Teacher Training for the Integration of Information Technology (IT) into the Caribbean Classroom

This regional project was jointly funded by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). It was administered by the Caribbean Council for Science & Technology with the support of NIHERST, the Ministry of Education in St. Lucia and in Trinidad and Tobago, the Scientific Research Council in Jamaica and the Institute of Applied Science & Technology in Guyana. The project was conducted over the three-year period starting in 2002 and ending in 2004.

The project’s overall objective was to improve the relevance and quality of primary and secondary education in the Caribbean by equipping teachers at both levels to effectively use Information Technology as a pedagogical tool in the classroom. It accomplished this objective by illustrating to teachers how computers can be used to achieve educational objectives and in particular to develop Higher Order Thinking skills (HOTs), thereby better preparing students for the world of work in the 21st century. The teacher training emphasised Content Connection, Process Connection, Technology Connection, and Real World Connection, which is in keeping with the new philosophy and direction countries are now heading in national curriculum development and execution.

The project was delivered through several workshops that took participants through progressive levels of training in the use of IT in education:

1. the scientific, philosophical and social tenets for change in the approach to education for the C21st,

2. basic technological literacy using computer, Internet and associated technologies in the delivery of curriculum objectives,

3. the evaluation of educational software, and

4. the development of “e-Lessons” for computer assisted instruction in the classroom using the Microsoft suite, Frontpage and Authorware.

Facilitators included Ms. Anita Dosaj from InfoSavvy, Prof. Michael Szabo from the University of Alberta and Mr. Ian Furlonge from the Faculty of Education, UWI, Mona.

Professor Michael Szabo during a Teacher Training Workshop in  Trinidad & Tobago

Many participants in the training programme admitted that their concept of IT in schools, was limited to computer literacy- i.e. teaching students how to use the computer and its basic software in established computer laboratories. All admit since their participation in the workshops of being able to integrate IT into the actual teaching-learning process. In a number of cases, it is actively being used in the teaching of Math, Art, Social Studies and English Language. Teachers’ enthusiasm can be summarised by the comment of Simonetta Williams, Teacher at Tabaquite RC School in Trinidad - “In my 23 years of teaching in the Primary school system, never before have I seen a medium (computer technology) that has empowered our students to become problem solvers and critical thinkers. This is evidenced by the high success rate among my SEA students who were exposed to the integrative use of computer technology in their learning.”

Over 120 teachers and Ministry of Education personnel in the four countries successfully completed the first phase of the “Teacher Training for the Integration of IT into the Caribbean Classroom” project that began in 2002. The programme had a built in novel and effective way of not only increasing the number of beneficiaries of the project, but also ensuring its sustainability. In what can be described as the “Multiplier Effect”, some participants, as a condition of their successful completion of the programme, were required to plan, develop and conduct 1-to 3-day training seminars for other teachers on the topics and areas covered in the 2002 and 2003 workshops. These “multiplier” sessions took place in 2004 and benefited teachers in Guyana (65 teachers), St. Lucia (40 teachers) and Trinidad and Tobago (120 teachers). During the project’s time frame, Jamaica did not replicate the training but held a national workshop to address critical problem areas in the Cape Secondary IT examinations that were evidenced in poor student performance. 39 teachers participated in this workshop. Its multiplication workshops were scheduled for a later period.

In Trinidad and Tobago, there is a more structured approach to utilising the training received under the project. Teachers and curriculum facilitators are continuously engaged in mentoring teachers in the system in the use of IT in the delivery of the primary school curriculum, which was that country’s focus. The point has been reached whereby students develop lessons to share with their teachers and with other students and the technology is being used in schools for individualised remedial education.

Dr. Michael Szabo, Professor of Educational Psychology and Technology at the University of Alberta was facilitator of 2 of the 3 workshops in the programme. He praised the Ministries of Education involved in the regional project for recognising and addressing the need to have teachers trained in the use of IT as a pedagogical tool for curriculum development and classroom instruction. This regional project complimented other initiatives to bring primary and secondary schools into the IT Age. According to Bebe Ajoda, Manager of Instructional Material Development in the Ministry of Education of Trinidad & Tobago -“Primary school is the bedrock of all educational development. If we are to train students for work in a technology driven economy, then we must start at the primary level. Training our primary school teachers to more effectively integrate IT in the classroom is therefore an essential step in this process".