Education

Education Will Not Remain The Same-Mrs Dr Olonisakin

Published

4 years ago

October 15, 2020

Joel Ajayi

The President Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Dr (Mrs) Omobolanle Olonisakin has averred that the educational system will not remain the same until the cure for COVID:19 pandemic is discovered. The DEPOWA President made the disclosure at a three-day capacity building workshop organized for teachers and instructors of the DEPOWA Schools and Skills Acquisition centre, in Abuja.

According to Dr Olonisakin, “we are all aware education cannot remain the same until a cure for coronavirus is available. So with this workshop on Post COVID-19 blended teaching techniques, our teachers have been updated on how to complement face to face learning with online learning option.”

Mrs Olonisakin said the training and retraining of teachers is a panacea in the teaching profession towards optimizing the academic performance of students in external and internal examinations, as well as meeting the dynamics of the ever-changing world.

On the theme of the workshop, which was “Post COVID-19: Customized Blended Teaching Techniques,” the wife of the Defence Chief explained that due to the pandemic, schools around the world are adopting blended learning as a new normal which is part of curriculum restructuring and redesigning efforts.

She explained that blended learning strives to provide students face to face and online experiences, describing blended classroom structures as instructive techniques which include: direct instruction, lecture group discussions and small group work, as well as the application of technology to aid in-class online learning to enable students to study while at home.

Dr Olonisakin appreciated the IB8 Ventures resource persons for updating DEPOWA teachers with the requisite skills on how to complement physical and online learning while urging the teachers to inculcate the knowledge gained on their students to enable them be creative and innovative in solving issues. She commended the teachers’ resilience in imparting knowledge to the students as reflected in their performance in previous common entrance examinations.

In his remarks, the Lead Consultant of IB8 Ventures, Mr Kunle Olatunji, COVID-19 pandemic has enforced individuals and organizations in adapting to the global change, adding that is the reason IB8 ventures is working closely with DEPOWA in order to ensure its teachers are well trained with this new reality.

Mr Olatunji who commended the DEPOWA leadership for the partnership pointed out that DEPOWA school teachers were now better informed and equipped on the implication of blended teaching technique.

The Commandant of DEPOWA Schools, Lieutenant Commander Caroline Njoku, expressed her appreciation to the DEPOWA President for her commitment and support towards ensuring that the school retained its feats as a centre for academic excellence.

The Commandant expressed optimism that the DEPOWA schools were keying into the post-COVID-19 dispensation learning process, noting that the knowledge acquired by the participants during the workshop would further enhance their technological skill.

Lectures delivered during the workshop include An overview of blended teaching techniques and the new normal, blended learning strategies, transitioning to blended learning – the duties and roles of the creative teachers, the teacher and blended teaching/learning techniques-teachers roles and duties, among others.

It would be recalled that DEPOWA in 2019 held a three-day teachers’ workshop with the theme, “Higher Orders Thinking and Teaching Skills – A Recipe for National Development.”

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Education

NGO Seeks For Partnership In Building Young Talents in Robotics Skill

Published

7 days ago

January 29, 2025

The Gleamer

Mariam Sanni

The Founder of Coderina EDTECH, Olajide Ajayi has emphasized the need for broader stakeholder involvement in building young talent in robotics, coding and digital skills, particularly from the corporate and non -profit sectors, to enhance the program’s impact.

Ajayi said this in an interview with pressmen at the opening ceremony of 2024/2025 First LEGO League Nigeria championship in Robotics held in Abuja .

He explained that the program is aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent in robotics, coding, and digital skills.

According to him, the program was initiated in 2012 and expanded in 2016 through a partnership with the Ministry of Education, has inspired over 10,000 students and influenced educational policies.

He added that the initiative has also motivated students to create their own organizations and tech solutions, highlighting the importance of problem-solving and critical thinking in innovation

“Students are not only learning but also creating solutions to community problems, such as the Emmanuel robot created by Federal Government Girls College. The program has led to the creation of new organizations and companies by participants, and many seek mentoring to scale their solutions globally.

“Critical thinking and the ability to see problems as opportunities for innovation are key to solving challenges.The program encourages participants to think critically and create solutions to real-world problems. Innovation happens when individuals can identify and resolve challenges in their communities.

He identified the Federal Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, as well as the Ministry of Science and Technology, as key stakeholders, calling for more partnership with the agencies.

He said that increased involvement from these stakeholders would benefit the program and its participants.

Ajayi reiterated that the program aims to continue growing and inspiring more young people to create and innovate with technology.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa who was represented by the Director of Technology and Science Education, Dr MA Olodo during his welcome address at the event, said the the programme is showcasing the outstanding achievement of young minds who have worked tirelessly to design, build and programme robots.

He added that it is also a powerful platform that encourages participants to tackle real-world problems through innovative, teamwork, impact and discovery .

“The competition’s four core elements – Research , Robot Design, Core , Values and the Robot Game – highlight the diverse skills required to excel in the AI – driven World. It is my hope that every team here has not only advanced their technical skills but also cultivated critical life skills such as teamwork , problem- solving and resilience,” he stated.

He urged all stakeholders to support the winners in their journey to represent Nigeria at the International Championship , noting that this will create life changing opportunities for the young innovators.

The competition is among 1000 participants who are young talents and over 40 secondary schools across the country .

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