Save the Date!

The

CAMDU CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT UNIT

Eduval! The first ever EDUVAL – ‘The Educational Carnival Experience’ was produced in the third term of the 2011-12 academic year. It has been observed that students across the island have very few opportunities to participate in or examine the Saint Lucian Carnival which is an essential part of our culture and a component of the CSEC Theatre Arts Syllabus, and one of the few forms in which all the components of the syllabus can be taught. Students participated in workshops in costume making held by the St Lucia Carnival Bands Association and schools participated in the Eduval parade displaying Ole Mass and Pretty Mas costumes. (continued on page 2)

Global Social Studies Clubs in Secondary Schools

The Ministry of Education, through the Social Science department of the Curriculum and Materials Development Unit has undertaken to introduce the Global Social Studies Club to secondary schools on the island. The Global Social Studies club will be facilitated by Ms. Yuriko Nakamura, Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV), Youth Activity Volunteer, and supported by the Curriculum Specialist – Social Science. (continued on page 3)

History: Wednesday 7th Nov

Choir Prelims: 12th to 16th Nov Schools’ Choir Competition Preliminaries

Reading: Tuesday 30th Oct Courts Reading Competition at the National Cultural Centre from 10 am

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2

History Teachers’ Association launching

Newsletter

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Eduval (Continued from front page…)

The participating schools were Soufriere Comprehensive, St Mary’s College, Vieux Fort Campus A and Castries Comprehensive. There was also an exhibition on the history of the St Lucian carnival on display. Miss Eduval was held on Saturday 21 July under the theme ‘Celebrating Our Glorious Past’, paying tribute to past Carnival Queens who have won the regional Miss Caribees competition as well. These past queens are Heather Yorke (1967), Allison Alleyne (1969), Sybil Deligny (1972), Ann Simon (1974), Sheila Semei (1978) and Cleopatra Hall (1985). The following students competed in the pageant: Akiva Phulgence (Entrepot Secondary), Marcc Tomy (Gros Islet Secondary), Nakayla Williams (Bonne Terre Preparatoy), Anessa Henry (Castries Comprehensive) and Elisa Calderon (Bocage Secondary). The contestants competed in four categories namely Ole mas portrayal, pretty mas portrayal, talent and interview with Marcc Tomy from the Gros Islet Secondary School winning the competition. Eduval will be held annually in the Third Term. Registration and training workshops for the programme will begin in November 2012. For further Information please contact the Theatre Arts Curriculum Officer, Kentillia Louis.

CSEC Geography teachers attended a workshop organized by the Social Science Department of the Curriculum and Materials Development unit (CAMDU), to deal with the burning issues of Map Reading. This is one area on the Geography exam where students continue to perform poorly. Ms. Pamela Roberts who is a Table Leader at CXC and Mr. Alex Hobson, an Assistant Examiner at CXC conducted the session. The two competent CXC trained experts helped teachers gain the skills and competencies required to better implement the Geography curriculum to their form four and form five students. Teachers were actively engaged in Map Reading activities, which were held on Friday 28th September 2012, at the University of the West Indies, Open Campus.

Map Reading Workshop for CSEC Geography Teachers

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Global Social Studies Clubs in Secondary Schools (Continued from front page…)

The main objectives of the club are as follows:

1. To provide students with positive and regular engagement where those from different schools actively participate with others of similar interest.

2. To help students develop insight into the world and explore ways to contribute to St. Lucian and global society through learning about and discussing local and international issues and their connection to our daily life.

3. To familiarize students with the world and enhance their recognition of their responsibilities as global citizens.

Schools wishing to participate in the programme can contact Ms. Yuriko Nakamura - yuriko.nakamura@hotmail.com Telephone: 287 6360 or the Curriculum Specialist – Social Science, Telephone: 452 3522 / 453 7057.

