Creativity must abound in today’s classrooms if students are to be reached.
Chairman of the board of Ellerslie Secondary School, Terrence Inniss, made the point last week at the launch of the school’s e-learning platform.
“The students in front of us are not going to be the ones who are reading. The students today are not going to read a newspaper . . . . They are not going to read, period. So in teaching these students, we have to find creative ways of teaching [them],” he said during brief remarks in the school’s library.
“The students today are more technologically advanced. We have to know our students and we have to listen to our students. We have to get with it . . . [and] we have no choice but to invest heavily in technology and in teaching.”
The e-learning platform is the first of its kind in a secondary school setting.
Information technology teacher Dwayne Best explained that the learning management system, which would be made available via www.ellersliesecondarybb.com, would be a platform for assignments, educational games and class notes as well as highlighting upcoming events at the school.
“[Students can] access digital using resources at anytime and anywhere, thus missing face to face learning sessions does not result in a loss of critical resources,” Best explained.
He added teachers could improve their own technological skills, as well as “ . . . capitalise on the knowledge and expertise of their colleagues and cater to the different learning needs and demands using multiple learning channels and multiple learning formats”.
He reported a good response from the staff thus far, adding that their job would ultimately become easier.
“That is because the teaching syllabus does not change every year so if you do it this year, you have a start on next year. Of course you have to tweak things because what might interest one class may not interest another one.”
In addition, Best hoped the portal would allow for parents to become more involved in their children’s education. (LW)
