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Teachers Without Borders (TWB) an international non-profit organization launched in 2000, connects teachers to information and each other in order to close the education divide. The organization was founded by Dr. Fred Mednick based upon the premise that teachers are community change agents and key catalysts of global development priorities.
Contents
- Approach
- Initiatives and Courses
- Emergency Education
- Peace and Human Rights Education
- Girls Education
- Certificate of Teaching Mastery
- Countries
- TWB Links
- References
Teachers Without Borders received the Champions of African Education Award (2010) for its use of radio and local educational capacity building to disseminate information about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. In 2015, TWB's membership has reached 183 countries. Teachers Without Borders membership is free and enables local educators the opportunity to connect with colleagues globally.
Approach
Teachers Without Borders claims that teachers represent the largest professional community in the world (over 65 million); that teachers are uniquely suited as local leaders to recognize and help address development needs; that professional isolation and inconsequential or missing teacher professional development undermines social change; and that the transformation of pre-service and in-service teacher development can bring about more sustainable, equitable, democratic, and economically stable societies.
Initiatives and Courses
Teachers Without Borders' initiatives and courses are offered in various formats and settings: online, in schools, as community workshops, in books and journals, and on the radio. All programs have been conceived and led by Teachers Without Borders' members and partners around the world. Content of all TWB courses and workshop resources are free and governed by the least restrictive Creative Commons license. Programs include education in emergencies, girls' education, peace and human rights education, and teacher pre-service and in-service professional development - including a five-course Certificate of Teaching Mastery program, as well as key role in a certification program for ICTs in Education at the Advanced Teachers' College in the country of Suriname.
Every major Teachers Without Borders program is accompanied by courses offered independently, at universities such as Johns Hopkins University's School of Education (where TWB's founder is an Assistant Professor), and through the Canvas Network, an online MOOC provider. Those courses include: Educating Girls; ASAP: Education in Emergencies; Peace and Human Rights; the five course Certificate of Teaching Mastery; a course on ICTs for educators entitled: High-Tech, High-Touch, High-Teach; and Global Urban Education.
Emergency Education
The Emergency Education Program works with teachers on preparedness and planning to avoid crises or lessen their impacts, education amidst emergencies, and in the reconstruction phase. Teachers Without Borders has also helped to launch Parsquake, a consortium of NGOs devoted to earthquake science and safety throughout Persian speaking countries particularly vulnerable and seismically active regions of the world. This program was initiated after the 2008 earthquake in the Sichuan region of China and, in 2011, will engage and support teachers in Haiti. The program also supports emergency relief, reconstruction and recovery efforts in areas hit by natural disasters, such as the 2010 floods in Pakistan. The online MOOC, entitled ASAP: Education in Emergencies, is available without cost.
Peace and Human Rights Education
The Peace Education Initiative helps teachers promote peace in their classrooms and communities. Content of TWB's Peace Program is available without cost. The Peace Education course is available to the public as a MOOC and has been offered for Continuing Education Unites at Johns Hopkins University.
Girls' Education
Teachers Without Borders' girls' education programs address four central themes: (1) access (2) education in emergencies (3) public health, and (4) empowerment. The organization addresses these four themes by connecting global educators to NGOs working in the field; offering a free and low-fee course: (Educating Girls) in partnership with Johns Hopkins University and through the Canvas Network; and by promoting a Girls' Quake Science and Safety Initiative - designed in partnership with USGS (United States Geological Survey) to ensure access to earthquake science education for teachers and schools in seismically-vulnerable communities around the world.
Certificate of Teaching Mastery
Teachers Without Borders' flagship program is the Certificate of Teaching Mastery. It consists of five courses that help teachers improve their professional knowledge, classroom practice, and leadership skills. This program has been deployed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in Mexico and Peru
Countries
Teachers Without Borders programs and resources have been adopted by teachers and communities worldwide, including: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Suriname, Turkey, Uganda and the United States of America.