As part of SIGNAL's commitment to boosting NZ's tech capabilities in the short and long term, we have set aside a limited number of extended $2000 'Educate' Professional Development scholarships for Digital Technologies teachers at primary or secondary level.
The new Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko curriculum is to be embedded into all schools by 2020, so now is the time to ensure you and your school are utilising the latest teaching methodologies to ensure your school's and student's succcess.
Led by international award-winning digital education specialists, Professor Tim Bell and Distinguished Professor Niki Davis, and delivered over two years through the University of Canterbury, 'Educate' can be completed while you are teaching, from anywhere around NZ.
'Educate' enables teachers to deliver the both the Computer Science and Computer Programming strands of the new curriculum in schools. Teachers learn online alongside a national cohort, completing in-depth professional learning and development via two part-time distance papers.
Each course is spread across the year (March to October) so that you can manage your workload by working around peak times in your teaching year. The two courses are sufficient to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, or can be part of a Postgraduate Diploma in Education or Master of Education. You can earn the whole qualification in under two years.
The 2019 paper is EDEM626 Curriculum Implementation in Computer Science which includes a two-day intensive on campus in Christchurch (April 15 and 16) during school holidays, and are blended with online activities and support. Become part of an online community of practice, founded on world-learning curriculum resources.
Assessments and other activities are authentic and negotiated to fit each student’s context and could be designed to add real value to your school or organisation.
The $2000 scholarship covers almost all the study costs, including fees and the UC student levy, leaving only a small contribution from the school or teacher to cover the on-site intensive travel costs (if applicable).
WHAT TEACHERS SAY:
A North Island school teacher, who started Educate in 2018 says “I spent 2018 developing resources to help implement the principles Computer Programming in my classroom as part of EDEM665. In doing so I have had significant success in raising the profile of computational thinking within my teaching program and now deliver a richer course which has been well received. However, in order to help all Maori, female and Pasifika students at my school, my influence now needs to go beyond my classroom, and have a presence in other subject disciplines. My improved confidence in computer science has also allowed me to work with the Ministry of Inspiration (MOI) in developing resources and expand the reach of Digital Technology to include more remote rural schools. My intention is to use my understanding of the papers studied for the EDEM626 and resources I have developed to make computational thinking more accessible to other teachers.”
The Educate scholarships are open to all those enrolling in EDEM665 Curriculum Implementation in Computer Science in 2019, and can be applied for online here: https://signal.ac.nz/educate/educate-scholarship
We encourage you to start the UC Enrolment Process as early as possible (and prior to announcement of scholarship awards as it can take some time to compile the require documentation).
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@signal.ac.nz or call 0800 99 00 24 during office hours. Applications should be received no later than February 22 to ensure consideration.
