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Department of Education, NLTA sign Memorandum of Understanding Education Minister Judy Foote and Winston Carter, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers� Association, announced today an agreement which will see the two organizations work together to provide professional development to teachers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador using the Internet. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the department�s Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI) and the NLTA�s Virtual Teachers� Centre (VTC). This MOU establishes an effective collaborative process for offering on-line professional development to teachers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The MOU will allow the Department of Education and the NLTA to integrate the work they would otherwise do separately and ensure that on-line professional development is developed and delivered in a co-ordinated way. "This agreement demonstrates what can be accomplished in the education system in Newfoundland and Labrador when stakeholders work together in a spirit of collaboration for the benefit of our teachers and students," said Minister Foote. "We are pleased to partner with the NLTA in offering all aspects of on-line teacher professional development services. By sharing resources and expertise, the CDLI and VTC will draw on each other�s strengths to develop and deliver a wide range of professional development opportunities and resources for teachers throughout the province." Government acted on a recommendation of the Ministerial Panel on Educational Delivery in the Classroom to establish CDLI. CDLI uses a Web-based approach to deliver distance education, called e-learning. This model of distance learning involves a teacher and a group of students who are free from the limitations of geography and schedules, brought together by telecommunications systems and computer networks. CDLI also has a role in helping school districts provide the infrastructure and mechanisms for teachers to engage in online professional development activities. In the fall of 2000, the NLTA received a $300,000 grant from Industry Canada�s Office of Learning Technology to establish the Virtual Teacher Centre to develop, facilitate and deliver professional development and classroom content support to teachers throughout the province. The two organizations had been focussing on different but complementary online professional development activities. CDLI has been working on the Department of Education�s program implementation mandate and internet connectivity for schools while the VTC has concentrated on the development of an educational portal which teachers can access for a broader range of professional development opportunities and resources. "The NLTA, in establishing the Virtual Teacher Centre, assumed a significant leadership role among Canadian teachers associations in using technology for online learning," said Mr. Carter. "Through blending resources and expertise, this partnership with CDLI will enhance the professional development efforts of both organizations. This province is again breaking new ground in forging a professional partnership to meet the broad professional development needs of all educators." "Through this partnership, specialists at the Department of Education and the NLTA will be able to work in collaboration to provide relevant, up-to-date information and services to teachers throughout the province, regardless of where they are located," said Minister Foote. "Their combination of knowledge and expertise will guarantee the teachers have enhanced professional development opportunities." Media contact:
2002 12 18 2:00 p.m. |
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