More than 100 teachers and other participants completed a two-week training on education technology. Organized by the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) and the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF), the training took place at Convent High School, Newtown Primary School, and Dominica Grammar School.
The IT for Dominica Foundation Summer Institute training covered basic and advanced courses in Coding for the Classroom, using Google to engage students, building teachers efficiency, boosting students’ performance, and using Google Workspace apps among others. The facilitators included Canadian instructors and seasoned government educators.
Speaking to the participants after they received their training certificates, Education Minister Octavia Alfred revealed that the government of Dominica is passionate about upgrading teachers’ skills. She disclosed that the government will continue to do everything in its power to enable teachers integrate digital technologies into their teaching activities.
“These workshops that you did these two weeks in information technology are vital to education,” Honourable Alfred stated. “As we prepare our students to survive in this digital era, we need to fight to survive. In this 21st century, technology has become the knowledge transfer highway; technology integration has transformed our society, and that has totally changed the way people think, work, and live.”
The Minister of Education emphasized that teachers must integrate ICT into their teaching models in the classrooms. She said the COVID-19 era has opened the eyes of everyone to the benefits and efficacy of ICT in the education sector. She stated that the period ushered in virtual learning and online tutorials on internet platforms that ruled out the need for face-to-face classroom teachings.
“We appreciate the need to further support our teachers in building their capacity and deepening their expertise; and to this end, we have strengthened our capacity in virtual learning at all levels, and we are now in a better position to provide training for teachers on using online platforms to reach students at all levels,” she said.
A team leader with CTF, Anne Ervin, encouraged training participants to utilize all they have learnt in their various schools and classrooms.
“It is my hope that all participants in this year’s workshop will take what they have learnt back to their classrooms, schools, and districts and put them into practice,” she said. “We urge you to showcase these new strategies in your classes. Take them back, share them, and spread the word. That’s what we want; we want to get kids engaged in learning.”
This article is copyright © 2023 DOM767
