Latest news with #teachertraining
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Science
- Mail & Guardian
Inquiry-Based training for natural sciences and mathematics teachers in Eden and Central Karoo education district, Western Cape
Advancing Knowledge NPC (AK NPC) rounded off its 2025 training programme in inquiry-based STEM education training in George for grades 6-9 natural sciences and mathematics teachers that served to prepare teachers for the practical and experimental (inquiry-based) work to be completed during a particular school term. This project was a partnership between AK NPC and Inkcubeko Youth & Science Centre supported by the curriculum division of the WCED Eden and Central Karoo Education District. The AK NPC programme had its opening 2-day training session in February 2025 for both natural sciences and mathematics – life sciences in natural science and whole numbers, fractions, integers and exponents in mathematics which form the part of curriculum content addressed in the first school term. On 11 and 12 April 2025 the second term content were addressed namely the chemistry component in natural sciences, and numeric and geometric patterns, functions and relations in grade 6-9 mathematics. On 25 and 26 July, the last part of the 2025 natural science and mathematics programme was conducted at the conference venues of the Eden and Central Karoo Head Office in George. A total of 43 teachers attended the natural science session and 34 teachers participated in mathematics. The training approach adopted and agreed upon by the partnership is directed at providing teachers with inquiry skills to effectively allow learners to think practically about the two subjects. The head of the Inkcubeko Youth and Science Centre, Mr Innocent Ndlovu did the official welcoming while Prof Hartley, Director of AK NPC encouraged teachers to ensure that they inculcate the inquiry-based skills in their everyday lessons. The Eden & Central Karoo Education District was represented by subject advisors Mr Keenan Rasmus and Ms Memory Dhiza who motivated teachers to fully participate in the natural science and mathematics sessions respectively. PLANET EARTH & BEYOND (ASTRONOMY) AS A FOCUS AREA OF THE NATURAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM The astronomy session was conducted on Friday 25 July 2025 and facilitated by the effervescent Mark Ogilvie and Andrew Firth, a doctoral student in Astronomy. Facilitators were supported by AK NPC staff Saadiqah Fraden (science intern) and Melissa Petersen (Projects Coordinator). Teachers were guided through a journey that started on Planet Earth and included the various components of our solar system, the Milky Way and nearby galaxies in the universe. Teachers were provided with hands-on activities and teaching resources to determine, amongst others the phases and positions of the moon, the effect of the moon on tides and seasons, sedimentation rock formation on earth, developing pressurised rockets and Mars Rover activities. Software that provided teachers with detailed understanding of the planets in the solar system with content they could easily use in their lessons was loaded on their laptops. Teachers were constructively engaged through inquiry-based activities in a hands-on creative space provided by the facilitators. The interactive nature of the sessions were specifically developed to allow teachers to ask questions but also to be able to try the activities out on their own. Many teachers stayed behind to interact with the facilitators to further understand the application of the teaching resources so that they could apply it in their astronomy lessons. ENERGY & CHANGE (PHYSICS) AS A FOCUS AREA OF NATURAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM The energy and change session were conducted on Saturday 26 July 2025 and facilitated by the experienced Robert Solomon supported by the AK NPC staff. Teachers were guided from elementary experiments and investigative activities which they could directly apply in their energy and change lessons including developing a compass, energy transfers (convection, conduction and radiation), forces, electricity and electromagnetism. The application of everyday substances as teaching resources to illustrate the concepts, principles and theories in physics resonated with teachers as they keenly and enthusiastically participated in the practical activities of curriculum content. Teachers were provided with hands-on examples of readily available resources and alternative (to the textbook) ways of teaching energy changes (potential, kinetic, electrical) and forces including the aspects of forces that play a role in everyday life. Teachers were challenged with scenarios of cells and batteries, components of electric circuits where they had to draw circuits, build electric circuits, make predictions and test whether their predictions were correct. APPLYING INQUIRY-BASED STRATEGIES IN THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS The Mathematics course was conducted in parallel to natural science on 25 and 26 July 2025 by two experienced facilitators, Dr Victor Hess and Dr Clyde Felix supported by AK NPC staff. The course content covered for the third and fourth term of intersen phase included Geometry of straight lines and 2D shapes, transformation geometry, graphs, area and perimeter of 2D shapes, and surface area and volume of 3D objects. The facilitators went to great lengths to provide a safe and engaging environment in which teachers could present their approaches to teaching the above content and have a discussion of the inquiry-based strategies that could be applied as an alternative to consider. Facilitators worked within the teachers' parameters of workload, time and class sizes to carefully craft inquiry-based approaches when engaging with the content. Each section of the term's mathematics content were deliberated to allow teachers' their perspectives on including inquiry skills into their lessons. The following are some of the perceptions of natural science teachers expressed after the course: I really enjoyed this course on energy and change. I am currently teaching this part of the work