Nevis Education Officer – Palsy Wilkin
Charlestown, Nevis
November, 26, 2013
Computer teachers and reading Specialists at the primary schools on Nevis participated in a one-day workshop on November 22, 2013, hosted by the Department of Education to improve the delivery of reading programs via the internet. The training was held at the Ivor Walters Primary School.
Facilitators Mr. Laurence Richards, Education Officer and Technology Coordinator at the Department of Education and Mrs. Terres Dore, Reading Specialist, introduced the website www.starfall.com to the participants. The facility will provide a link between the reading curriculum and the website for the teachers in an effort to introduce a more fun, interactive, innovative way of reading.
Principal Education Officer at the Department of Education Mrs. Palsy Wilkin, in brief remarks at the start of the workshop gave a brief overview of the training.
“The workshop has to be seen not as an end in itself but rather a part of the process continually seeks to provide new and an additional, not a replacement, opportunities for helping our children to learn. This workshop it brings together two teams; the computer teachers and the reading specialists in all primary schools. By working together, it is expected that a number of synergies will be enjoyed,” she said.
Mrs. Wilkin pledged the Department and Ministry of Education’s support and urged the teachers to take advantage of the workshop.
“We at the Ministry and the Department of Education urge you to make every good use of the opportunity provided. You have experts with wide knowledge…and so as you collaborate we commend your efforts and trust that when you get back to your schools, you may share the information so that we can move on to the desired areas that we would like to,” she said.
Mr. Richards, who was also present at the brief opening ceremony, stated that the introduction of the website was conceptualized by educators determined to improve the learning process among children.
Meantime, Computer Teacher at the Violet O. Jeffers Nicholls Primary School Mr. Sean Joseph who participated in the training exercise gave his thoughts on the exercise.
“Personally, I think that the workshop is long overdue and it will definitely advance the children in their reading. We need something that draws the children more towards their reading; get them more interested in learning how to read and this is one of the ways of showing them that if they can’t read, they can’t enjoy certain things in life. So I think that this workshop and this programme will definitely assist us in doing that,” he said.
What is wrong with learning the “old fashioned” way…via a book, a parent, and or a teacher? It has worked for thousands of years.