History teachers in St. Lucia have come together to form an Association, which they believe will help improve students’ performance at the CSEC level. Teachers met at their annual workshop to discuss strategies and issues related to the teaching of the CSEC syllabus. There, the need for a formal association was identified. An interim committee was set up and the first meeting was conducted at the end of the workshop that same day. Members of the committee are:

Selma Biscette - Babonneau Secondary (President) Nicholina Jn Francois - Entrepot Secondary Sara Daniel - Vieux Fort Comprehensive/B Janice Stevens - St. Joseph’ Convent Nkrumah Lucien - St Mary’s College

The association is working towards its official launch on November 7th, 2012. Membership is open to all individuals with an interest in History. Application forms and constitution can be downloaded from www.camdu.edu.lc

Official launching of History Teachers’ Association on November 7th

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May is Reading Awareness Month

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freedom there is no peace. We may believe that the definition of peace is the absence of war but where we have semi-literates with no avenues for further learning or prospects for employment or self -development; this may give rise to inequity, conflict, crime and corruption, which has the potential to compromise peace. The aim then is to eradicate illiteracy as a means of promoting peace.

It is believed that educated societies are better geared to keep peace and that countries with a higher literacy rate are also high in the ranking of global peace. Literacy then can be a prerequisite for independent, prosperous and peaceful living.

Literacy is a fundamental human right and a powerful tool for social progress and development. Literate adults have the capacity to participate in political and economic activities for a country’s development and progress. A population of non-literates can hinder a nation’s progress.

For sustainable development to occur, a country has to ensure that every member of society is provided with a good quality of education to equip him or her with literacy competencies for life and for further learning. It is therefore education or literacy that will empower people so that they could effectively overcome poverty, underdevelopment, and unemployment and contribute to the cause of sustainable development and peace.

The following activities were held:

• National Reading Day: ‘St. Lucia reads’- Wednesday, May 09, 2012.

• Dental Spelling Bee- Wednesday, May 23.

• National Primary Spelling Bee- Wednesday, June 13.

• Courts OECS Reading Competition - competition at district levels.

• A Facebook page was also opened for Reading

month.

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Every year in May all schools in St. Lucia celebrate Reading Awareness Month. The objectives of Reading month are:

1. To raise the awareness of the importance of being able to read and write.

2. To cultivate a love of reading and writing.

3. To involve the school and community in reading and writing related events and activities.

4. To encourage students to experiment and explore creative writing (poem, songs, stories, plays etc.)

5. To expose students to various genre (reading and writing)

6. To help develop positive attitudes towards reading and writing

7. To encourage parents and caregivers to participate in the promotion of reading and writing literacy.

8. To collaborate with the public and private sector in the promotion of reading and writing literacy.

9. To expose teachers to best practices/research based practices in the teaching and reading and writing.

10. To showcase creative work of students and teachers in reading and writing.

For the academic year 2011-2012, the theme for Reading Month was: “Literacy for peace and sustainable human development.”

UNESCO defines literacy as the "ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society."

Studies have shown that there is a high level of co-relation between literacy and peace and between literacy and development. According to UNESCO’s Director General Koichiro Matsuura, “to be illiterate is to be unfree” and where there is no

CAMDU OCTOBER 2012

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Cross-Age-Tutoring Programme

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is able to read and comprehend. The administration guide for the MDRT has stipulated percentage markers for acceptable comprehension performance in determining the competence level. Table 2 illustrates the number of students whose reading performance improved after being exposed to the Cross-Age-Tutoring Programme in the areas of reading comprehension, sight word recognition and oral comprehension. Table 2 Number of Students with Improved Performance at Post-Test

Area of Reading Number of Students

Reading Comprehension

39 out of 49

Sight Word 34 out of 44

Oral Reading 34 out of 44

Reading Comprehension Level (RCL) is the benchmark variable of this study. It best captures students’ overall reading performance. The following histograms demonstrate the upward shift in students’ RCL in the 2011-2012 Cross-Age-Tutoring Programme. Comparison of RCL (Before and after implementation of C-A-T Program) Summary of the Findings Anecdotal data and statistical analyses support the value of the Cross Age Tutoring Programme to both teachers and students. Despite the limitations of the programme in this its early stages of development, and challenges faced by teachers and the coordinator of the programme, it has had a significantly positive impact on both teachers and the learning outcomes of participating students. Given the phenomenal feats accomplished during the implementation period, with students registering outstanding improvements in reading ability and attitude, and teachers demonstrating increased competence, there is little doubt that this programme merits greater attention, support, endorsement and extension to include other schools. You can see the full version of this report at www.camdu.edu.lc

