Schools of Lousã, Portugal, considered amongst the most innovative in the world

Tuesday, 08 November 2011 20:37

The Microsoft Corporation selected the Lousã Schools Grouping to integrate its world Program of Innovative Schools. The selection distinguishes those schools that, in the world context, have stood out by the use of technology in the classroom. Rui Grilo, Microsoft Portugal's Education Director says, "We are very proud to see another Portuguese school integrating Microsoft's World Innovative School's Program, promoted by Microsoft Corporation. This acknowledgement comes as an evidence of the excellent performance by Portuguese teachers and students at taking full advantage of the available technologies in schools today while applying it to teaching and learning methods.” And Grilo goes on to say, "It's very satisfying to realize that our schools in Portugal compete on an equal standing, in international benchmarks, with the other schools, including those from much more resourceful countries.”

Lousã Schools Grouping has been a pioneer school in the use of technological resources in classrooms, integrating each student's personal computers with the interactive board, which has replaced the traditional blackboard. For Henriqueta Oliveira, Lousã Schools Grouping Director, “The integration in the Innovative Schools Program is a challenge that very much honors us, makes us even more responsible and deeper commits us to the Education Project we are developing.”

On the local Council's side, this distinction is the result of the strategy that has been implemented for the last years, in a joint effort with the school’s Council, such as equipping schools with interactive boards, local networks and the application of the interactive teaching platform known as "Camões”.

Hélder Bruno Martins, Education and Culture Councilor expressed the immense honor and satisfaction for this distinction from Microsoft, saying, "It is well deserved by the Schools Board and all the teachers for all the work put into this project. Their competence, dedication, motivation and creativity were decisive in achieving the levels of quality, rigor and excellence now recognized in the education in Lousã.” This year, there were 66 finalist schools from 54 countries around the world, an increase both in competing schools and participating countries.

This is a digest from the original article (in Portuguese) published at Microsoft.com