Teachers key to the success of the netbook project

27.MAY.11

School must be an exciting place these days for children in grades two to five of our primary schools.

Over the last month, the Ministry of Education has been distributing netbook computers to pupils in those grades. As of Wednesday this week, approximately 3,400 pupils had received their computers.{{more}} Understandably, the boys and girls are bubbling over with excitement about the prospect of having their own little computer for use at home and at school.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Nicole Bonadie-Baker explained to SEARCHLIGHT earlier this week that it is not the intention of the Ministry that the netbooks will totally replace traditional methods of teaching, but rather that they will be used in conjunction with textbooks, workbooks, the chalkboard, and the 21st century version of the chalkboard, the electronic Smart board.

She also reassured us that training of teachers on how the netbooks may be integrated into their lessons began since last year and is still ongoing.

Our children’s excitement and enthusiasm towards the project needs to be capitalized on. If from day one, we are able to engage and/or challenge our youngsters in ways they have not been before, the project may have the effect of improving attitudes to learning and school, especially in children for whom learning was previously a challenge, or a bore.

The power to make or break this project lies in the hands of our teachers. Those dusty lesson plans will now have to undergo significant revision and our teachers will need to use their creativity and research skills to bring new life to their lessons. This will initially call for more effort on their part, but the benefits, not only for the learners, but for them as the teachers, in terms of the satisfaction of seeing the progress of the children, should more than make up.

We congratulate the government, especially Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and our Ambassador to the United Nations Camillo Gonsalves, for their outstanding work in bringing the “One Laptop per Child” initiative to fruition. Their success is even more remarkable given the prolonged economic recession being experienced by most nations around the world.

Related to the success of this project is the fact that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission recently announced that under the Universal Service Fund, come September, free wireless Internet will be in place in all schools, and in several communities around the country. These advancements in our education system have placed us ahead of many developing countries in terms of levelling the playing field for all our children, in relation to technology and access to the Internet.

We have heard reports that a small minority of parents have not given permission for their children to receive netbooks. We urge them to rethink. Even though your child has access to computers at home, the child most likely has been using the computers intuitively and mainly for entertainment. While there is nothing wrong with that, this project will assist your child in discovering, even further, how to unlock the potential of the Internet and computers as tools to enhance learning and achievement.

Children, take care of the netbooks and use them for good. You are the beneficiaries of a privilege denied to millions around the world.