Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Caribbean teaching “digital children” in analog classrooms!

- Is it time to wipe out chalk & talk teaching method?
The issue of teaching children who are digitally inclined in a chalk and talk classroom is seen as a reason for some 30 percent of Caribbean students not having the proper skills coming out of high school.
The smart board is seen as one of the latest teaching methods that is interactive and fun for students and found to bring results with its heavy touch of digital programmes. Photo: http://technology.usd259.org
The smart board is seen as one of the latest teaching methods that is interactive and fun for students and found to bring results with its heavy touch of digital programmes. Photo: http://technology.usd259.org
Dr. James Fletcher, St. Lucia’s Minister for Public Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology speaking on May 29, 2012 at opening of the Islands of the World Conference XII in the Virgin Islands, is a strong advocate for policy makers to implement changes that are relevant to meet the needs of the younger generation that is more technologically inclined. Photo: VINO/File
Dr. James Fletcher, St. Lucia’s Minister for Public Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology speaking on May 29, 2012 at opening of the Islands of the World Conference XII in the Virgin Islands, is a strong advocate for policy makers to implement changes that are relevant to meet the needs of the younger generation that is more technologically inclined. Photo: VINO/File
Dr. James Fletcher, St. Lucia’s Minister for Public Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology speaking on May 29, 2012 at opening of the Islands of the World Conference XII in the Virgin Islands, is a strong advocate for policy makers to implement changes that are relevant to meet the needs of the younger generation that is more technologically inclined. Photo: VINO/File
Dr. James Fletcher, St. Lucia’s Minister for Public Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology speaking on May 29, 2012 at opening of the Islands of the World Conference XII in the Virgin Islands, is a strong advocate for policy makers to implement changes that are relevant to meet the needs of the younger generation that is more technologically inclined. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – In the Caribbean, some 30 percent of students who move through the secondary education system do not have basic cognitive skills they are expected to benefit from secondary education and the reason for that may lie in the teaching method that is applied – teaching digitally inclined children in an analog classroom.

This is according to Dr. James Fletcher, St. Lucia’s Minister for Public Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology, who was the key keynote speaker at the opening of the Islands of the World Conference XII on May 29, 2012, here in the Virgin Islands.

The vocal Caribbean minister said measures need to be put in place to ensure children are more connected when they are in school as they tend to spend more time on the internet which can be used as a means of channelling their educational programmes.

“More connected they are in school, they are less likely to be involved in risk taking … we need to ensure our schools are friendly, cool and a place they want to stay and certainly [we] cannot do that from having chalk and talk classrooms. Research shows that they involve in less risk factors when connected,” he said while speaking on the issue of Education, Youth and Society within Small Islands.

According to Dr. Fletcher, the problem with the Caribbean’s education system, is that it treats everyone as though they are the same and not seeing that different solutions are needed to apply to different children.

He bluntly stated that the Caribbean has not been able to graduate its prisons and schools where they can now prove to be the kind of institution that are needed in the 21st century.

The St. Lucian minister said if the Caribbean wants to compete with the rest of the world, it has to improve and rank itself among the top nations by educating its people at a higher level.

Children staying longer in school have also shown marked improvements in Gross Domestic Products in countries, the minister quoted the finding from a recent research in the Caribbean.

Chalk board to Smart Board?

One of the latest revolution in classroom learning has been the introduction of the SMART Board which is a brand of interactive whiteboard.

The SMART Board interactive teaching system is a hand-touch screen connected to a personal computer or laptop and a digital projector where teachers can display information from their computers onto a screen. Instead of writing lessons on the board, educators can simply type them into their computers, at school or at home and display them onto the SMART Board.

The technology has been found to make a difference in teaching in classrooms and puts the “wow factor” into learning as students are able to follow what is being taught.

According to a report by the Education and Social Research Institute at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, a highly ranked research facility, shows that increasing student exposure to SMART Boards has a significant impact on student achievement, especially in math and science; and students taught using a SMART Board had a higher rater of academic progress. For example, sixth grade students (male and female performing at or above grade level) progressed at a rate of 2.5 to five months faster in math than students not using SMART Board technology.

In the Virgin Islands, at least one private school already has the system in its school while others are contemplating setting up the system.

Smart Boards can cost anywhere from $2000 to $5000 or more.

6 Responses to “Caribbean teaching “digital children” in analog classrooms!”

  • big man (12/06/2012, 08:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I agree with the St. Lucia minister. Under the VIP Andrew Fahie had the school going from good to great and was going to modernize the system with technology and ipads, laptops in schools and to families and smart board etc. and oh year the passing rate was top notch!!! It’s sad now under Myron we are going back to the dark ages of cxc, politics in the schools and in the education department, and killing the spirits of the schools by removing a motivational logo...mighty mighty scaliffe. God send help to us all!!!!
  • school children say (12/06/2012, 10:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yea ..we being taught in the ESHS in analog classroom by analog teachers. In fact some teachers are being chastised by Department Heads for using "too much technology as a teaching tool". Technology makes the lessons more fun and interesting. So these Department Heads need to stop trying to stifle our young up and coming teachers.
  • yes sah (12/06/2012, 10:44) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    smartboard a waste of money
    • ------------------------- (12/06/2012, 13:25) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      reading your comment is more of a waste of time "yes Sah"
  • LOVE MAN (12/06/2012, 23:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    WE NEED FAHIE BACK AT EDUCATION
  • ... (13/06/2012, 16:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Dr. James Fletcher couldn't have said it better. To reach our students we have to go to the level where they are at and make the lessons more interactive and interesting. If teachers can't grab the students interest then they will lose the students. Some of these same tools the students are using daily can be used in the classroom to enhance the learning experience.


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.