Microsoft India has launched an exclusive website for teachers that will help educators in India and 107 other countries develop online connections with each other and share their educational plans. Irina Ghose, Director-Education, Microsoft India shares details in conversation with Pragya Gupta, digitalLEARNING.

Q: Please shed light on the website launched for teachers by Microsoft?

A: With four million plus members from 107 countries, www.innovativeteachers.com is the largest educators’ network in the world. The network offers our teachers a unique opportunity for collaboration with their peers. They can share lesson plan resources, access to technological tools, undertake professional development trainings and do much else.

Q: What kind of impact is the project having?

A: Microsoft’s mission is to work with educators and school leaders to deliver a portfolio of professional development tools and resources that are designed to advance teaching and learning. Launched in India in 2003, Partners in Learning, or Project Shiksha, is an initiative for increasing the access to technology and improving its use in learning. So far, the programme has impacted 6, 94,426 teachers across India.

Q: Please comment on the Indian teachers’ readiness for the platform?

A: Indian teachers are more than willing to share their achievements in terms of innovations. On the website many teachers have shared their experiences, which motivate others to come forth and share. 9000 teachers in India have already registered on the site.

Q: President of India launched National Teachers’ Portal in 2008 and there exist many other platforms for providing similar service. How different will Microsoft’s platform be?

A: The network offers the teachers unique collaboration opportunities with their peers. Teachers also get access to lesson plan resources, technological tools, professional development trainings and much else. This portal has case studies shared by various teachers. The portal’s presence on social media and blogs makes it very interactive and helps everyone in being abreast of all the latest developments.

Q: What are your plans for bringing Indian teachers to the platform?

A: It is a big challenge to bring all the teachers together on a single platform so that they can share their respective experiences. The platform needs to be popularised so that more and more teachers can become part of it.