Samaritan ICT Academy

23/03/2016

Applying for the Principal Ambassador Fellowship: Seeing Education from a Broader Perspective

ED’s Teacher Ambassador Fellows and Principal Ambassador Fellows working together.
I never imagined that one day I would be a Principal Ambassador Fellow for the U.S. Department of Education. When I look back to where I was a year ago, I was busy running my school—meeting with teachers, students, and parents. I was working with custodians to review blueprints of our newly renovated cafeteria. I was observing classes. And I was facilitating conflict resolution with my guidance counselor and our students.

One day last year, when I rode the train to work, I read my principals’ weekly newsletter and that’s where I first saw the information to apply to become a Teaching or Principal Ambassador Fellow. Although caught up in the day-to-day frantic pace of working in a school, I also am a learner. I am always reading education articles and thinking about what new ideas will help my students improve. I was interested in opportunities to learn and grow.

So, I applied.

Once in the thick of it, I realized that the application process was no joke. The written application required me to think strategically about who I am as an educator and what I have accomplished in my career. The phone interview that followed had me thinking on my feet, talking about what I believe matters in education and why being a fellow could make a bigger difference. The final round involved both an in-person, one-on-one interview and a fishbowl-style interview with other applicants. I had to exhibit all the skills needed to lead: communicate clearly, be a team player, and work in a fast-paced environment.

As a teacher, my first love was impacting my students in the classroom. Then, I found I could provide opportunities for all students’ learning by leading a school. Now, I am looking at what policies shape our educational landscape for the country. This is exciting work!

As a Principal Ambassador Fellow at ED, I get to share what has led me to be an educator for my entire career. It’s a unique opportunity, and well worth all the steps to get here. It’s why I want to pass the word along and encourage others out there to take a chance and apply.

Alicia Pérez-Katz is a 2015 Principal Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education.

U.S. Department of Education Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows are outstanding educators, with a record of leadership in their professional communities, strong communication skills, and insights on education policy based in their school and classroom expertise. Applications for the 2016 cohort of Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows opened on November 17, 2015 and will close on December 14, 2015 at 11:59 PM ET. For more information about the process, please thoroughly review the Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellowship webpages.

11/10/2015

08/10/2015

ILLITERACY AND ITS SOLUTIONS

Illiteracy is one of the problems which we have to find solution for. The ratio of illiteracy varies from country to country. Regardless, it still is a problem. There are some kinds of illiteracy such as disability in writing and reading, and a person who is unable to use the Internet is illiterate as well. You are you going to discover three of the best solutions for illiteracy in this reading. I will talk about opening new schools, creating TV and radio channels, and offering rewards for people who join school and finish their educational program.

First, as we know, it's difficult for persons in their 40s or 60s to use the same educational method which is used for children. Therefore, we have to systematize new special ways, special schools and special teachers who have ability to teach illiterates effectively. Opening modern training centers can start this plan. Using technology and modern education theories helps everyone inside the educational progress.

The news solution is creating special channels. Whether using TV channel , radio ,the Internet or both together, any kind of media has a strong effect on people. Nowadays, channels can persuade illiterates to go to school and learn writing and reading. Furthermore, it can teach them basic reading, writing and calculation skills.

Third , offering rewards and prizes. As a matter of fact, most illiterates are poor, because of this they couldn't go to school when they were children. They thought getting job is more important than learning in school. Prizes can convince them to go to school and start learning. We can customize this idea through terms such as finishing special programs.

We will never see any great change in few years, it takes much more time. We have to cooperate to clear this problem which is holding back. I recommend researches illiteracy, and creative solutions. I recommend governments to wag a truthful war against illiteracy. I think this is what would make a better world.

06/10/2015

TRENDING
jennifer Pressly, a student at the University of North Texas, said she would rather take her history course in her dorm room than in a packed lecture hall.

“I take convenience over lectures," Pressly told The Dallas Morning News last year. "I think I would be bored to death if I took it in lecture."

Pressly chose Internet classes so she could stay in her pajamas. Other students choose distance education so they could work during the day or take internships away from their college campus.

For whatever reason, college students are turning toward an Internet education in a trend growing across the nation. Fifty-six percent of colleges and universities offered distance courses in 2000-01, according to a 2003 report released by the U.S. Department of Education.

But while proponents cite their convenience, some studies have exposed the drawbacks to cyberspace classes, which include loss of social interaction and the inability to determine whether a student cheats.

TOOLS TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE LEARNER
Mark Maddix, a professor at Northwest Nazarene University, said successful online students are self-disciplined and highly motivated to learn.

“To be a successful online learner requires the student to be active, creative, and engaged in the entire learning process,”Maddix said on his school’s Web site. “One of the great benefits that students have in the online class is the amount of time available for reflection and response.”

