THE National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) is gearing to train at least 1,500 school teachers, this year, to use the computer as a teaching and learning tool. Senior Subject Specialist and Information Technology (IT) Coordinator within the Ministry of Education, Ms. Marcia Thomas, who made the disclosure, said, to date, 150 teachers have completed the basic training.
She said, apart from NCERD in Georgetown, the training is being conducted in the Regions, notably Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice).
Thomas, who is also the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Chief IT Examiner, reported that, since the basic training programme for teachers began in 2009, close to 3,000 of them have been trained and the 2011 target can be achieved, once the finance is available.
In addition to the teacher training, an NCERD team has introduced the ‘Success Maker’ in 29 primary schools and continues to convene regular staff development sessions for teachers on how to use the ‘Jolly Phonics low cost literacy and numeracy software to supplement work in the classroom.
The Success Maker software, used to reinforce literacy and numeracy concepts, was piloted in four schools in 2000, under the Primary Education Improvement Project (PEIP), implemented in 14 schools and, as a result of the success achieved, it will be extended to 50 primary schools by the end of April.
An NCERD report said the programme used in grades one to three classes has been having a positive impact on schoolchildren learning outcomes.
It said the programme has been able to generate a 50 per cent reading improvement in pupils enrolled on the systems after 25 sessions on the computer and 75 per cent improvement in Mathematics in the same number of sessions.
The compilation also noted that the innovation has created positive behavioural patterns in pupils, they are more focused, fluent in reading and have a more disciplined attitude towards learning.

Strategic plan
Consequently, the Education Ministry, in its 2008-2013 Strategic Plan, projects to equip all secondary schools and 50 per cent of primary schools with computer laboratories by 2012.
At the primary level, emphasis is being placed on teacher training, curriculum development and creation of interactive materials for use in the schools and for distance education.
Aside from the Success Maker and Jolly Phonics, the Connecting Classroom Programme has been engaged. It is a web-based learning and social network process that enables students in the hinterland to access the same teaching and learning opportunities as the children on the coastland.
Notably, the IT component of the five-year strategic plan sets Guyana on a trajectory to move beyond technological literacy into the stage of knowledge deepening, characterised by an education system where there is knowledge application in complex problem solving, the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools in knowledge dissemination and sharing and the improvement of teachers’ capacity to guide and facilitate learning.
The Ministry said, in the effort to ensure that teachers are adequately prepared to use computers for teaching and learning, it has developed an ICT competency framework for them. It provides a road map for teachers’ professional development in ICT and makes available the training opportunities for teachers to develop appropriate skills.
Support for that undertaking has been provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth of Learning and Microsoft Corporation, the Ministry said.
Education Minister Shaik Baksh had previously announced that, on the new teacher education and training reform agenda, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the University of Education (UG) will be equipped with a state-of-the-art computer laboratory for teachers pursuing related programmes.
He said the primary objective is to ensure that every teacher, who graduates from CPCE, is computer literate and can use it as a teaching and learning tool.