One admirable quality with which I was very impressed when I evaluated the website islcollective.com, is the fact that it is serviced by a community of foreign language teachers. It is clear that these teachers work tirelessly to create and share materials which would assist with the teaching and learning of foreign language. From this collaborative effort by these teachers I was able to deduce that we need more websites such as these. I am aware that there are others such as liveworksheets.com and tes.com, which also provide worksheets and other materials. Nevertheless, what is preventing us Barbadian teachers from creating such a website which would cater more to our syllabi? We are all working towards a common goal and we all want the best for our students. Thus, I believe that a collaborative approach such as the one by the teachers of islcollective.com, would augur well for us and our students. There is without a doubt a need for more websites such as these, which would be of more benefit to both students and teachers. We are currently experiencing a decline in the number of students who are pursuing foreign languages` not only in Barbados but across the Caribbean. I firmly believe that with websites such as these we can promote and encourage the pursuit of foreign languages. Let us not forget that as the Chinese proverb states:
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Sophie, your question is thought-provoking, extending beyond foreign languages to all academic disciplines. The available online resources lack content that is relevant or designed to align with our local syllabus. It is imperative for teachers to collaborate and create online resources that cater to the needs of Barbadian students, teachers, and, by extension, the Caribbean region. Currently, most sites originate outside the region, presenting content that doesn't cater to our specific needs or assessment criteria. Thus, there needs to be a greater emphasis on developing sites with content tailored for local students, examination bodies, and the workforce. While examples from outside the region will still add value by offering a global perspective, striking a balance is crucial. We must ensure that the content remains relatable and applicable to the daily lives of our students. This balance is essential for effective education, deepening understanding, and keeping students engaged and interested in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI concur with Meesha. We need to make our mark on a global scale and document content that can be utilized within our classrooms and shared with the world. However, I believe that lack of funding may be a major reason for this dearth in online resources that are applicable to the Barbadian or Caribbean context.
ReplyDeleteYes, Sophie. I agree with you and Meesha. We need locally produced teaching resources. It has been proposed and proposed over and again with little achievement. Teachers do things in their schools or groups but nothing that is shared too far. The media resource department at the Ministry of Education has being work mainly for the Primary Schools, but I have participated in ONE for the Secondary School Visual Arts , but you would have hardly heard about it. There is no sustained movement to create or distribute these resources.
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