Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — USM was well represented at the past CTEC Conference held at the Milton Peters College.
Teachers Amanda James and Marianne Flanders both graduates of USM Teacher Education Program and currently students of the UVI@USM Master of Education Program, made a presentation on the techniques they use to incorporate technology in the classroom.
Dr. Natasha Gittens, Director of USM School of Continuous Education and Life Long Learning made a presentation on the “Pro’s and Con’s of E-Learning”. E-Learning or Electronic learning is using a computer to deliver part, or all of a course whether it’s in a school, part of mandatory business training or a full distance learning course.
Dr. Gittens had the participants examine what is Asynchronous vs Synchronous, their preference in E-Learning and the Advancements in E-Learning.
UVI@USM adjunct faculty, Dr. Everett Ryan participated in the policy-makers and administrators panel, sharing the USVI Department of Education’s draft Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy for creative accommodation of students bringing smart phones, tablets or laptops to schools. In another session, Ryan presented strategies for integrating WebQuests into teaching. Webquests challenge students to build new learning, formulate questions, and practice critical thinking and communication skills through research assignments using resources on the web.
Judith Rogers, Director of Libraries at UVI, shared institution’s experience building smart classrooms to support 21st Century teaching & learning. Rogers discussed the selection of hardware and software in use at UVI, re-design of the learning environment, and strategies for staff and student development to integrate technology into teaching. She also shared some of the challenges and lessons learned through the over 10 years of UVI’s experience integrating technology in classrooms.
