Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Leeds Beckett and Microsoft collaborate to develop a new global standard in teacher education
The Microsoft Student Teacher Education Programme is designed to address the need for thoughtful use of technology in the classrooms in order to improve student outcomes, reduce teacher stress and bolster teacher retention rates. Graduates of this programme will be the teachers of the future, able to harness the power of technology to be more efficient and effective educators.
As the lead partner university, the team at the School will be contributing significantly to the programme by:
- Consulting on the learning content of the programme
- Creating the Quick Start Guide for how other universities can adopt and integrate the programme into their teacher education offering
- Rolling out the first pilot programme in the 2017/18 academic year
Dr Graham Parton, Head of Teacher Education at Leeds Beckett, said: “I am very excited about this collaboration with Microsoft. Using the Microsoft Student Teacher Education Programme, we will equip future teachers with effective pedagogies for utilising technology in the curriculum. All our teaching students will become recognised by Microsoft and highly sought after in the employment market because of their innovative use of technology. By integrating the Microsoft Learning Pathway into our programmes, our reputation as an innovative and future-looking Initial Teacher Education provider will be enhanced.”
Ian Fordham, Director of Education at Microsoft UK, said: “Through the Student Teacher Education Programme (STEP), we are excited to help educate new teachers to become more productive and raise the standard of learning for institutions and students both in the UK and beyond.
“Microsoft is committed to empowering prospective teachers and educational institutions alike, to implement technology in a useful, evidence-based way. This collaboration with Leeds Beckett is designed to equip new teachers with the skills they need to succeed – providing a framework and relevant content that other universities can put into practice.”
This programme, pioneered by the Carnegie School of Education, will have participation from 10 other universities this academic year with the plan to expand the programme for global adoption the following year, all inspired by the groundbreaking work at Leeds Beckett.