We are coordinators in a public school in the suburbs of Cosmóplos. We participated in an Intel Teach training at the beginning of 2011 and it was very important for our professional growth in practice. During the course we produced the Action Plan “Planning a class in a computer lab during normal working hours,” which was later applied with the teachers. The effects of our Action Plan were noticeable among the teachers. We also realized that the suggestions they were giving to each other were being used in colleagues’ classes. We still have a long way to go, because our goal is for classes in the computer lab to have pedagogical quality and that it be part of the didactic sequence the teachers develop in their regular classroom. We believe this Action Plan was only the initial point of a project we intend to expand to the whole school.

The program Intel Teach "for the Future" led my students and me to discover the way to success and recognition through projects. Now, we are members of this unique educational community, which aims to make education truly modern.

Technology enables more efficient performance to create a more agile education system. The Intel Teach Essentials course made me realize that computer skills improve my capability to teach and helps me to have the confidence to use technology applications to simulate real-world environments and create tangible environments for learning growth. By doing this, my students are able to carry out authentic activities as real workers, explore new learning dimensions, communicate with people of different cultures, and use a variety of tools to gather information and solve problems.

At 50 years of age, I did not know how to work a computer. Now, at 60, I can not only communicate with it, but have trained over 500 people.

I was first introduced to the Intel Teach Program as a student in 2006. I was completing my Post Graduate certificate in Education at the University of Pretoria and the Intel Teach to the Future Course was part of our training. It was my first taste of integrating technology into the classroom and was a springboard for my future. SchoolNet SA invited me to improve my original portfolio—which received a Silver grading—to a Gold and then to go on to become a trainer for Intel Teach to the Future (now titled the Intel Teach Essentials Course).

I have to admit I was a little intimidated to share this story. Intel has some of the most dedicated and intelligent educators I have ever met. Another admission is that someone who worked closely with me through one of my Intel trainings reminded me that I had a story to tell. Journey Number One - The very first Intel Teach training I conducted made me feel like, “This training is a piece of cake!” The participants were all tech-savvy facilitators who were hungry to learn. Any skill that was introduced, they knew how to do it, the lessons they created were well thought out and planned, and they were a pleasure to work with. Although this was a great bunch of dedicated educators, we each walked away with a sense of accomplishment that even though we were out of the classroom, we were still continuing our learning journey, empowering ourselves so we could help others, and it felt good. So, I planned my next journey. Or should I say it was planned for me by my superintendent. Since he had recently been through the Intel Leadership Forum and was impressed with the content, he decided every teacher at one of our optional schools should go through Intel Teach Essentials Online Course. Begin journey number two. Just as before, I prepared my information, gathered my resources and got into my teacher mode. Two days before my training, the assistant principal called me to tell me that the faculty was already angry with me because they are being forced to take the training. I told myself this will pass, and I will win over each and every one of them with my “charming” personality. The day their training started, I had chocolate and donuts waiting because we all know how teachers are at meetings. If snacks are provided, you are good to go. Needless to say, the snacks did not do the trick. Before any introductions were conducted, they were approaching me and telling me they were not going to do this course. Still smiling, I told them it would be fine and we would conquer this together. I had so much to teach them and was so excited about the Intel tools and project-based learning, so they should be too, right? When one participant asked me how to find the Internet, my smile began to fade. How in the world am I going to get through this training with teachers who cannot navigate the internet, and who are already screaming at me? I told myself to start slowly. So I talked about project-based learning and the benefits it had on student achievement, real world connections, and student interest. The teachers looked at me like I was crazy. I wanted them to let kids do what? They were not going to lecture? Had I completely lost my mind? Continuing my presentation about the Intel Essentials model, I began to see a few heads nod. At this point I am thinking if I have one survive, I will have accomplished something. Throughout our discussions about Essential Questions and alternate forms of assessment, I was winning over a few more. They were scared of change, and needed to know how to go about changing. I was there to help them. After the first face to face day, I have to admit I went home in tears. I took it personally that I did not reach all of my participants. I wanted everyone to leave as happy and excited as I am about technology and effective lesson planning. After my pity party, the hardheadedness in me kicked in and I made up my mind. I believed in the Essentials information, I knew these teachers needed to change, and I knew we could do it. The online portion of the course was difficult. There were times that the course would lose the information the participants posted, and no one knew what was happening. The participants had me on speed dial and would call me in a panic. Working closely with teacher training, we were able to resolve the problems and calm the participants. There were days I opened the lab to the participants to come in so that they could be trained in basic skills and tasks such as working in multiple windows, creating folders, etc. They were thankful for the one on one help and the “lagniappe” they received. The journey finally came to an end, and we all survived. I am happy to say that twenty-one of the twenty-four participants completed the course. What an accomplishment for all of us. The even better news is that many of them have come back for more of my trainings and have actually began implementing the skills they learned in their own classrooms. Will all of them use what they learned? No, but each of us had to step outside of our comfort zone and tackle a task that was new to us…and I feel we all walked away better educators. Thanks to programs like Intel Teach, I have to stay on top of things so that I can still make a difference.

