Information and Communication Technology Professional Development (ICT PD) Clusters
The ICT PD Clusters project is an initiative of the New Zealand Ministry of Education, outlined in the Digital Horizons – Learning through ICT strategy document 2002-2004 and continued in Enabling the 21st Century Learner, An e-learning Action Plan for Schools 2006-2010.
Under the ICT PD initiative, clusters of schools throughout New Zealand are contracted for up to three years to provide ICT professional development programmes.
The Ministry of Education provides funding for implementing the ICT PD programme which is aimed at:
- Increased understanding by teachers, principals, students and school communities of the educational benefits of ICT;
- Increased capability of teachers and principals to use ICT for their own professional learning;
- Increased capability of teachers and principals to use ICT to facilitate improvements in students' learning and achievement;
- Strengthened professional learning communities and increased collaboration within and across schools;
- A developing rich resource of expertise, experience and materials in effective ICT use at a local and national level.
Eight intakes of school clusters have so far participated in this programme:
1999 – 23 clusters, 2000 – 0 clusters, 2001 – 28 clusters, 2002 – 22 clusters, 2003 – 21 clusters, 2004 – 40 clusters, 2005 – 20 clusters, 2006 – 40 clusters, 2007 – 31 clusters.
This gives a total number of 225 clusters having participated in ICT PD from 1999 to 2007 covering approximately 60 percent of New Zealand schools. At the present time there are 94 active ICT PD clusters operating. There will be a maximum of 23 clusters of schools joining the programme from 2008-2010.
CORE has been contracted by the Ministry to oversee the professional development programme. In this role CORE has a team of national facilitators who work alongside clusters to assist them in the implementation of their programme goals. All the members of the team are qualified teachers, who have expertise in utilising ICTs in an educational context.
CORE support for this programme includes the provision of an annual conference (Learning@School), online conferences and seminars, regional meetings for cluster personnel, an online learning community, and a development programme for cluster leaders.
ICT PD is a prominent programme which is helping put New Zealand on the world map in relation to the innovative use of ICTs for teaching and learning.
For further information please contact Marg McLeod, Project Director, CORE Education (www.core-ed.net) on marg.mcleod@core-ed.net or +64 21 595 057.
ICT Professional Development Clusters
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/ict/pedagogy/schools_new/index_e.php