In Australia, IBM and the Victoria Department of Education and Training are working together through Reinventing Education to improve teacher professional development and instruction. A key focus for this initiative is to address educational equity issues.
Using Riverdeep Learning Village, parents and teachers have been communicating together online on student work and learning. Because communication is asynchronous, parents can ask teachers questions about their children's progress at any time and from anywhere, and teachers can respond back when convenient for them.
Teachers also are using the technology to collaborate online, sharing effective practices to improve their instruction. Specifically, teachers are developing action research plans, which enable continuous appraisal and improvement of teaching and learning approaches in their classroom; teachers maintain weekly journals and discuss their progress with peers on instructional strategies.
The project has developed a two-day mentoring/coaching program to assist teachers and principals in engaging additional teachers in Reinventing Education.
