Blended Approach to Learning Will Become a Feature of the School System
By: October 31, 2020 ,The Full Story
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Robert Morgan says the blended approach to learning, will become a feature of the school system, even after a solution for the COVID-19 crisis is found.
The State Minister, who was speaking at a handing over ceremony for tablet computers at the Wood Hall Primary School, in Clarendon, on October 29, said digital technology will have to be adopted in order to augment the physical teaching.
“So, tablets will forever be with us, online (teaching/learning) will forever be with us, because that is how the world is evolving. We have to find a way to mix the various modalities for the benefits of our students, until we find a solution to this challenge of COVID-19,” Mr. Morgan said.
Under the Government’s Tablets in Schools Programme, Wood Hall Primary received 64 tablets, Mocho Primary and Infant School- 84 tablets and Rock River Primary School- 21 tablets.
Mr. Morgan, who is also the Member of Parliament for North Central Clarendon, also disclosed that Wood Hall Primary is benefiting from a satellite internet system being provided to rural schools, in partnership with Ready TV.
“It means that our teachers now have all the tools here, to let them take advantage of a majority of modalities to reach students,” he said, noting that plans are in place to extend the internet services to the wider communities.
Meanwhile, Acting Principal at Wood Hall, Dianne McFarlane, told JIS News that the computer tablets are a welcomed educational gift, as many students were sharing one device in several households.
“I am happy that students can now have their own device, so they will not be left out in the teaching and learning process,” she said.
For her part, Principal at the Mocho Primary and Infant School, Tina Reid, said students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), will specially benefit from the tablets.
“Since March, it has been a real struggle. Help is now here, and it is a step in the right direction, in bridging the digital divide in the education system,” the Principal said.