There are many doors in life; some bring us peacefulness, others open new horizons to us. Intel Teach is one of the doors that helps teachers and students master technology, the skills of 21st century and even the key to success.

The future is not simply near – it looks at me every day through my students’ wide-open eyes. It’s not me who is leading children, it’s they who stretch out their hands to me. The Intel Teach Program gives me a chance to reach them.

The magnetism that pulls me towards the Intel Teach program is that it enables the teachers to expand the boundaries of the classroom and connects the knowledge being imparted with life outside the class -- therefore making knowledge an integral part of the student’s life.

Managing Limited Resources Straddling the eastern coasts of the Philippine Archipelago, Region VIII consists of six provinces with a total land area of over 21,500 square kilometers. Conversely, the region is traversed by only one highway and limited arterial roads. Most of these roads can only be traveled on foot or by “habal-habal” – the motorcycle-turned-public-utility-vehicle that carries up to four passengers (and their loads) up and down otherwise impassable dirt roads that are ubiquitous in the southern part of the country. Strung out over this vast area are 199 school districts, home to over 5,000 public high schools and elementary schools. With such a broad area of responsibility, monitoring positions in the Department of Education regional office favor individuals with no qualms about being on the road for weeks at a time in order to cover the area in the time allotted. In 2003, I was 30 years old, and still unmarried, so I was given the job of monitoring the ICT programs in the region's schools. February 2003 found me riding a habal-habal to my next school visit, when oncoming traffic and a pothole defeated our driver’s efforts. I fell off the bike and ended up with a broken leg. The doctor’s prognosis was good – I would still be able to walk on my own, but lengthy periods on the road were no longer possible. Since a lame ICT Coordinator would not serve the intended purpose, I found a more suitable posting instead: as principal of Samar National High School. To the public, it was the “oldest academic institution in Samar and Leyte,” with a record of alumna in public service: a governor and a congressman, among others. To education insiders, it was known as a retirement sinecure – a well-established school that needed little effort to run. Unfortunately, the institutional scenario that I came upon turned out to be as incapacitated as my leg. Despite the school's venerable history, infrastructure was lacking, the relationship between the teachers and administration was cold and the quality of education was low. Unfortunately, despite the school's large enrollment, resources were severely limited. SNHS was on its last legs. I reached for my cane and buckled down to do the work of rehabilitation. STEP 1: Conduct an environmental survey. I made a thorough inventory of the school’s facilities and resources. As a former ICT Coordinator, one of the first things I investigated was the ICT facilities. Most of the existing computers were no longer functioning, and there was no ICT laboratory for students to use. The teachers lacked both strategy and initiative to teach fruitfully, and were going through the motions of teaching. This all translated to the low academic performance of the students as seen in the below average cumulative scores of the students in regional and national examinations. On the plus side, a large alumni organization was ready and willing to be tapped for assistance. The local government also boasted alumni from SNHS who were eager to aid in the school’s make-over. Finally, there were a number of private stakeholder programs -- such as Intel Teach – working to advance quality education. STEP 2: Consolidate your team and involve them in the development of a vision for the school. I called for a meeting of the entire school staff and presented the results of the survey. When I asked for suggestions in order to solve the problems, most were willing to share their views. Some pointed to our lack of resources and were pessimistic about how much change could be accomplished. We ended up agreeing to maximize available resources first, and then conceptualize more creative ways of addressing the school’s needs. The important thing is that we all agreed a change was needed and all of us would be responsible for its actuation. STEP 3: Map out a detailed plan for implementation which includes provision for sustainability and carry it out. I’ve always believed in the 5Ps: “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” Good planning