Teacher Tran Thi Thuy of Duc Hop High School

At an English class run by teacher Tran Thi Thuy, students at Duc Hop High School in Hung Yen province can have presentations in English and communicate directly with foreign language students and specialists. The students now have good listening, speaking, writing and reading skills.

Joining MEC (the Microsoft Educator Community), Thuy can connect with thousands of teachers all over the world. 

Exploiting the ‘power’ of IT, the teacher has contacted teachers from Japan, Egypt, Pakistan and India to arrange inter-continental lessons via Skype. Her students can share views with students around the globe.

During the lessons, students prepare PowerPoint presentations and use other Microsoft free tools to express their viewpoints, which has helped them improve their English. 

Thuy’s teaching method has been praised by her colleagues. Ha Quang Vinh, deputy headmaster of Duc Hop High School, said Thuy has deep professional knowledge and her initiative will be followed by the other teachers at the school.

Not only has she gained trust from colleagues, Thuy is also beloved by students. In a card to Thuy on the occasion of Vietnam Teacher’s Day November 20, students wrote “More than a teacher, you’re my inspiration. More than a teacher, you are our friend.”

With one webcam and an old computer, Huynh Ba Hieu, a teacher at Thanh Hoa Secondary School in Kien Giang province can help his students connect with classes all over the world.

Hieu, a mathematics and informatics teacher, Hieu discovered Skype in the Classroom model, one of the teaching and learning methods being applied by the innovative teacher community. 

With Skype, classes throughout the world can connect to exchange views and discuss matters of their concern.

Hieu said it was difficult to communicate with foreign students in English.

“In remote areas, students are afraid of speaking in English. They don’t have skills to have presentations and communicate with foreigners,” he said. 

However, Hieu and his students are making efforts daily and have made progress.

Hieu and his students also connect with classes in other cities/provinces in Vietnam, including HCMC, Hung Yen and Thai Nguyen.

“Students can learn how to write codes from a teacher in Hung Yen province, or talk with specialists about sex education and reproductive health from Thai Nguyen University,” he said.

“When connecting students from Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines, they will have opportunities to learn about the countries’ history,” he added.

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