and it came at the right time. The fact we could use products that is readily available helps a lot. I am glad I came to this course. [Teacher]. Both sessions on astronomy and energy and change are very helpful as it gives me the confidence to do practical work with the learners. Nothing was scary about this course, we just learned, and learned and learned. I recorded all the practicals and will definitely implement it in my lessons. [Teacher] As a former biology teacher who is new to natural science, the course reminded of the importance of practical or inquiry teaching for our learners. I was pleasantly surprised by how the astronomy content can be tackled practically. Learners will definitely be impressed with the type of activities they will be doing in the last term [Teacher] I am encouraging teachers to make a start with the activities that they received here. Its more about getting learners excited and interested in science. [Science Subject Advisor]. The following are some of the reflections of mathematics teachers after the course: My colleagues and I found out about the course by accident. This was an important course for us as we could share some of our frustrations and learn from each other and the facilitators on how to tackle the maths content in our big classes. [Teacher] The course resolved some of my challenges in teaching the mathematics content. One thing I enjoyed was how to save some time to concentrate on those aspects of mathematics that continue from intermediate to senior up to FET phase. [Teacher] I initially indicated that I wanted to give up on teaching mathematics at my school. I have gained some belief back by our discussion of how to approach some of the content to allow learners to grasp the content better. These inquiry-based strategies are very interesting. [Teacher] I am glad so many mathematics teachers heeded my request to attend the course. I listened to some of them and have a better understanding of the needs of teachers and to provide different strategies to make the work more interesting.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- General
- Times of Oman
Labour Ministry announces over 1000 job opportunities
Muscat: The Ministry of Labour, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and accredited universities, has announced the availability of 1,000 opportunities to obtain an "Educational Qualification Diploma." This initiative aims to prepare candidates to later compete for the post of a teacher at the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Labour clarified that applicants must meet the following conditions: Be an Omani national (male), hold a bachelor's degree from a higher education institution inside or outside Oman, obtained through full-time study, have a graduation GPA of at least 2.3 out of 4.0 or its equivalent in other grading systems, for degrees obtained outside Oman, the bachelor's certificate must be accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, with no fewer than 60 credit hours for humanities and individual skills majors or 45 credit hours for applied disciplines (as per Appendix A). The conditions also state that applicants must pass the specialized subject test, be medically fit for the teaching profession, be registered as a job seeker in the Ministry of Laborur's system and haven't previously received government-funded training. The ministry confirmed that the programme will be fully funded by the government, with trainees receiving a monthly allowance of OMR120 for nine months under a training contract. The programme will last one academic year (two semesters) and includes practical training (teaching practice) in Omani schools. Study will be conducted on a full-time basis, with the diploma requiring no fewer than 30 credit hours or their equivalent.
The Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Herald
Isuzu-developed AI, robotics centre in Gqeberha boosts STEM education
The centre offers five-day teacher training workshops, structured lesson plans, assessments and 12 months of educator support. The facility will also be used to host robotics competitions and coding showcases, promoting pupil engagement and community pride. 'The handover aligns with our corporate strategy, which identifies education as one of the key focus areas in our societal leadership pillar,' said Celestin Ndhlovu, vice-president of corporate services at Isuzu Motors SA. 'The centre will redefine the learning experience for children and as the Eastern Cape department of education we are proud to witness a programme that prepares our children to participate in a rapidly changing and digitally-driven world,' said Lutho Kota, Eastern Cape education department director for e-teaching and e-learning. 'With Isuzu Motors SA we are showing what is possible when we invest in learners and the teachers who guide them, unlocking potential in classrooms and communities,' said Nxasana. TimesLIVE
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Call for teacher anti-racism training in south-east England
Calls are being made to increase training for teachers dealing with racism in the classroom following a rise in suspensions in Kent comes as one young Kent woman opened up about the racism she experienced during her school years when she was "ganged up on" by classmates.A leader of the head teachers' trade union and the chief executive of a national race equality think tank told BBC South East more could be done to back teachers in confronting government says racism and discrimination have "absolutely no place in our schools". Latest figures show there were 223 suspensions for racist abuse in Kent and Medway during the 2023/24 spring up from 146 suspensions issued during the same term the year Likuluta, aged 21, told the BBC how she suffered from racism as a teenager at her school."It was the most difficult time in my life," she said."I was ganged up on by some of my peers, and they were backing the people saying racist comments to me."She took it upon herself to challenge racism when she became head girl."I got to a point where I said 'you know what, a change needs to be made and that change started with me,'" she said. Dr