FCTA Trains Teachers, Staff on Digital Teaching System
By: Sunday Shekwonya
In a quest to promote digitalized teaching method in the nation’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in collaboration with the British Council, has engaged its teachers and staff on three days training on Digital Teaching and Evaluation System.
The Director, Department of Quality Assurance, FCTA, Dr. Favour Edem-Nse, revealed this during an interview on Wednesday, in one of the training venues at Government Secondary School, Apo Resettlement, Abuja.
Edem-Nse, said the training that has lasted for three days, is aimed at improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning for both Teachers and students through digital orientation to the FCTA staff, especially the evaluators from the Department of Quality Assurance across the FCT Schools.
The Director reiterated that, teachers in Nigeria, particularly in the FCT needs to gain 21st century skills, especially in modern teaching equipments such as the computer, projector and learn how to use various teaching computer applications that will help the teachers, as well as the FCT education evaluators move along with the digital trend of 21st century.
She re-emphasized that, one cannot give what he does not have; thus, the FCT Administration has seen the need to train the teachers and education evaluators from the Department of Quality Assurance to enable them provide an effective monitoring services in various schools in the FCT.
Edem-Nse, enjoined all the participants of the training to use the opportunity offered to them by the FCT Administration to judiciously focus, learn, and continue to practice often whatever they must have been taught during the training; stressing that, the World has gone digital and traditional teaching methods would soon be gotten rid of.
Speaking with the facilitators’ team leader of Apo Training Centre, Dr. Peace Sorochi, revealed that the British Council as Non-Governmental Organization initiated this training to the World immediately after the COVID-19 that compelled many organizations across the globe to switch to digital way of interaction with one another.
Sorochi revealed that this training has been going on in various states across Nigeria for quite sometime; adding that the three days training here in Abuja is taking place in five centres, which are: Apo, Karu, Gwagwalada, Kubwa and Karu respectively.
She also emphasized that the training is being organized by the FCT Administration in collaboration with the British Council in order to build the skills of the teachers and their learners on basic Computer teaching applications.
According to Sorochi: “the training has focused on two basic Points which are: STRIDE and SPRINT. So, Stride means, Stimulating Teacher Resourcefulness in Digital Education, while sprint means, Supporting Pedagogical Rigour in Networked Teaching.”
She explained that with this training, the FCT staff and teachers will acquire the 21st Century Skills necessary to equip their learners share messages, save messages online and to help the FCTA succeed in lifelong learning; thereby, contribute to bridging the digital divide.
Speaking with the participants, Mrs. Osuagwu Cornellia, Deputy Director, Department of Quality Assurance, FCTA, expressed her enthusiasm over the three days training; saying that she has been impacted with huge knowledge on some teaching computer applications that can enable her switch from traditional to modern style of teaching and evaluation which has little or no stress.
Mr. Amadi Ugochukwu, a teacher in Government Secondary School (GSS) Garki, who is one of the participants, said if the FCT Administration can make the digital facilities available in the FCT schools, most of the schools may abandon analogue pattern of teaching and embrace digital method.