Teachers who want to learn more about teaching with technology will find this Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Introduction to Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL), informative and engaging. Using up-to-date learning design and simple, accessible technology, the course runs on an easy-to-use learning platform available via the Internet. The course is designed for teachers who want to build on their knowledge and practice in teaching and learning with technology. It will run over five weeks and requires approximately three to five hours of time each week. Designed to accommodate teachers’ busy schedules, the course offers flexibility with options for learning the content. You will learn from readings, videos, discussions with other participants and instructors, meaningful exercises, quizzes and short assignments. Certification is available for those who wish to complete all required exercises and quizzes. Read more
International Day for Disaster Reduction
“We have had great success in reducing the number of lives lost to disasters, thanks to early warning systems, preparedness, and more efficient evacuations. Now we must focus on reducing human suffering and the number of people affected.” — UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
International Day of the Girl Child
EmPOWER Girls: Before, during and after crises
“Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.” UNESCO
World Teachers’ Day
“World Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually worldwide and brings together governments, multi- and bilateral organizations, NGOs, private sectors, teachers and experts in the field of teaching. With the adoption of SDG 4 on education, and the dedicated target 4.c recognizing teachers as key to the achievement of the 2030 Education Agenda, it has become the occasion to mark achievements and reflect on ways to counter the remaining challenges for the promotion of the teaching profession, like the acute shortage of teachers. Indeed, according to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the world needs 69 Million teachers if we are to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030.” UNESCO
13th International Conference on ICT for Education, Training & Skills Development
“Over 12 consecutive years, eLearning Africa has hosted 16,228 participants from 100+ countries around the world, with over 85% coming from the African continent. More than 3,300 speakers have addressed the conference about every aspect of technology supported learning and skills development.
The PROGRAMME includes core dialogues, debates, discovery demos, knowledge exchange sessions, knowledge factories, networking meet-ups, panel talks, plenary sessions and poster presentations on specific topics and informal networking opportunities in which practitioners share their experiences, ideas, new information and perspectives.” eLearning Africa
International Day of Peace
The theme for the International Day of Peace in 2018 is “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”
“Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. ” United Nations
Post Graduate Diploma in Open School Operation and Management
The mainstream schools in most developing countries are faced with challenges which include overcrowded classrooms, lack of quality learning resources and a shortage of teachers. The traditional mainstream schools in these countries can hardly cope with those who are already in school and have no or little capacity to provide access to the millions of out of school youths. Open schooling is an innovative approach to widen access to education to address the challenge of out of school youth.
As more and more countries are opting for open schooling, there is a requirement to ensure that those involved in open schooling are well trained for the task. A new Graduate Diploma in Open Schooling was developed by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) to prepare administrators, support staff, faculty, and ministry professionals guiding the implementation and management of open school policies and regulations to effectively plan and manage the day-to-day operations of an open school using a variety of delivery technologies and pedagogical methods.
The Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) is the first to offer this Post Graduate Diploma in Open School Operation and Management online. This is a two-year programme and registration is open from September 4-October 31, 2018. Further details of the programme can be found below.
PDOSOM-2Click here to download the PDF version of the programme details.
CXC-NotesMaster OER Content Development Workshop
Over sixty (60) senior educators from Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago gave of their time on August 13 – 17 authoring over 1,600 OERs for the start of the new school term.
The repository on Notesmaster has been significantly boosted for the following subjects:
- CSEC Additional Mathematics
- CSEC Agricultural Science
- CSEC Visual Arts
- CSEC Technical Drawing
- CSEC Music
- CSEC Office Administration
- CAPE Economics
- CAPE Entrepreneurship
- CAPE Tourism
- CAPE Information Technology
- CAPE Law
- CAPE Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing
- CSEC Home Economics Food and Nutrition
- CAPE Chemistry
- CSEC Industrial Technology
- CSEC Physics
- CSEC Geography
- CSEC Home Economics Textile Clothing and Fashion
- CAPE Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology
- CAPE Food and Nutrition
- CAPE Computer Science
Photos of senior educators involved in creating educational content
Photos and article contributed by Mr.Damon Clarke (Regional Manager Notesmaster.com)
Tropical Storm-force winds nearing the Leeward Islands
A weakening Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to pass through the Leeward Islands and Northern Windward Islands today bringing storm force winds and heavy rains.
The Thursday morning Advisory puts Isaac at 15.4 North, 59.7 West or 105 miles (170 km) East of Dominica, and moving towards the West at 17 mph (28 km/h). This motion is expected to take Isaac across the islands later today and then across the Caribbean Sea over the weekend. The maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected today as Isaac makes its way through the islands, but gradual weakening is expected afterwards
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe, and a Tropical Storm Watch for Antigua/Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, Saba, St Eustatius, St. Martin and St Maarten.