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Brief Overview of the Programme The Cross Age Tutoring Program is an intervention designed by Curriculum Specialist (English), Rafer Gordon, and implemented in collaboration with Mrs. Shelly Ann James, Clinical Psychologist of the Special Education Unit. It brings partnering schools together where older struggling readers are trained to tutor younger struggling readers. The program was first piloted in 2010 with the initiating schools, Belle Vue Combined Primary and Anse Ger Secondary. Due to the outstanding results of the first pilot the decision was taken to conduct a second implementation, this time with new developments such as the use of Mico trained teachers as assessors and administrators of the MICO Diagnostic Reading Test (MDRT) which measures levels of reading competence in students. This report provides a description and summation of the findings of this research project. The programme is now in its second phase running from October 2011 to June 2012. Anse Ger, Piaye and Vieux Fort Technical Secondary Schools along with Vieux Fort Infant School and Belle Vue Combined, Piaye and Vieux Fort Primary are all participating schools. The programme is now catering for 60 students at the Secondary level, ranging from form 1 – 3 and 60 students at the Primary level ranging from grade 2 – 4. Assessment In order to evaluate students’ progress as a result of their exposure to the C-A-T programme from the first pilot, objective measures of their performance before and after participation were taken. Students were assessed with the MDRT, a regionally developed instrument which evaluates students’ performance, identifying strengths and weaknesses in reading. Assessors were teachers with formal training in the administration of the MDRT either under the Basic Education Enhancement Project (BEEP) or during their own studies at the MICO University. Assessments were conducted at the students’ schools over a two-day period at the start of the first term and at the end of the third term.

Operationalization of Variables Reading Competence Level (RCL) refers to the demonstrated reading ability of the student. More specifically, it shows what grade level material a student

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Wordsplash Poetry Festival

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to execute those workshops as new trainers. Workshops were conducted for primary schools formally introducing them to the festival with a presentation of its rationale, materials and demonstrations of effective approaches to the teaching of poetry. The materials included a poetry pack, which provides teachers with sample poems, approaches and exercises. A similar pack was created for secondary schools. Three zonal festivals were held across the island: Gros Islet, Dennery and Soufriere with twenty secondary schools participating. The festival culminated in a poetry competition where fifteen (15) schools were represented and competed in four categories. A new segment was created in the competition for the first time and three teachers participated.

Competition Results! Original Writings

1. Lily Lawrence – St. Joseph’s Convent 2. Henry Romaine – Micoud Secondary School 3. Brittanny Henry – Castries Comprehensive Secondary School

Performed Originals 1. Rachel Fredrick - Gros Islet Secondary 2. Swithin Frederick – Castries Comprehensive Sec. School 3. Cline Alexander - Vieux Fort Comprehensive - Campus B

Interpretations Category

1. Kishara Dupie and Ninas – Marigot Secondary school 2. Corinth Secondary School 3. Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary - Campus A

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Congratulations are in order for the tremendous efforts of teachers with this years’ Wordsplash Poetry Festival. It came to a fantastic finale at Samaans Park with the Poetry Competition. By all accounts the standard has been maintained and significant gains were made. Teachers are encouraged to keep engaging their students throughout the year in similar activities, as much as possible. Here is a summary of the activities and accomplishments in this year’s festival. A documentary highlighting the Wordsplash Poetry Festival was released, informing of the purpose and accomplishments of the festival. A Train the Trainers Workshop in the teaching of poetry writing was started. Teachers were required to pilot the workshop last term as the first phase. The second phase is to review and renew the workshop, which is to be completed this term after which teachers will engage in an exchange program

Collaborations 1. Choiseul Secondary School – group

performance 2. Micoud Secondary School – Desyl

Francis and Yosha Belle Williams 3. Babonneau Secondary School – group

performance

Teachers 1. Alice Medard 2. Jonathon Edmund 3. Femi Renee

Most Supportive School Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary

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Music Education Workshops

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the recorder to play melodies in unison and harmony, to its use as a tool to teach elements in music. Teachers in groups developed music lessons and demonstrated the use of the recorder to teach rhythm, form and melody. This was accomplished successfully and the teachers are now equipped to add more dimensions to teaching in the classroom. Choral Workshop

On the 8th of June, Districts 7 and 8 held a Choral workshop. The teachers voiced the need for the workshop because of the upcoming choir competition in November. The workshop focused on audition procedures, Choral warm ups and connecting choral warm ups to the repertoire. At the end of the session the teachers requested another choral session. On the 15th of June the teachers auditioned and did choral warm ups. There was a need for the teachers to go through what they wanted their students to do. They were very enthusiastic about the session. The plan is to continue with the Districts 7 and 8 teachers' choir in the new academic year! Stay tuned!

