American IT experts will train hundreds of educators at workshops being held later this month as part of the Bermuda Union of Teachers' (BUT) annual conference.

Instructors from the University of Virginia and Stanford University will lead the sessions, organised by B.TEC, at Berkeley Institute on November 16 and 17.

About 800 staff from the Island's public schools will be involved and workshops will also take place at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research.

Union general secretary Mike Charles said: "We are really excited about this year's conference. The focus this year is on the workshops and we have decided not to have a keynote speaker."

Dr. Lynn Bak, from B.TEC, said: "This was a great opportunity, with the theme of the conference being technology based, to provide a great deal of support.

"We have contributed significant dollars to help co-sponsor the project.

"We are also sponsoring 15 workshops provided by the University of Virginia. They are sending a team of eight professors to the Island. There will also be an on-site Stanford University co-ordinator, who is providing two workshops.

"The workshops will vary in subject matter but will include things like literacy, reading and maths and will look at how to use technology in the classroom. The other aspect is how to use different kinds of equipment with your students."

The day before the conference primary school children will take part in a "digital safari" organised by the Telecommunications Ministry.

Mr. Charles said: "They are going to learn to use digital cameras and then they are going to go out and take pictures."

The conference's opening ceremony, when retiring teachers will be honoured, is at 8.30 a.m. at Berkeley Institute on Thursday, November 16.

For more information visit www.but.bm.