Maddix said then when a professor poses a question to an online class, students have to opportunity to research and take time to think about the question before answering. But in a regular classroom setting, he said, a professor would expect an answer immediately.

A professor’s most important job in an online class is promoting student participation and maintaining interactivity, according to the 2002 edition of the International Journal of Instructional Media.

The journal cited a study that found social interaction to be the most pertinent factor to a student’s success in an Internet class.

“A ‘sufficient’ level of interaction with faculty, however defined, generally creates a ‘sense of personalization and customization of learning’ and helps students overcome feelings of remoteness -- perhaps the greatest obstacle to distance learning,” Robert H. Woods wrote in the international journal. “Infrequent interaction with instructors was among the reasons given by students for not completing distance education courses.”

Web-based chat rooms and discussion boards are just a few of the ways to encourage interactivity. But Stanford University researchers found that "the more time people spend on the Internet the more they lose contact with the social environment," according to the journal of instructional media.

PREVENTING FRAUD
Some cyberspace classes require students to take their tests on campus or off-campus with a proctor. But other classes allow students to test over the Web.

Students could have their notes by their computer or have someone else take the test.

The Fresno Bee reported that officials at the California State University -- Fresno are investigating allegations that men's basketball players turned in assignments for their correspondence courses that were done by someone else.

“It is something we are always alert to and conscientious of," Brian Mueller, chief executive officer of the University of Phoenix's online program told The Bee.

In California, Chabot College instructor Larry Beal proved that it’s easy to commit academic fraud in cyberspace when he took an online computer class using a friend’s identity.

“All I am is the messenger. This system is badly flawed," Beal told a reporter for ANG Newspapers. "It's not fair to students. Whether the class is online or a regular lecture class, on transcripts, they both look exactly the same."

But Jannett Jackson, associate dean of the Learning Resources Center at Fresno City College, said that instructors get to know the students well through assignments and postings on Web bulletin boards.

"You get to know their style of writing and vernacular,” Jackson told The Bee. “If they have another student come in, you usually pick up on it."

15/08/2015

Why do i love ICT?
Because computing is the only way you can create something new. yeah with a piece of art you can create different shapes but with code you can literally create your own language you can snippet peoples work improve things layout code more efficiently create whole new apps create new ways to search the internet. code and computing is now the fundamental foundation we live on as a world.

06/08/2015

Talking Book

Literacy Bridge saves lives and improves the livelihoods of impoverished families through comprehensive programs that provide on-demand access to locally relevant knowledge. At the heart of the programs is the Talking Book – an innovative low-cost audio computer designed for the learning needs of illiterate populations living in the poorest areas in the world.

Simple and actionable instructional messages that are repeatable and can be played when needed enable people to learn and adopt new practices to fight poverty and disease.
Overview
Spread Health & Agriculture Info

We partner with local experts to produce, record and distribute relevant information in native languages and dialects. The easy, on-demand access to health and agriculture information leads to learning and behavior changes that are life-saving and life-changing.
Listen, repeat, share

Users navigate simple audio menus in any language then listen to the information they are interested in — from 35 to 140 hours. They can repeat audio as needed, play it back for family and friends, or simply lend the small, durable devices out.
Interactive reading

Learning becomes more self-directed when users can adjust the speed of the audio to suit their pace or be prompted by ‘audio links’ to hear word definitions and answer multiple choice questions.
Connect and exchange audio

Any two devices can be connected to copy audio from one to another. With no additional services or technology, new information is able to spread wherever people have Talking Books at hand.
Record on-demand

Anyone can record their own audio onto the Talking Book to expand on existing ideas, share new information, or relay feedback to the organizations that provided the devices.
Durable and accessible

The Talking Book is small and portable so it is easy to transport and share. The device was also built to survive life in dry dust storms and tropical rain.

21/07/2015

12/07/2015

For the past few weeks, I have been reading the new Texas science standards many times over to make sure that I truly understand them before helping a school district map out a way to teach the new curriculum this fall. When I last did this, I was not yet a parent, so putting together lesson plans hinged on my pure love of knowledge and the subject matter. Of course I gave thought to how students would receive the information and the classroom experience, but having my own children now, I take into consideration more than I ever have the impact of my work on a child. I want to ensure that the curriculum map my colleagues and I lay out fosters a love of learning and does not fall into the trap of “drill and kill.”

