Qatar- Over 100 STEM teachers honoured
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The teachers with their awards at the ceremony at College of the North Atlantic-Qatar.
DOHA: More than 100 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers from schools across Qatar were celebrated at an awards ceremony at College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q).
The ceremony recognised efforts of teachers from around the country after completing 30 hours of training and instruction in the use of robotics programming for classroom settings.
Each teacher participated in 10 three-hour training sessions delivered at CNA-Q as part of Maersk Oil Qatar’s Skills in School Go Robot programme.
Dr Theodore Chiasson, Dean, School of Information Technology, CNA-Q, said: “We are delighted that we’re able to celebrate the commitment and success of so many teachers. Our programme of training and professional development has grown in the five years we’ve been running it and it is great to witness the progress of those educators who have completed it.
“Together they play an important role in building enthusiasm and engagement of students with STEM subjects, encouraging more to pursue STEM careers and develop vital technical skills the country depends on for the delivery of Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The study and use of robotics kits by high school students have been shown to improve problem-solving, creativity and team working skills in students. The positive impact of robotics programming in supporting the delivery of STEM subjects has been recognised by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education which has backed its use as an effective and engaging way to teach technical and engineering skills to students.
Robotics has been included in the curriculum of Independent schools, with students required to participate in one hour of robotics programming instruction each week. The training in robotics programming is one of the core elements of the ‘Skills in Schools’ robotics programme, Go Robot, established in 2012 by Maersk Oil Qatar in partnership with CNA-Q.
Sponsorship of the programme reflects Maersk Oil Qatar’s efforts to encourage greater participation in STEM subjects. The Skills in Schools GO ROBOT programme reaches out to over 10,000 students and 1,000 teachers in Qatar each year.
More than 1,200 robotics kits have been distributed for free to over 250 schools across the country as art of the development programme.
The Peninsula