CARICOM TODAY
MOE Mozambique Aptus Launch Workshop in Maputo
Photo: The Minister of Education and Human Development, Conceita Sortane delivering the Aptus to the first school
Click here to download the Portuguese translation.
Phase 2 launch seminar of the Innovative Model of Open Schooling in Mozambique
Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the National Institute of Distance Education (INED) and COL, which aims, among several actions, to support INED in
holding a workshop for the launch of Phase 2 of the Innovative Model of Open
Education in 15 pilot schools in Mozambique, the workshop was held in Maputo
Province, Matola Municipality, from 27 to 31 August 2018.
The event was attended by His Excellency the Minister of Education and Human
Development, the General Director of INED and the General Director of the Institute
for Open and Distance Education (IEDA) and was guided by the facilitator of COL, Maria
do Rosário Passos supported by co-facilitators of the Ministry of Education and Human
Development will train 30 selected teachers in 15 pilot schools across the country, as
well as 7 MINEDH technicians, benefiting some 22,244 students in General Secondary
Education.
In this workshop the following aspects were discussed:
- Open Education Models;
- Innovative Model of Open Schooling in Mozambique;
- Role of Communication and Information Technologies in Distance Learning;
- Introduction of Aptus;
- Installation and use of Aptus;
- Use of open educational resources;
- Operation of the Notesmaster and Moodle Platform;
- Aptus use by students;
- Use of Aptus to support mentoring.
At the end of the workshop, each school received an Aptus with the respective card
and a laptop for the guarantee of starting the project in the selected schools.
Please see below for additional photos from this event.
Open Schooling increases access to skills development amongst the Zambian Youths
Zambia aspires to be a prosperous middle-income country by 2030 (see 7NDP 2017-2021). In this regard, the country has put up interventions such as the development of Technical Education Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA) curriculum that will ensure that entrepreneurship is incorporated in all the TEVET programmes. The TEVETA curriculum is also embraced in the Ministry of General Education under the Open schooling system where youths and adults access vocational programmes tailored at imparting life-long skills which will enhance human development and reduce poverty levels in the country.
There are currently 13 public open schools in the country offering both academic and vocational education to more than 15,000 youths and adults in the country. This gives a representation of about 5% of the youths who need education. The open schooling systems offer programmes such as; tailoring, bricklaying and carpentry, plumbing and sheet metal work, automotive mechanics hotel and hospitality, food management. Learners graduating from these programmes are provided with trade test certificates at various levels depending on the entry qualifications.
Personal Story: Ms. Florence Mwanza (first from left in the photo above)
During her secondary school education, Florence faced challenges of sponsorship hence could not enrol in the conventional school system. She, therefore, opted to enrol in an Open schooling system so that she could have some spare time to start a small business to also raise money for school.
Florence enrolled with Ndola School for Continuing Education where she studied K-12. After completing school she realized the need to have a skill in order to sustain her livelihood, thus she decided to enrol for a tailoring course at the same institution where she studied her K-12. Florence graduated from the open school system and became an assistant instructor in tailoring, providing the much-needed skill to fellow women at the same open school.
Florence saw the need to also have a teaching methodology skill. She further pursued her teaching career by enrolling with Technical Vocational teachers college where she trained by distance education mode in teaching methodology. She obtained a diploma in teaching methodology.
Florence has a huge passion for tailoring and continues to assist as an instructor in tailoring at Ndola school for continuing education, the open school where she earlier trained.
Currently, Florence is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in tailoring through distance education mode and is a full-time instructor who is now developing online vocational courses under the Notesmaster COL project in Zambia.
NIOS visits Open School Bangladesh Open University
A six-member team from NIOS visited Open School, Bangladesh Open University (OS-BOU) from 1st to 5th August 2018. They conducted the External Quality Assurance Audit of OS-BOU based on the criteria developed during the workshop co-organised by NIOS and COL at NIOS Headquarters from 2nd to 4th May 2017.
The delegation was led by Mr.S.K. Prasad, Director, Student Support Services and Ms. Priya Gupta, Assistant Director, Administration as the Member Co-ordinator. The other team members were- Ms. Bhawna Dhyani, Joint Director, Student Support Services, Dr.Sandhya Kumar, Deputy Director, Academic, Dr. Manoj Thakur, Research and Evaluation Officer and Ms.Anshul Kharbanda, Academic Officer and Co-ordinator External Relations.