Shabna Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, a race equality think tank, said: "Our research on specific subject areas like history, english literature and art and design shows time and again that teachers feel ill-equipped to talk about race and racism in their classrooms."Ms Begum said many teachers avoid the race issue as they "are worried they will get it wrong."She said: "Initial teacher education should require all new teachers to undergo training on antiracism, inclusion and diversity." This should be considered "a key competency for entering the teaching profession", Dr Begum Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "Schools do a huge amount to tackle racism and work hard to support pupils to develop positive and respectful relationships so that all students feel accepted and valued."However, we should always strive to do more, and we are calling for everyone working in schools to receive regular mandatory anti-racism training as part of the Keeping Children Safe in Education training." Adapting practices The Department for Education has been reviewing the National Curriculum, and Show Racism the Red Card has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget anti-racism education charity is calling for teachers and other school staff to receive training on racist Brighton & Hove, the city council introduced an anti-racist education strategy in including anti-racist training for teachers have already been council says the training has helped to give school staff a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of the impact of racial Sparham, a primary school teacher, is one of the council's anti-racist education advisers."Our approach is to support teachers to have a fuller knowledge of what race and racism is so they can adapt their own practice," she added. A Kent County Council spokesperson said "awareness of the issues and access to support has increased", while Medway Council said in a statement that it offers "a range of support to schools, including training for staff, and support for Medway's young people to help them achieve their full potential".A Department for Education spokesperson said its mission was to "break down the barriers to opportunity"."Our independent curriculum and assessment review aims to deliver a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented," they said. If you have been affected by any of these issues you can find support at the BBC Action Line here.
CNN
08-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic are investing millions to train teachers how to use AI
A group of leading tech companies is teaming up with two teachers' unions to train 400,000 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers in artificial intelligence over the next five years. The National Academy of AI Instruction, announced on Tuesday, is a $23 million initiative backed by Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, the national American Federation of Teachers and New York-based United Federation of Teachers. As part of the effort, the group says it will develop AI training curriculum for teachers that can be distributed online and at an in-person campus in New York City. The announcement comes as schools, teachers and parents grapple with whether and how AI should be used in the classroom. Educators want to make sure students know how to use a technology that's already transforming workplaces, while teachers can use AI to automate some tasks and spend more time engaging with students. But AI also raises ethical and practical questions, which often boil down to: If kids use AI to assist with schoolwork and teachers use AI to help with lesson planning or grading papers, where is the line between advancing student learning versus hindering it? Some schools have prohibited the use of AI in classrooms, while others have embraced it. In New York City, the education department banned the use of ChatGPT from school devices and networks in 2023, before reversing course months later and developing an AI policy lab to explore the technology's potential. The new academy hopes to create a national model for how schools and teachers can integrate AI into their curriculum and teaching processes, without adding to the administrative work that so often burdens educators. 'AI holds tremendous promise but huge challenges—and it's our job as educators to make sure AI serves our students and society, not the other way around,' AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. 'The academy is a place where educators and school staff will learn about AI—not just how it works, but how to use it wisely, safely and ethically.' The program will include workshops, online courses and in-person trainings designed by AI experts and educators, and instruction will begin this fall. Microsoft is set to invest $12.5 million in the training effort over the next five years, and OpenAI will contribute $10 million — $2 million of which will be in in-kind resources such as computing access. Anthropic plans to invest $500 million in the project's first year and may spend more over time. The tech companies involved also stand to benefit by gaining feedback from teachers and potentially getting their AI tools in the hands of educators and students around the country. Similar educational partnerships have been a boon to tech companies in the past — Google Chromebooks, for example, are widely used in part because of their popularity in classrooms. Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer at OpenAI, told CNN at the program's launch event in New York City on Tuesday that the trainings will be a mix of general information on how AI systems work and specific instruction on tools from Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic. There's also potential for new AI products to be developed by or in partnership with the teachers. 'How can we make sure that, in the K-12 context, that we're equipping those kids, those students, with the skills that they're going to need to be able to succeed in what we think of as the intelligence age?' Lehane said during the event. 'And you can't do that unless it's actually given to the teachers to do that work.'
