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The Ministry of Education's Information and Communication Technology Professional Development (ICT PD) cluster programme provides long-term professional development to teachers in the effective use of ICT. The programme promotes improvement in teaching quality and learning outcomes for all students, and the strengthening of communities of professional practice supported through the smart use of information and communications technologies (e-learning).
Schools determine their collaborative partner schools and develop a cluster-wide approach to professional development activities that take into account their unique features, experiences, and regional differences. The Ministry works in collaboration with clusters to support them in implementing their unique professional learning programmes. Clusters are funded for a three-year period, and represent a wide range of geographical locations and decile ratings, as shown on the cluster map.
Each cluster also develops and shares resources and material, showing effective practice in the use of ICT in teaching and learning. This material is shared with schools through local and national conferences, and online environments.
Evaluation of the ICT PD cluster programme has been conducted through an ongoing research project since 1999. ICT research publications are available on the Education Counts section of the edCentre website.
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The intended outcomes of the programme are:
- 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.
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