Multimedia Technologies, Multiple Intelligences, and Teacher Professional Development in an International Education Project

This paper shares a model for content development for teacher education in Western China. The goal of our project, Strengthening Capacity for Basic Education in Western China (SCBEWC), is to improve student learning through teacher education with a focus on student-centered instruction (SCI) and SCI's tie to multiple intelligences (MI). Both SCI and MI are consistent with the New Curriculum for China, which has given greater emphasis on active, project-based learning activities for students as opposed to traditional forms of teacher-led instruction (Perrement 2005). By the end of the project, a teacher training program of courses and resources in these two areas will be available to approximately ten million Chinese teachers, particularly those in rural regions. Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), SCBEWC's project partners include the Chinese National Center for Educational Technology (NCET) and three Canadian universities. NCET provides expertise in the New Curriculum in China, the context of educational practices in rural China, and media production; the Canadian universities offer expertise in distance education, student-centered instruction, and preservice teacher education.