An Introductory Course on ICeXCELS
(Instructional and Curricular Excellence in School Leadership for Southeast Asia)
for School Principals and Administrators
in cooperation with UNESCO Bangkok
sponsored by the Japanese Funds-in-Trust
20-21 November 2008
Bangkok, Thailand
The participants who attended the training workshop on “An Introductory Course on the Instructional and Curricular Excellence in School Leadership for Southeast Asia (ICeXCELS)” on 20-21 November 2008 were thankful for two main reasons: (i) they left before the closure of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok which disrupted the flights of thousands of travellers; and (ii) more importantly, they were energized by the discussions and hands-on activities on the instructional leadership during the two-day workshop.
UNESCO organized the special training workshop for school principals and administrators in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) to address the competency requirements of school principals and administrators and to enhance their capacity in carrying out their responsibilities more effectively.
The 2-day workshop was an abridged version of the full length 4-week course developed by SEAMEO INNOTECH based on the Competency Framework for Southeast Asian School Heads and validated by the Ministries of Education for ten SEAMEO Member States. Under the guidance of the two trainers, Pierangelo Alejo and Joan Atienza from SEAMEO INNOTECH, 25 participants from Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Palestine, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam were actively engaged in face-to-face dialogue and online forum and chats with each other and resource persons.
Understandably, the participants thought two days were too short for them to explore all the elements of ICeXCELS thoroughly. The brief introduction to ICeXCELS convinced them that more in-depth instruction and practice would be very necessary to allow them to master the interactive tools and enable them to continue their self-learning process when they are back in their home country.
This activity is part of UNESCO’s Innovative Practices in ICT in Education Project, with the support of the Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT). The project aims to identify, document, share and multiply innovative ICT in education practices. ICeXCELS was awarded a Certificate of Commendation in 2008 by the project.
