The Ministry of Education has partnered with the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the ProFuturo Foundation to have all teachers in Guyana provided with foundational concepts and understanding of the role of innovation and Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the delivery of education.
“It is important that regardless of the time we live in or under what circumstances, our teachers and the Ministry of Education must be equipped with the skills and tools to ensure we continue to educate our students,” the Ministry noted.
According to the Ministry, the ProFuturo teacher training is intended to rapidly bring teachers up-to-speed with knowledge and skills to allow them to begin delivering learning online, based on sound principles.
The training is broken down into two tracks; Innovation and ICT, with each track consisting of modules across four levels, basic, intermediate, advanced, and professional.
The total recommended duration for all modules is 100 hours. Training will be delivered on the ProFuturo platform, with coaches assigned to groups of 20 teachers to provide support during the learning journey.
The Ministry further added that the training is timely as it will increase awareness of methodologies, tools, and basic skills needed for the online delivery of education. This will address learning at a distance during COVID-19 and enable teachers to engage in online, hybrid, and blended approaches post COVID-19.
To ensure all teachers receive free access to the ProFuturo platform, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and Digicel Guyana have agreed to zero-rate access to all the relevant text related material required for completing the training modules on the platform.
This means that any teacher that goes on the ProFuturo platform will not have to use their personal data or internet services for the relevant text-based material. In fact, they would not need a data plan. However, supplementary YouTube videos that are not absolutely necessary to complete the training modules will incur data charges.
The Ministry of Education said that it is thankful for this collaboration to ensure all the teachers’ accessibility to improve their skills in education delivery as they become better aligned with the demands of the 21st Century.
Upon completion of the course, each teacher will receive certification that will be recognized by the Ministry of Education.
“Distance learning has never been more relevant and necessary. For many, it is a learning experience which highlights the need to develop systems and to train our educators to perform their duties despite the challenges,” the missive concluded.
Teachers can get registered by visiting the link: www.education.gov.gy/retoolingteachers.
