Chao Suwanchon (Center) and his royally-presented trophy from the Thailand Innovative Teachers Leadership 2014 competition together with Somsak Mukdavannakorn (Left), Public Sector Director, Microsoft (Thailand) Ltd., and Dr.Supoet Srinuttapong (Right), Director – Public Sector Program, Microsoft (Thailand) Ltd.
Bangkok – 19 January 2015 – Microsoft (Thailand) Ltd. led by Somsak Mukdavannakorn, Public Sector Director, have announced the teacher representative for Thailand at the Microsoft Global Educator Exchange (E2) to be held in Redmond, Washington, USA in April, 2015. Mr.Chao Suwanchon, a science teacher from the Kanlayanee Si Thammarat School in Nakhon Si Thammarat was selected from among the ten winners of the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts for Thailand in 2014, the trophies for which were graciously granted by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at Dusit Palace. Ajarn Chao was chosen from among more than 22,000 entries worldwide, and will be among 300 international Innovative Teachers at this year’s E2.
Thailand’s MIE Experts is part of Microsoft’s Partners in Learning program (PiL) which has been running in Thailand since 2003, aiming to encourage teachers nationwide to use technology to enhance students’ learning experiences in their classrooms. Through PiL, 550,000 teachers and school leaders in Thailand have been trained.
Over the past three decades, Microsoft has been dedicated to helping drive meaningful change in education. Microsoft collaborates with partners around the world to build a global network and community of teachers to help them take new approaches to teaching and learning, using technology to help students develop 21st-century skills.
“I am extremely proud and humbled to have been chosen as the Thailand representative at the Microsoft Global Educator Exchange. Microsoft’s PiL Program has been instrumental in demonstrating how as teachers we can deploy easy-to-use Microsoft technology for the benefit of students. By traveling to E2 in Redmond this year I look forward to expanding and building my capabilities,” said Ajarn Chao.
Ajarn Chao has deployed key technologies like Sway, a brand-new online presentation-making app across all devices under the Office portfolio, PowerPoint, and OneNote to enable children to build infographics reflecting their learning, building not only skill in using foundational technologies, but also improving synthetic thinking, presentation skills, and teamwork. He has also deployed social media to students’ advantage: “I use Facebook as a two-way communication tool with my students, as nowadays most students are on it. Besides its recreational value the platform can be applied as a key tool for teachers as well.” Already differences in test results between classrooms using these simple technologies and those not doing so were palpable, noted Ajarn Chao.
“Microsoft’s efforts to bring the benefits of technology to Thai classrooms have brought about fundamental transformations in ways of thinking and working for both students and teachers. Students enabled by technology have greater access to information, cutting-edge curricula and opportunities for learning interactions, while teachers are given the opportunity to develop and sharpen their 21st century pedagogical skills,” Ajarn Chao concluded.
Microsoft Public Sector lead Mr. Somsak Mukdavannakorn added, “Microsoft (Thailand) Ltd. is excited to be sending Ajarn Chao to represent Thailand at E2. Ajarn Chao, with his innovative teaching techniques in encouraging children to learn science through simple technology, is an outstanding example of how technology, beyond stimulating interest among students, also builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”
Ajarn Chao represents a new generation of educators that will be equipping Thailand’s future workforce with key skills for greater employability. According to the study “Connecting to Work” from The World Bank, in India, for example, jobs in the ICT industry pay up to twice what service-sector jobs pay, whereas in the Philippines an entry-level tech job pays, on average, 38 percent more than minimum wage.
Teachers are at the heart of Microsoft’s holistic approach to transforming education encompassing four key pillars that address the entirety of the learning process – Teacher Readiness, Digital Content, Cloud Services, and Devices. The four pillars are based on the notion of 21st-century skills, which cover essential functions like creativity, critical thinking, communication, and ICT literacy. These are reinforced by a commitment to never exploit student data, or monetize it: Microsoft was one of the first signatories of the “K-12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy” created by the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIAA) and recently endorsed by US President Barack Obama.
“Microsoft, as a passionate believer in the power of education and technology, is proud to partner with the Thai education sector and teachers like Ajarn Chao to make 70 million lives better,” K. Somsak concluded.
Microsoft’s PiL has been running in Thailand for over ten years. With support from Ministry of Education, the program has trained 550,000 teachers and school leaders nationwide from 39,000 schools to date. Internationally, Microsoft has invested USD 10 billion (THB 300 billion) in education in the last five years with Microsoft Thailand’s contribution to education standing at USD 5.2 million (THB 156 million).
In 2014 Miss Khadiyah Armanakun, an English teacher at the Anuban Betong (Suphap Anusorn) School in Yala was Thailand representative at the Global Forum held in Barcelona, Spain.
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