Module 4 - Activity 4

This activity has help to reinforce the importance of setting assessment standards and guidelines.  These should be balanced and include a variety of approaches to cater for the different learning styles of our learners.  We should not only assess our learners but the teacher as well.  This is important if both the teacher and the student are to achieve their objectives and benefit from the lesson.

Module 1 - Activity 12

One role of any good educator is to encourage their learners to be critical thinkers and problem solvers.  Learners can only develop these skills if they are provided with opportunities to demonstrate these abilities.  Educators should include problem solving activities in their lessons if they are to develop these skills in their learners.  Once our learners are able to develop skills they would be able to transfer this ability in different areas.

Module 1 - Activity 11

Using contrast lessons aid to spark discussions and get the learners interested and participating in the lesson. It stimulate the learner and encourage them to ask questions.  This  type of lesson needs to be carefully planned and managed by the teacher.  After conducting this lesson  I believe that we should encourage teachers to use this type of lesson to help to promote discussions in their classes.

Module 1 - Activity 10

Discussions are goods ways for our students to demonstrate and express what they know about a particular topic.  It also helps them to learn from their peers.  However for a discussion to be beneficial to all parties, each individual should be able to express their views and ideas but must also listen to the views and ideas of others.  As the teacher our responsibility is to ensure that all our students participate in the discussion and guide and control the discussion.

Module 1 - Activity 9

It is important as educators to ensure that the questions we ask in our classes encourages our learners to think.  As educators we should also understand why we ask questions and how to ask questions to get the information that we want from our learners.  We should also ensure to incorporate different types of questions in our lessons.

Module 4 - Activity 2

Using the pencil and paper test to demonstrate what we know or understand about a topic or lesson should be a thing of the past.  There are some many different things and ways that students can be assessed.  Assessment should be a continuous process not only a end result and different methods should be used to cater for the different abilities of our students.

Module 4 Activity 3

Diversity is important to both the teaching and learning process.  Using diverse methods of teaching strengthens what our students learn.  With the use of different teaching methods there also has to be different means of assessing to cater for the different abilities and strengths and weakness of the students.  A combination of different methods of teaching should be used in all lessons to cater for the multiple intelligences of the students in our classes.

Module 1 Activity 8

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development is not only important for Educators to know but also parents and caregivers.  I think with a better understanding on the process of development of our children will help us to cater for their needs at their level.  This could also play an important role in identifying children who may have some form of developmental problem.  For instant a three year old child who is unable to pronounce common words clearly may indicate that child may have a speech problem.  Giving children an opportunity to discover information and then demonstrate what they know is very important.

Module 1 Activity 7

Collaborative Learning is very important approach to teaching and learning that should be incorporated in all classes.  It provides benefits to both learner and teachers.  These benefits include;
1.  learners participation and contribution to lessons
2.  provide opportunities for positive interaction between learners
3.  encourage learners to help and support their peers rather than compete with each other
4.  encourage learners to take responsibility for their own learning
5.  provide teachers with information to better plan for the varying abilities of their learners
6. stimulate and promote teacher professional development and growth
7.  reduces the amount of time teachers need for keeping learners focused on learning tasks.

Module 1 Activity 6

This activity focussed  on offering opportunities for verbalising and dialogue in our classes.  I have noted the following ways in which this could be accomplished.

1.  incorporating debates and discussions in the lesson
2.  the use of interactive games and activities
3.  providing opportunities for the learners to report on events
4.  associating lessons with past events and get them involve in the association
5.  allow them to do investigative research and report on their finding
6.  oral presentations
7.  peer teaching

Module 4 Activity 1

This activity opened my eyes on the assessment strategies that are used in my classes. Self reflection and evaluation is always an important aspect of the teaching and learning process.  As a teacher, we should be open and willing to make changes when we realize that they are necessary to improve the quality of education we provide our learners.  It is obvious to me from this activity that I need to make some changes in the assessment strategies to use a more varying means of assessment in my classes.

Module 1 Activity 5

It is clear that all stakeholders (parents, school, government agencies) should work together to assist learners overcome life difficulties.  This could be done through PTA groups, parenting training, monitoring and mentoring  groups that could provide support to not only the parents but the schools.  By providing the necessary support to our parents and schools con help to assist our learners with difficulties.  However before we can offer assistance we must first understand their difficulties, how to identify them and the approach to assist with them.

Module 1 - Activity 4

The Chaves' case study illustrate what typically happens in some classrooms.  We always seek positive behaviours from our students but often acknowledge the negative. This only encourages the negative behaviour and not the positive.  A change need to made from the norm. The students who display positive behaviours needs to be acknowledge and encouraged.

What ever form of reinforcement we may decide to use these should be continuous if they are going to be effective. Our students should know what are the consequences for a particular action and this should be consistent. We should also ensure that we don't send mixed signals to now students by taking the approach of do as I say not as I do.  This only confuse them and they become uncertain often wondering if they can trust what you say. 

Module 1 - Activity 3

My most powerful lesson is this week is that our students simply wants to be noticed, recognised, acknowledge and understood and genuinely cared for.  As educators it is very important that all of our students feeling comfortable in our classes not only physically but emotionally as well.

Module 1 - Activity 2

The readings only help to reinforce what already know as an important factor when teaching our students.  This is that more focus should be paid on letting our students  identify  what learning tactics works best for them and encourage them to use it.  I can't say enough how important it is for educators to take the time to know their students it is the best way to meet them were they are and assist them to achieve their goals.  

Module 1

The most powerful lesson is the change in the changes in approaches to learning.   Approaches to learning have changed from viewing learners as passive receivers of knowledge to an active participant in the learning process.  Learning should be seen as partnership between the teacher and the learner.  Learners should be encouraged to build on what they already know. As teachers we should take the time to analyze the students we have before us.  Only then can we prepare to meet their needs and assist them as they acquire new knowledge.

Hello

My name is Jacqueline Peters-Richardson. I began my teaching career in 1990 at the Princess Margaret School, where I was the head of the Business Department and taught Principles of Accounts and Electronic Document Preparation and Management from Grade 9 -11.


Presently, I am the Education Officer-Business in the Ministry of Education a post I took up in January 2010.  My responsibilities include supervising the Business Education Program in the secondary school in Antigua and Barbuda.  This covers the following subjects; Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Office Administration, Economics and Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM).  My responsibilities also include the monitoring and support along with professional development of teachers especially the business teachers.

I am also a part time lecture at the Department of Teacher Education at the Antigua State College where I teach the course Technology in Education to the student teachers.

From this course I am hoping learn new ideas and approaches that I can use to assist the teachers in my care to improve the overall education program in Antigua and Barbuda