“Lifelong learner” is a term that gets thrown around a lot with educators. It sounds like psychobabble, but it really is a powerful description of what teachers and parents have been and should be doing in my opinion. We are giving children the opportunity to learn skills that enable them to become independent thinkers, critical thinkers. It’s just as the famed proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

My almost kindergartener asked me recently, “Why do you always ask me to think, Mama? It makes me tired.” I couldn’t help but laugh at her question (which made her mad), but the question goes straight to heart of what parents and educators should be doing. We are opening the door for experiences in this lifetime that are yet unknown, yet to be discovered. If we don’t give you the tools to recognize these experiences, something that may truly bring you happiness may bypass you simply because you did not know how or where to look. Ignorance is not always bliss.

I may be an ideological fool, but I feel a deep responsibility as a parent and as a professional educator that I must contribute to building the foundations for lifelong learning both in my children and the children whose parents entrust to my care in the schools. It is not about the vocabulary words, the facts, the details, the dates, the historical figures. It is about the why and how. Why do we study what we study? How do we study what we study? This mirrors parenting in so many ways. Why do I tell you what I tell you, and how do I ask you to do something? It is what drives my actions as an educator and as a parent.

With summer vacation fast approaching, I challenge you to find a way to inspire your friends and children. The only costs are your conscious effort and an attitude to embrace learning.
If we spoke your mind type True

10/07/2015

The Globally Competent Teaching.

As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and interdependent, student must graduate with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills to live and work in a global society. Classrooms are also becoming more global. Therefore, there is a growing need for educators to develop global competencies in themselves and their students.

Global competency is the set of knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to live and work in a global society. The Asia Society and Council of Chief State School Officers define global competence as “the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance.” The Longview Foundation adds that “a body of knowledge about world regions, cultures, and global issues, and the skills and dispositions to engage responsibly and effectively in a global environment” is also needed. Global competence shares commonalities with intercultural competence, multicultural education, and international education; however, it is distinct in that it combines elements such as communicating effectively with people from other cultures and valuing multiple perspectives with elements such as knowledge of current global conditions and the interconnectedness of local and global issues, and a commitment to promoting equity worldwide.

Globally competent teaching requires teachers to translate their personal global competence into professional classroom practice. A globally competent teacher must not only develop globally competencies in themselves, but also possess the skills to instill global competency in their students. Such skills specific to educators include: to create a classroom environment that values diversity and global engagement, to integrate learning experiences that promote content-aligned explorations of the world, to facilitate international and intercultural conversations and partnerships, and to assess students’ global competence.

08/07/2015

A Stamped Out Love Of Learning.

The most popular response from the Quora discussion — submitted by user Rin Shimizu — points out how teachers can miss opportunities to encourage excellence. Rin explains: “I’m sitting in my Chemistry class:

“Teacher: We’re gonna learn about Gibbs Free Energy today. All you need to know is this little symbol, yes, this one here. If there is a negative sign in front of the symbol, then a reaction is spontaneous. If there is a positive sign, the reaction is not spontaneous.

“Me (Rin): Why? Why’s that?

“Teacher: It’s just the way it is. That’s all you need to know.

“Me: Surely there is some reason behind that? I’ve heard that whether a reaction is spontaneous is related to the enthalpy of a reaction…

“Teacher: That’s true, but all you need to know is that if there is a negative sign…”

Rin sums up his entry on the list of frustrating things about high school by stating, “This is basically what happens in most of my classes. Questions inquiring beyond the syllabus? Slapped down! Classes are to prepare us for exams and to ace the syllabus, not to acquire knowledge for the sake of learning.”

Rin’s complaint is a common one from students and teachers alike. So much emphasis is placed on “teaching to the test” and “meeting the benchmark” (by politicians) that the most powerful tool for learning — the sheer love of it — is discouraged.

26/06/2015

A real star does not wish to shine alone. A real star does not wish to dominate the sky alone. A real star creates room for others to shine because he/she knows that the sky looks more beautiful when it has many stars shinning.
Don't stop others from shinning. Never bring others down just because you have to shine and outshine them. Don't try to pull down those who are already shinning; encourage them to help you shine. If you are shinning, encourage others to come with you up to the sky because it is more beautiful when we all shine together.

07/02/2015

Teaching for social justice is a philosophy of education centered on the promotion of social justice, and the instillation of such values in students. Its overarching aims are to equip learners with the skills and experiences necessary to promote social change and to increase equality among individuals. Rather than a distinct subject with a set of objectives and standards, teaching for social justice is a way of teaching that, when done correctly, should weave into all subject areas. Critical thinking, open-mindedness and exposure to different perspectives are the three skills paramount to the successful teaching of social justice (Nieto, 2004). Educators may employ social justice instruction to promote unity on campus, as well as mitigate boundaries to the general curriculum. These boundaries often include race, class, ability, language, appearance, sexuality, and gender.

When effectively implemented, social justice should provide equal learning opportunities for all students, help foster respect among individuals, and create individuals who are empowered to not only notice, but challenge the inequalities and injustices in society (Levinson, 2009).