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Smithsonian Institution SHOUTs with Microsoft

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CIOL Bureau
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NEW DELHI, INDIA: Today Microsoft Partners in Learning announced a strategic partnership — called Shout — with the Smithsonian Institution and TakingITGlobal at an elite gathering of 500 educators attending the Sixth Annual Worldwide Innovative Education Forum.

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The event — held for the first time on African soil — recognizes educators who creatively and effectively use technology in their curriculum to help improve the way students learn.

Over the course of the year, nearly 200,000 teachers around the world participate at country and regional events vying to compete on this global stage, taking place this year in Cape Town.  This year nine Indian teachers have qualified from the regional event to compete at the global forum.

The partnership announced today is designed to encourage teachers to use technology to help students explore, connect and act to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues, while gaining important skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and social responsibility.

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Over the partnership’s three years, Microsoft and its partners will make a more than $one million commitment to engage and empower a global network of millions of teachers and students coming together to address environmental issues affecting land, air and water, adds a press note.

“This partnership is a fantastic way to build connections between teachers and students around the world, and address some of the most critical environmental issues of our time,” said Anthony Salcito, Vice President for Microsoft Education.

“Technology is an amazing tool to reach beyond geographic and cultural boundaries and build meaningful collaborative partnerships. Each year we see what happens when great teachers have access to technology-based tools at the Worldwide Innovative Education Forum. I am excited to see the Shout program expand these opportunities to teachers throughout the world.”

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Once a teacher starts a challenge, they will be able to connect with millions of other educators, access related curriculum and best, and connect their students to others around the globe. The power of the challenge will be unveiled as students use their creativity to help address critical global environmental issues. Educators are encouraged to return to the Shout page for updates, direct links to the partner sites and new challenges.  

 “When students and teachers are connected with one another using technology, cultural and language barriers disappear, and a space can be created for deep, meaningful collaboration that helps drive positive social change,” said Claudine Brown, director of Education at Smithsonian Institution. “We’re pleased to collaborate with Microsoft Partners in Learning and taking It Global.  SHOUT will harness the power of technology to connect the Smithsonian’s vast research and education resources with education leaders. Shout grew out of a pilot program launched by Microsoft and

TakingITGlobal at the Partners in Learning Regional Innovative Education Forum in Singapore earlier this year.

Called “DeforestAction,” the pilot connected students across multiple countries including the Philippines, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Australia. Students are combining fundraising efforts, working on collaborative projects to build awareness, and developing social action campaigns to support the protection of rainforests in the Asia-Pacific region. They even helped create a public service announcement that is playing on national television in Sri Lanka, and are working with a major motion picture production company in Australia to expose the problem of deforestation in a 3D movie to be released in cinemas worldwide. The first global Student Challenge in the Shout program will focus on DeforestAction.