Best posts made by Housna

@Bilim
Hello Bilim,
According to PISA results, 15 year old teens report lower creativity, I personally think it depends upon the Curriculum being followed. Creativity is indeed a significant factor which needs to be developped throughout the educational process. I normally integrate inquiry based learning in my teaching practice, which is an effective tool to develop creative skills of students. In addition projects are given to develop their problem solving skills and creative writing also.

@Sahar730dd459d2
Hello Sahar,
I will advise you to use the Nearpod apps. It is an interactive tool where students are effectively integrated. As you mentioned your school provides tablets to students, pupils can download this app. Several topics can taught through it, for instance scientific concepts. The apps has various features such as AR, VR and field trips. You can easily evaluate and assess your students via this apps. You can design a matching exercise for formative assessment.

Sankoré is a project which promotes the integration of ICT in primary schools. It is available in all primary schools in Mauritius. Infact the Sankoré project is a Franco-British partnership which aims to educate some 16 million African children from Anglophone and Francophone countries. It aims at helping Africa to achieve the Education for All ( EFA) goals through digital empowerment. The Sankoré is an interactive whiteboard. It is an effective tool as it promotes student centered approach. Pupils of mixed abilities are integrated in the teaching and learning process. Students normally enjoy the aspect of physical interacting with the board. The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) motivates the learners by making the lesson more enjoyable and interesting, resulting in improved attention behaviour and because of the multi-sensory input, all types of learning styles do benefit. Educators were trained to implement this project. They have the opportunities to prepare their lesson and upload it. It is an effective tool as teachers and learners have access to a wide range of educational lessons. It can be said that the Sankoré provides education through innovative technology. The newness of the technology is highly welcomed by pupils and motivates them to participate in the classroom. Indeed IWB classes generated more enthusiasm and attention from the students.

@BRYANb8875625e5
Hello Bryan,
Hope all is fine. Great initiatives taken on your behalf to value students having disabilities. Indeed teachers should recognise the importance of dealing with the emotional intelligence of students. As you are working with autism students, the 2qaw intelligence should be well catered for so as to make them included. You highlighted the use of AI, which effectively helps in managing the emotional intelligence of autism students. I completely agree with you that technology is one of the best approaches to deal with the emotional intelligence of students as it enables them to navigate their emotions.

@Vanny

Hello,
My proposal would be, you can divide the class into small groups then assign each group a specific topic concerning the 17 goals. Students will do their own research and in the classroom they will proceed on with group discussions. Then they can create their own PowerPoint under the guidance of the teacher and each group can present it to classroom. This activity will promote peer tutoring, collaborative learning and sharing of ideas. Learning will be fun and the eductor will add on by providing examples concerning each goal.

@BRYANb8875625e5
Hello Bryan,
To some extent teachers can influence public policy decisions. The decision concerning educational reform is taken mostly by the authority without consultation with the educators. Everytime there is a new regime, new policies are implemented b

Hello Ekaterina,
Good initiatives and measures are being taken by teachers, administration and stakeholders in your organisation. Indeed the issue of bullying can only be tackled by the collaboration of everyone in the school. Bullying hampers the teaching and learning process and ultimately disturbs the smooth running of the school. It is important to note that it has a direct impact on the academic performance of student's. The head of school can propose various strategies such as gardening projects, innovative pedagogies and IT related projects where there is teacher and pupil involvement so as to cater for both the perpetrators and victims. I completely agree that regular talks, meeting with parents and reference to Educational physcologists will mitigate the issue of bullying acts in your organisation.

@BRYANb8875625e5
In my country the rate of girls who choose IT in Grade 11, is relatively low compared to boys. Mauritius is known as an IT hub in the Indian Ocean. When ICT was firstly introduced in 2002 in primary schools, mostly females staffs applied for the post. They were recruited without any know-how and expertise in the IT field. They were offered continuous professional course so as to educate the young minds. It has been observed that most boys choose Computer Studies for O and A level. It's at tertiary level, that girls choose this field. Therefore, girls should be encouraged to opt for this subject at O and A level itself. The syllabus for A and O level is mainly programming. Girls are not motivated to I personally think initiatives should be taken to motivate girls. It can be involved them in inquiry based learning. Equal opportunities should be given to students to master this field.

@BRYANb8875625e5

Hello,
Hope you are doing well too Bryan. Educators are fully equipped to determine whether a child needs special attention and should be referred to a SEN school, of course with the consent of school administrators and Educational Psychologist.

But unfortunately parents are unwilling to accept their wards have certain challenges to overcome as you highlighted.
They perceive SEN as being a stigmatized institution and do not favour the decision of the administrators.