conserves time and maximizes resources. Our attack was two-pronged: improve infrastructure and enhance teaching. Consequently, we developed projects and took on programs that addressed these two main concerns. And so we counted ourselves fortunate to have been granted a slot in the Intel Teach Program for AY 2006-2007. As one of only nine divisions selected nationwide, we benefited from the enhanced program package that offered not only teacher training, but post-training services in the form of pedagogical support for the trained teachers and planning and managing support for school administrators. This dovetailed neatly with our own efforts to institutionalize efforts at reform. The Intel Teach experts’ input gave our team the necessary acknowledgement that we were on the right track and the spur to focus efforts into more concrete goals along a realistic timeline. We enhanced our school improvement plan with specific tracks for appropriate technology use for teaching and learning. This initial detailed three-year plan has since evolved to accommodate changes, but it was what first got us going. With the influx of programs and so few resources, the school created the Committee on Solicitation to concentrate on the development and farming out of project proposals. We also dusted off relationships with old partners and sought out new ones, since it is their support that multiplies our capacity for resource generation and program sustainability. Through solicitations, the school was able to fund programs and provide facilities and materials for the school. The school now has four computer laboratories that can accommodate 70 to 100 students. The computers were donated by stakeholders. The Department of Trade and Industry gave us another 20 computers through a personal letter of request. The Department of Education gave 50 more computers through the Adopt a School program. We were chosen as recipients after we institutionalized the Intel Teach program and presented to DepEd the innovations integrated into our curriculum. STEP 4: Conduct regular review and evaluation of implementation. Teacher trainings were documented and evaluated. Post-training classroom practice was also monitored and documented in order to assess the benefits (or disadvantages) gained by the school. Regular meetings were held to monitor on-going programs and activities. Challenges and issues are dealt with immediately and decisively in open discussion in order to prevent a return to the former divisive order of things. STEP 5: Continue to update your plan based on active assessment. Do not rest on your laurels. There will always be room for improvement. New teaching strategies and programs geared towards the better learning of students were added into the SNS educational system. These included the Program for the Mentally Gifted, Special Program in the Arts, the Visually-impaired class; Science and Technology Curriculum (formerly ESEP); Revised Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC), and the Night Class (for working students). To sustain the spirits of the faculty, we echoed the rewards and incentives scheme we experienced in the Intel Teach program in our school. Service credits were awarded for outstanding teaching performance or acceptance of extra workload. Likewise, a recognition ceremony is held periodically to acknowledge the efforts of partners and stakeholders. Five years later, in 2007, SNHS was given the Champion School Award at the 2nd National Intel Teach Awards for 21st Century Educators. In 2009, SNHS was declared the ICT Center of Education in the division of Samar. The school that once had no ICT lab can now accommodate more than one class with a one-to-one student-to-pc ratio. Students are now performing better with the improved facilities and energized teachers. The activities, trainings and programs of the school have also strengthened the bond among the teachers, as well as confidence in the administration. The atmosphere that once was cold is now warm and relaxed. The school with limited resources now manages not just to adequately provide for the classroom needs of students but continues to develop and implement new programs to improve teaching and learning.

My experience with Intel Teach When I open the website of Intel Teach [www.intel.com/teachers], I am interested to try and join. I try to practice in my classroom. Wonderful ..... With these teaching methods and IT, I'm making progress with my students. The activity levels of my students increased from 63% to 79% and the learning achievement increased too, from a mean of 74,69 to 81,46. Thanks to Intel Teach. The door, for me, means that we can find the science from anywhere, any source at SMA N 1 Godean Sleman Jogja.

