Teacher-training institutions will be outfitted with smart boards to introduce trainee teachers to the practical use of technology in the teaching-learning dynamic.
Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, said that the move is in keeping with the Ministry’s focus on equipping new teachers to effectively utilise information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance classroom instruction.
“We are installing smart boards in our teacher-education institutions because we want our new teachers coming out fully conversant with technology and to be comfortable when they go into the classroom. We know that the students are already conversant with technology and we don’t want there to be a gap between [teachers] and the students they are teaching,” she said.
Minister Williams was addressing the media launch of the Crea+her Girls in ICT Hackathon 2024 at the Immaculate Conception High School in Kingston on April 16.
The event is being hosted by e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited (e-Learning Jamaica) in partnership with STEAMHouse.
Minister Williams commended the event organisers for the initiative, which she noted is critical to increasing female presence in the technology sector.
“In the education sector we have been ensuring that [we create] an enabling environment in terms of technology,” she said.
The virtual hackathon, which includes ICT-related challenges and activities, will culminate on International Girls in ICT Day on April 25.
The event aims to provide a platform for young women in the technology field to showcase their skills.
