A 3-day capacity building for 60 newly employed STEM Teachers in Lagos State Education District VI has ended.
The Convener of the event, Mrs Adeola Akinsulure lauded participants for having stayed committed throughout the exercise.
She said; “the Training has been an eye opener for teachers to be more informed and better at what they do, as the students will be the major beneficiary.”
She expressed her gratitude to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for the sponsorship via funding by the U.S. Government, administered by IREX.
Mrs Akinsulure reiterated the relevance of education in national development which cannot be over-emphasized.
Participants were urged to develop a Science Class Improvement Plan (SCIP) for their respective schools, bringing all their expertise to bear.
For group presentation, Team Chemistry came 1st, Mathematics came 2nd and Physics came 3rd.
Reiterating her commitment towards this laudable achievement, Mrs Akinsulure affirmed that there would be a launch of a Professional community called the STEM COLLABORATORS.
She said the community would be saddled with the responsibility of creating mentorship, providing networking opportunities for all participants and free online Webinars to help improve their skills going forward.
Participants described the event as timely, vowing to replicate the gesture while impacting lives.
They unanimously affirmed that the training gave an insight into how to access free educational resources online and leverage technology to stimulate students’ interest and participation in STEM innovations.
Recommendations made at the end of the programme by participants are;
“Teachers should equip themselves and be ready for the new world of STEM. The inclusion of indigenous languages in STEM curriculum and translation for faster and quicker adoption.
STEM industries are continually growing and changing, so teachers of STEM subjects need to take a creative and adaptable approach to their teaching styles to get the most out of their students.
A stronger emphasis should be placed on applying scientific skills, learning technology, production skills, and design thinking.
Teachers should bridge the gap between the classroom and real life, which is what STEM stands for. Schools should create educational programmes or clubs for underrepresented groups in STEM.
“The government should endeavour to equip the various schools in our Education Districts with technological gadgets.
“Science textbooks especially mathematics needs to be reviewed subsequently by authors in line with trending STEM innovations.”
Mercy Chukwudiebere