Allowing Tibetan Children to Explore the World As a teacher from Lhasa Experimental Primary School in a remote pastoral area in Tibet, I fully understand the impact of economic backwardness on children. I hope to give my students a good education and help build a better future for Tibet. However, looking at the continuously improving computer, the Internet and other modern teaching tools, I have a new concern: children now have the tools to get connected with the world, but seeing the world does not mean understanding the world, so we have to find a new way for children to understand the world. 2005 brought me an opportunity: I became one of the first trainees of the Intel Teach Program in Tibet. But I came with a skeptical mind. To my surprise, I found the Intel Teach Program let me think about teaching methods from the student's point of view, and I first felt my own role change. Novel ideas -- such as the trainers regarding the trainees as partners, training content being set as tasks and projects, and students collaborating on tasks in groups impressed me deeply, and I came to realize the true meaning of the Intel Teach Program. Subsequently, I completely changed my own thinking method, and immediately put the Intel Teach methods into practice after I came back to school. In July 2006, the Tibetan people rejoiced at the operation of the “Heavenly Road” Qinghai-Tibet Railway. I was aware that this was a good opportunity for the students to actively explore, carry out teamwork, and understand the world. So I planned a project themed “The Heavenly Road leads to my home,” and asked the children to group themselves and to make field trips to the “Heavenly Road” to inspect the changes to life brought by the road. At the beginning, I was very worried about the enthusiasm of the students due to the heavy homework load in the Experimental Primary School, but after the project began I found the children outside of the classroom always put on a happy face. The final class meeting was colorful. One group, with the title of “Magical and Beautiful Heavenly Road,” not only showed a magnificent picture of the railway running through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but also proposed some environmental concerns of the railway operation and performed a scene titled “It’s everyone’s responsibility to protect the railway and the environment.” Several students who usually had poor academic performance unexpectedly showed Qinghai-Tibet railway paintings they had created. The colorful and vivid paintings were much appreciated, thus re-inspiring their courage to learn. Later, in the results show of Intel Teach Program applications, the “Heavenly Road leads to my home” project impressed all the judges, who praised the new future brought by the Qinghai-Tibet railway to Tibet. Thanks to the Intel Teach Program, I have helped Tibetan children find new ways of understanding the world.

Intel Teach has shown me how easily technology can be incorporated into the classroom. I participated in a summer training called Intel Teach Elements: Collaboration in the Digital Classroom [www.intel.com/education/elements], where I discussed how teachers could collaborate with their students and other teachers using technology. I also attended several webinars that showed me how to best utilize the tech tools I already have. All of these Intel trainings helped me look at my classroom in a different way. Rather than thinking about what my students will learn, I am now thinking about how they will learn that objective. In the Collaboration training, it was amazing to think about how I could do research while incorporating technology. Intel is an excellent resource when I need ideas for how to use tech tools in a productive way. [http://engage.intel.com] These doors are special to me because these were the first doors I saw walking into my new school. For me, every time I see these doors it reminds me how lucky I am to be in a school that encourages me to explore my passion for technology and how I can make my teaching better using technology.

The most aggressive feeling one can have is discovering that you have been working the wrong way for 10 years. That’s how I felt in Intel teach which showed me and my colleagues that we have two choices either we stay the same or to work hard to change ourselves, the students, and the school environment. That’s what I decided to do, “Change the world from my class”. The last unit plan I implemented was a lesson about flying to students in the 10th grade. I teach English which aim to enhance 4 skills. The unit was about the different parts of the airplane and how it flies and land. The students submitted powerful reports after data search and a visit to the airport and the engines department in industrial school. The conducted interview with pilots and engineers in English, they did talk in English while they were constructing a plane by meccano toy .the student enjoyed working with each other they had so many teachers from real world I was their as a facilitator most of the time, planner and evaluator from time to time. This project has been submitted by the school to the ministry and won the first place on the PBL 2011 competition.

Thanks to the Intel Teach Program, my professional and personal growth has taken off. I’m not only a teacher, but a methodologist and a postgraduate student, where the subject of my dissertation is deeply connected to Intel Teach. Project-based learning, information technology, WEB 2.0—all help my students be more successful, compatible and competent.

My Intel Teach trainers used a very different approach to teaching teachers to use technology. It’s not about mastering the technology. What matters, they emphasized, was our desire to translate what ‘little’ we could learn into magic tricks in the classroom.