Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Teacher Professional Development in Chile 12-18 Dec 2010


More than 80 teachers, in two classes, completed a 54-hour programme by Marshall Cavendish Institute (MCI) in Santiago de Chile. Tonight the institute hosted a dinner for them.

Even as MCI, a 3-month old institute, is kept busy developing a comprehensive teacher professional development programme for its Mathematics Academy which was launch in September, as well as doing the groundwork to prepare for the launch of three more Academies (Lesson Study Academy, Science Academy, Early Childood Academy) in 2011, it has began conducting courses for teachers.

The programme in Chile is for Ministry of Education Chile. The programme is part of MOE Chile's "Singapore Textbook Project" (Proyecto Textos Singapur), a 2011-2013 project where a representative sample of public schools in all p[arts of Chile were invited to receive the Spanish Edition of a Singapore texbook instead of the regular standard issue textbook. Participation is voluntary and sampled schools that did not opt for the Singapore textbooks were replaced with a similar school to maintain the representative sample. in 2011, Grade 1 and Grade 2 textbooks are available. In 2012, Grade 3. In 2013 Grade 4. The project will then be reviewed.

More than 80 teachers were selected to attended this leaders in mathematics education programme where they receive the necessary professional development to help them help about 10 - 20 teachers in their repsective regions.


They attended courses on Fundamentals in Singapore Math, Whole Numbers, Fractions, Measurements, Model Method, Differentiated Instruction and Activity-Based Lessons.