The Commencement of the Self-Assessment Stage for each Teacher
Ministry of Education “Applies the E-Maturity Program on all Schools to Empower Students with Digital Skills”
The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program, has started applying the E-Maturity Program in all government schools in the UAE in order to set the foundation for the transition to smart education within Emirati Schools. The program also supports the efforts made by the Ministry of Education to attain optimal benefit from technology and strengthen the concept of its use within Emirati Schools by benefiting from the most reputable relevant international experiments to achieve the desired results.
The application of the program has begun nearly two years after applying the same on an experimental basis in some schools. During that stage, coaching for trainers, supervisors and heads of schools on the mechanism of program operation was provided, and qualified training personnel were identified to present the program to the education cadres to ensure its success and continuity.
The program the Ministry of Education has started applying since the beginning of September is considered an effective measuring tool, enabling all schools to identify their competencies electronically regarding the availability of smart learning tools, the ability of those working in the educational field to use such tools in an optimal manner, to identify the gaps facing the process of transition to electronic learning in the UAE educational system, to remedy the same in support of the Ministry’s efforts to improve educational results, and provide the finest knowledge and skills.
The program seeks, through its operational mechanism which has been circulated around all UAE schools, to identify the ability of all educational sections in using smart learning tools, and subsequently identify the ability of each school separately. It aims to create successful plans to strengthen the use thereof, to reach a point of full ability in the use of technology for smart learning.
Ali Al Yaf’ei, IT Advisor to H.E Minister of Education, stated that not only does the program concentrate on the advanced techniques utilized in schools, but also focuses on providing an integrated and enhanced educational experience where the student is the cornerstone. The secret behind the program’s success and effectiveness lies in the competency of teachers, and their ability to use smart learning tools. He added that the program seeks to enhance teachers’ capabilities and encourage them in the optimal use of educational technologies, and this requires radical change in the method of interaction between administration staff, teachers, students and parents.
He clarified that the program places students at the centre of the educational process and avails of possibilities of developing and improving the student’s standards and elevating their awareness to benefit from the technology of smart learning. This will positively reflect on academic achievement and will ultimately accomplish the national agenda concerning development of the educational system, noting that the program lays strong foundations in strengthening the creativity and innovation of students, providing and equipping them with knowledge, technical skills, analytical thinking, multilingual abilities and proper understanding of different cultures.
The program is based on self-assessment whereby each school can identify its capabilities in the mentioned field, in cooperation with the teams created by the Ministry to support the educational sector. The phase of empowering each school with smart learning tools begins with technological rehabilitation, then enrichment, followed by supporting and strengthening to reach empowerment in accordance with an integrated framework which classifies the grades of all schools out of a band of five grades, in order to set development plans for each school based on its grade.
Through the program, schools will undergo a self-assessment on their e-maturity levels and will be able to prepare a plan for development based on those assessment results. They can then begin with the second stage of the program whereby schools that have obtained high levels will be accredited by the Ministry, and schools with fair and poor levels will undergo a support program to ensure advancement. The program contains several initiatives to support the process of transition to smart learning at the highest e-maturity levels within the educational system to reach a complete smart learning system. These initiatives include coaching of trainers and the leadership schools initiative, which will be responsible for conveying their experiences with other schools with poor or fair assessment results.
The program is aimed at empowering students with the 21st century digital skills and strengthening their electronic capabilities in the e-world, so they can interact with this reality that is becoming more advanced each day, in addition to empowering them with modern tools, and providing them with numerous experiences.
24/09/2017