Projects worth more than $16 million to support ICT in the classrooms will help to revolutionise education in Australia.

Visiting the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Regional College in Sydney today to help celebrate World Teachers Day, Minister for School Education Peter Garrett today detailed Government funding for four projects, under the Digital Strategy for Teachers and School Leaders ICT Innovation Fund announced earlier this year.

“This Gillard Government believes in the power of education to help people shape their lives for the better. We believe that teachers are a key to helping deliver a better future for our kids,” Mr Garrett said.

“This Government’s Information and Communication Technologies initiatives will take Australian school education into the 21st Century.

“By providing ICT professional development for teachers and school leaders, they will be better supported in delivering the Australian Curriculum and able to give our students the strong technological skills they need to live and work in a digital world.

“These projects will better equip teachers to bring ICT into their classrooms, and empower them to share their experience and knowledge with students.

“We are preparing schools to make the most of the opportunities presented by the National Broadband Network (NBN), which will give all teachers and students across Australia access to consistent standards of training and resources.

“Country teachers and principals will particularly benefit, because the NBN will ensure they have equitable access to quality online professional learning resources.”

Implementation of the four projects will begin in late 2010.

The ICT projects build on the Australian Government’s record commitment to improving the quality of teaching in our schools. The $550 million invested in the Smarter Schools – Improving Teacher Quality National Partnership is funding numerous programs that are helping to attract and retain quality teachers and school leaders.

Details of the projects are attached, and further information on the Digital Strategy for Teachers and School Leaders is available at www.digitaleducationrevolution.gov.au.

Further information on the Smarter Schools – Improving Teacher Quality National Partnership is available at www.deewr.gov.au/SmarterSchools.

Digital Strategy for Teachers and School Leaders ICT Innovation Fund Projects:

Teaching Teachers for the Future - $7.8M

This project, delivered by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, will help embed ICT into everyday classroom learning by transforming the delivery of teacher education in Australia. Teachers who are expert users of ICT will assist universities to update teaching courses, so that new teachers have the necessary skills to incorporate the use of ICT in their classrooms.

ICT In Everyday Learning: Teacher Online Toolkit - $825,000

Drawing on the expertise of teacher professional associations, this Education Services Australia project will involve the development and trialling of seven online teaching packages which will show teachers how they can incorporate the use of ICT in everyday learning, with a focus on elements of the Australian Curriculum.

Anywhere, Anytime Teacher Professional Learning - $5.4M

This project will be implemented by the NSW Department of Education and will provide teachers and school leaders with access to a safe virtual environment where they can evaluate and build on their ICT skills. The project will ensure that teachers in rural and regional areas have access to the same ICT resources as teachers in urban areas. Although initially implemented in government, catholic and Independent schools in NSW, the products will be able to be implemented nationally in the future.

Leading ICT Learning - $2.08M

This project from Principals Australia will provide a single online portal through which principals can access expert ICT advice and tools as well as network with other principals. The portal will help principals to better plan the use of ICT in their school and the ICT professional development of their teachers.