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A few months ago, she discovered the joy of blogging, and introduced it to her students. She considers it a means of encouraging them to think and write about topics they study.

Her students are enthusiastic about seeing their thoughts on the monitor, and have embraced blogging wholeheartedly. Using blogs, the students are writing insightful reports about topics they've studied and are exchanging comments on each other's blogs, demonstrating that they understand what they've been taught.

Ramos is one of many teachers in the AsiaPacific region who are using information and communication technologies (ICT) in an innovative fashion.

The quiet achievements of these teachers have far remained unsung, but now the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) - recognising the value in sharing success stories - is about to change that.

Launched by the Bangkok office of Unesco, the "Innovative Practices Awards" aims to acknowledge and reward educators and administrators in the AsiaPacific region who are using ICT to change the way we teach and learn. The activity will document good examples and will use innovative activities as the basis of workshops. The initiative also aims to build networks for educators to collaborate and share resources.

Entry is open to all educators in both formal and nonformal education and administrators in the region. You just need to be "innovative".

"To be innovative you don't need to be original. Using blogging in education may not be original, but Ramos has identified how this tool can be used to achieve her specific teaching goals and meet her students' needs. In our eyes, that's innovative," says Lay Cheng Tan, the awards project coordinator.

Tan emphasises that the awards are not just for teachers.

"Teachers aren't the only innovators in education. Administrators who are finding ways to use ICT to improve their schools' efficiency are being just as innovative and are bringing about significant improvements in the quality of education."

Entries for the programme close on November 30. Visit http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/innovative_practices/awards to complete the application form.