ALL the 22 teachers which the School of Science and Technology (SST) will have by next month have at least four to five years of teaching experience, and were innovative technology users in their previous schools.

Principal Chua Chor Huat, 42, said he wanted neither raw graduates nor teachers who were 'too experienced' and entrenched in conventional classroom teaching methods.

Related links: » Science and Tech school's places all filled

Potential applicants were assessed for their ability to harness technology for teaching - by showing how they used Web 2.0 tools such as blogging, vodcasts, podcasts and social networking websites in their classes.

The aim was to find teachers who would be up to working in a Future School, said Mr Chua.

Mr Chua has been interviewing teachers since the middle of last year.

SST is one of six Future Schools acting as test laboratories for technology. Teachers in the school are expected to develop new ways to use technology to teach, determine which will work in classrooms, and then share them with other schools.

At his previous school, Ngee Ann Secondary, Mr Chua helped raised standards in information and communication technology (ICT) skills by sending teachers and students for training courses.

Head of department of information and communication technology Ms Loh Kwai Yin, 39, said: 'I would like to work on projects which use technology to achieve mobile learning. I don't know how these projects will look like but I am excited at exploring these possibilities at SST.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.