Fully Funded Scholarships at The Mind Lab

Fully Funded Scholarships at The Mind Lab to Prepare Teachers for the Digital Technologies Curriculum

In a bid to help support educational equity across New Zealand, The Mind Lab is offering full-tuition scholarships for their Postgraduate Certificate in Digital & Collaborative Learning to the first 100 teachers working in decile 1-3 schools for the March 2019 intake.

In addition to building leadership capability, the Postgraduate programme prepares teachers to deliver the Digital Technologies Curriculum | Hangarau Matihiko, which the Ministry will embed across the curriculum from 2020.

National Postgraduate Director at The Mind Lab, David Parsons, says the scholarships are offered to encourage teachers to evolve their practice and prepare for the big changes ahead while removing financial barriers.

"Our focus at The Mind Lab is to fully support teachers through their learning journey to integrate this new digital technology curriculum into their practice. It's an exciting time for our profession and our students.

“Our postgraduate qualification has been redesigned to more directly support delivery of the new curriculum, enables teachers to lead impactful change. Through collaborative learning, teachers develop practical strategies for bringing technology to life in the classroom, with the goal to overcome barriers and feel empowered in digital education to the benefit of all learners.”

All schools and Kura will need to implement the new digital technology curriculum content from the start of 2020. The digitally focused syllabus covers two new Technology Areas: “Computational Thinking" and "Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes" for all New Zealand students from year 1 - 10.

Papakura Intermediate Principal Bec KauKau says, “The Mind Lab programme was instrumental for staff, leaders and teachers alike, in transforming collective practice from one where students learn prepared lessons from their allocated seats, to one where learners lead their own learning.

“Our diverse team are now equipped with the skills, confidence and capability to develop a school where all learners, students and staff, can determine their own success as learners and leaders in life.

“As the principal, I feel unashamedly confident to face whanau, with hand on heart and say, at our school, your child is developing the dispositions to be a confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learner.”

To date, over 4000 teachers have completed The Mind Lab’s Postgraduate Certificate in Digital & Collaborative Learning.

“The key will be making sure teachers get the professional development they need. This is a huge change across the whole country and we want to ensure New Zealanders are fully equipped to contribute and flourish in the workforce of the future, " David says.

The Mind Lab scholarships are awarded to the first 100 teachers who fully enrol in the order they are received.

This initiative continues The Mind Lab’s proud history of providing scholarships for teachers in priority areas. Since 2014, over 4000 full or partial scholarships have been granted to teachers through the financial support of The Mind Lab and NEXT Foundation.

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