It is in the best interest of the child to be transferred in a SEN school as educators are more qualified there to cater for their needs.

Hello everyone. I'm Housna from Mauritius. I'm currently teaching in a Zone d'Education Prioritaire (ZEP) school, where most of pupils come from a low socio-economic background. The concept of ZEP was first implemented in France, in 2002 this strategy was introduced in several primary schools around the island especially those in marginalised regions. Various initiatives are being taken on behalf of administrators and stakeholders so as to provide quality education and create long life learners. The use of innovative pedagogies such as gamification and greening education are encouraged at school level. Teachers are provided with all the required resources such as tablets in lower primary, Sankoré is also available to improve the teaching and learning process. The integration of ICT in all subjects is encouraged. The curriculum promotes inclusiveness and all facilitaties are provided to teachers so that no child lags behind so as to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. My hobbies are sports and gym.

Inclusive education is seen as a major process which facilitates successful education. It is believed that if all children with special educational needs (SEN) are given the proper means and support such as the integration of gamification and assisted technology they will be able to develop to their full potential.

An inclusive educational system, starting in the early years of development, and aimed at responding to the educational needs of each student through a child-centered pedagogical approach and a flexible and adapted curriculum has been implemented for each child of Mauritius to develop to his full potential.

In order to create an inclusive educational system, the government, through its Ministry of Education embraced the following specific policy guidelines for action plan outlined below:
 Access to education and recognition to all children with special educational needs having the same right and enjoying equality of education opportunities as their counterparts.
 Relevance and Quality through the setting-up of structured systems aimed at meeting each child’s needs.
 Achievement in terms of teaching and learning as well as provision of support services within the classroom and the school through the collaboration of all school personnel and the multi-disciplinary team.
Assisted Technology is another change that has taken place due to inclusive education in our primary schools. Our philosophy is no child should lag behind irrespective of his disabilities.

According to researchers, assisted technology can greatly enhance the school curriculum experience for SEN learners and those requiring alternative pedagogies. Learners need such technology to assist them in their learning and to support their communication, interaction, mobility, and general participation within the classroom. Before the implemention of the National Policy Documents and the Strategy Plan no such facility was made available to SEN learners.

Assistive technology refers to a range of technological devices or systems designed to improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities and enhance their quality of life.
Learners may have learning difficulties caused by a physical disability; a problem with their sight, hearing or speech; emotional or behavioural problems; or difficulties with reading, writing, speaking or numeracy.

Accordingly, use of assistive technology such as magnifiers, talking devices such as a talking thermostat, screen reading software, braille displays, text-to-speech systems using Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and tablets with large tactile specifications are effective and essential enablers for learners, serving to augment their potential and create wider learning opportunities.

@BRYANb8875625e5
@Bilim
Dear colleagues,
Indeed EDUCATION is the most powerful mean for SEN students to position themselves in the society. They feel included and welcomed irrespective to their disabilities.

@BRYANb8875625e5
Hello Bryan,
Hope you are fine. Thanks for the sharing these links. They are useful for both the teachers and students.

@Bousl2336873cb4
I totally agree with your slogan that 'It's Earth Day everyday' because protecting our environment should be an ongoing process. The educator should consider greening education as important as core subjects. Our planet Earth is suffering due to the impacts and consequences of Global Warming. To ensure sustainability, everyday the class teacher can organise discussions, a role play or AI to create awareness among his students about the importance of protecting our environment. The use of virtual and augmented reality are effective tools to sensitize our young learners about the importance of protecting our planet Earth. A whole school approach is more appropriate and children will be encouraged to promote a greener society. As a school leader, I will organise activities concerning an Eco friendly school where all students, teaching and non-teaching staffs, parents, NGOs, the community and other stakeholders will be involved obviously with the approval of our Ministry. Today we have digital kids, ICT tools have a positive impact on the teaching and learning process. Normally it's the educator who conducts the class through the integration of innovative pedagogies so as to make learning fun and enjoyable. As I opined above with your statement, I personally think that students of upper grades can do a presentation in the morning assemby by integrating the Nearpod apps. It will have a significant impact on the behaviours of small kids seeing their peers caring for the planet.

