The use of ICT in education is the theme of 'EMBED 2009: Best Use of ICT', a three-day event at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Floriana, between May 27 and 29. The event will also bring to a close a very intensive scholastic year in terms of ICT-related educational projects.
Organised by the Curriculum Management and eLearning Department (CMeLD) within the Education Department, the exhibition will showcase the latest technologies and approaches towards the use of ICT in education.
The exhibitors include private companies that offer educational products and services that harness ICT. These include interactive or "smart" boards, tables and educational software for game consoles.
Apart from the exhibition of work carried out during the year with the EU theme for Innovation and Creativity, there will also be a number of workshops. These include a stop animation workshop, where students will create their own puppets and animate them, and podcasting and videoconferencing for students.
The Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education, with Microsoft will launch the Innovative Teachers Forum, an annual competition for best use of ICT across the curriculum with the winners representing Malta abroad. The event will also incorporate a prize-giving ceremony that will recognise the best use of ICT across the curriculum and the best e-Twinning projects for the year. These awards encourage, promote and share good practice in ICT in our schools and show how e-learning is not just the use of the computer. The work on show has been inspired by the theme of 2009 and aims to raise awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation for personal, social and economic development, to disseminate good practices, stimulate education and research, and promote policy debate and development.
Within this framework, the CMeLD is encouraging all schools to take on the challenge of embedding ICT across the curriculum to promote creativity and innovation.
"eLearning is changing education and the pace of change is accelerating with each new tool," Emmanuel Zammit, Education Officer for eLearning at CMeLD, says, "Digital tools are continuously developing to give teachers and students the potential to adapt and change the way teaching and learning occur."
The eLearning centre within CMeLD aims to be the hub of innovation and creativity and at the forefront to explore and exploit these tools. It is also committed to implementing the ambitious national eLearning strategy and to ensure that eLearning grows and develops for the benefit of all learners.
"EMBED 2009: Best Use of ICT" will be open from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entrance is free.