@Ana_moderator
Hello Anastasia,
I would like to highlight that the Mauritian National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for primary education highly emphasised on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). The vision of our Ministry is to ensure that an inclusive and equitable quality education is encouraged in all primary schools as well as promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

It is important to note that by 2030, all young learners in our small island should acquire the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development, sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace, non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development.
Due to the fact that I work in a public school, so various trainings programmes are offered by the Ministry to educators to implement the SDGs at school. As one of the SDGs is to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts for a sustainable world. Therefore, the Ministry in collaboration with NGOs provide continous professional development for educators concerning 'Climate Change' so as to implement Eco friendly projects at schools.
My school will participate in a Eco friendly competition organised by the NGO named Coral Reef which is funded by the EU. The evaluation phase is in August 2024. This activity will be conducted on a whole school approach where teachers, students, administrators, non-teaching staffs, parents, the ZEP Unit, and other stakeholders will be involved to promote an Eco friendly school in the community.
The project will make students aware and conscious of environmental problems and boost their interest in caring for and improving the environment. It will also broaden their ecological knowledge in subjects such as energy, landscapes, air, water, natural resources and wildlife. Children will therefore develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and a commitment to protecting it and creating a sustainable future.

I firmly believe that pupils of special needs have to be integrated in the teaching and learning process through innovative pedagogies. Educators have to embed varied learning styles so that no child lags behind in the classroom. If the latter is working with slow learners in a low performing school, he should integrate the differentiated approach so as to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Inclusiveness is a value which is considered pivotal for an educator and it is highly recommendedby the National Curriculum Framework of Mauritius. The Nine Year Continuous Basic Education also favors the concept of inclusion. This philosophy implies that children with special needs will be provided with an education adapted to their learning needs and abilities.
There are various opportunities provided to educators so that they can integrate inclusiveness in their teaching profession.

• Assisted technology is available at schools so as to facilitate the teaching and learning process of students having sight, hearing or speech, emotional or behvioural problems or difficulties with reading, writing and speaking.

• Magnifying software and screen reader software are also available to enhance the learning experience of students having visual impairment especially in SEN schools.
  There is also the possibility of accommodating and modifying the curriculum as per the learning needs of students.

@Ana_moderator
Hello,
In today’s education, using technology effectively is crucial for engaging students
and enhancing teaching and learning process. The Nearpod is a popular education technology platform that aligns well with the SAMR model.
Nearpod is an instructional platform that I normally use to create engaging and interactive lessons, quizzes, and even virtual reality experiences for my students. Indeed it is a useful platform as it promotes student centered approach. Instead of writing the notes on whiteboards or draw a small model, I normally upload a powerpoint slide on Nearpod from which all students can get access through their devices. This substitution saves time, reduces paper usage, and provides a convenient way for students to access learning materials. I highly recommend to embed this platform as it engages the learners irrespective of his abilities. With Nearpod’s Collaborate Board, teachers have an opportunity to connect
technology with pedagogy in the classroom. Students work to understand how their
individual thoughts, ideas, and contributions fit into a larger shared collection of
thoughts in Nearpod. Whether you are new to Nearpod or an experienced user, an
individual feature like Collaborate Board can offer many unique ways to bring
student-centered discussions to life.

@Zareena-J-M
Hello Zareena,
Welcome to the forum. Indeed you are right it is a very enriching platform, we have colleagues from different parts of the globe. We are sharing our ideas, views and thoughts and at the sametime learning about new innovative pedagogies to promote a conducive learning environment.

@Ana_moderator

Hello,
Please find below the link to the Sankoré Project. It is an effective tool which can be used even at tertiary level. Indeed it is an interactive whiteboard where students can actively be involved in the teaching and learning process. It caters for diverse needs of learners.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://github.com/Sankore/open-Sankore--install-&ved=2ahUKEwiutfeBh5WGAxXp1AIHHdCrCRYQFnoECCoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2NoGfp_YOZFL7WUyhzGn2l

https://youtu.be/sgWZDlj_lFc?si=xIvi0_YpAhm0sg3d

Another project is the EDLP. Next topic for discussion.

@Ana_moderator
Dear Ana,
By promoting eco-projects at school and involving the community, it will create an awareness of protecting the environment. The teacher will become greener and sensitize learners about the importance of keeping the environment clean. With the collaboration of the school administrators and NGOs, a gardening project ( for instance Medicinal plants or vegetables such as lettuce) can be encouraged. Today 5th June 2024, it's the World Environment Day, at school a talk can be organised in the morning assemby about the impacts of Climate Change and Global Warming ( these topics are already included in our primary school curriculum) as well as on the theme proposed by the UN for this year which is highlighted below.

Infact. every year World Environment Day is celebrated with a specific theme targeting the immediate problems – from climate change to global warming to deforestation.

This year, the theme of World Environment Day is - Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.

"According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world’s population. The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000 – without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world's population by 2050," wrote the United Nations on their official website.