Competition Results! The first ever Gospel Singing Competition for Primary Schools was won by Deshawn Augustin of Vieux Fort Primary. The trophy for the Solo Singing Competition for Secondary Schools was captured by Shan Lucien of Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School Campus A. District 6 was proud of their achievement - very impressive performances! This is just the beginning for these two budding artistes. Watch out for them St. Lucia!

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Jazz Education Workshop for Teachers

For the past three years Labowi Promotions in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has organised a very successful series of Jazz Ed Workshops for teachers in Districts 5 and 6. The teachers are generally treated to a performance by one of the artistes who perform at Jazz in the South. On the 2nd of May this year, the artiste was Maryse Ngalulu. She captivated the teachers with her flair for infusing music with her dancing. "Music is for dancing in Congo,” she says. The teachers were particularly impressed with the use of music software to produce African rhythms. "I am pleased that Labowi Promotions shares my vision for Music Education in schools, and every year the music teachers look forward to the Jazz Ed Workshop and to get an opportunity to interact with the jazz artistes" remarked Priscilla Lucien, Curriculum Officer for Music. Recorder Workshop for Music teachers From the 28th to the 29th of March, there was a Recorder Workshop for Music teachers in Districts 6 and 5 respectively. This year saw a shift of focus from the use of

CAMDU OCTOBER 2012

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The School Thrift Co-operative Programme

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GOALS 1. To develop proficiency in economic

management. 2. To increase knowledge of Co-operative

principles, values and practices. 3. To improve socio-economic status through

the promotion of regular savings. 4. To develop an appreciation of the value of

thrift, savings and money management. 5. To enhance the skills of teachers in financial

management and control. 6. To assist teachers in ensuring that the

operations of School Co-operatives are managed effectively and efficiently.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide assistance in establishing the Co-operative programme in schools where this is non-existent.

2. Organise and conduct training workshops. 3. Visit all School Co-operatives to ensure

accuracy and up-to-datedness of records. 4. Provide support materials and supplies. 5. Collaborate with staff of Co-operative

Department and other relevant agencies and financial institutions in providing resources (materials and human) for the programme.

6. Recognise student members, Teacher Supervisors and School Co-operatives for achievements.

7. Collaborate with other Curriculum Officers in ensuring the integration of the Co-operative programme into areas of the curriculum that allow for such inclusion.

STATUS

• 72 Schools with Thrift Co-operatives • Twinning with established Credit Unions • About EC $1,885, 000.00 in assets • About 10,300 members

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The growth in both membership and savings in School Thrift Co-operatives over the years is sufficient proof that the School

Co-operative Programme is helping to educate the young and parents on the value of Thrift and money management.

Students participating in the Thrift Programme are given practical experiences in depositing and withdrawing money. Each saver is provided with a Pass-book on which his/her savings activities are recorded. Consequently, savers are able to keep a personal record of how their savings grow.

MISSION STATEMENT The School Co-operative Programme seeks to develop in students an understanding and appreciation of the value of thrift and savings through the promotion of sound money management practices, and to improve their skills in the management and operations of established School Co-operatives. Students are also provided with opportunities to develop their leadership skills and to participate in decision- making.

CAMDU OCTOBER 2012

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Professional Development Exercises for Staff One of the main goals of the Curriculum and Materials Development Unit (CAMDU) for the academic year 2010-2011 is staff professional development. To this end, members of staff have been participating in professional development activities aimed at developing staff individually, and improving the quality of service offered to the education system.

CLINICAL SUPERVISION In December 2010, Mrs. Sheila Constantine facilitated a session on Clinical Supervision with staff, to further enhance the skills required to support teachers in the system. This became even more urgent as CAMDU has adopted a more team-structured approach to the supervision of curriculum in the education system, offering support to teachers. PRODUCTION WORKSHOP The Officers in the Production Unit of CAMDU were also

recipients of training, this time by the staff of the Central Library. This was made possible with the intervention of Ms. Brenda

Paul, Director of Library Services. The training at the Library involved training in the process of bookbinding and this lasted from January 7th to 21st, 2011. PRESENTATION Ms. Dayne Sydney, Information Technology teacher at the Babonneau Secondary School facilitated a two-day session on the fundamentals of power point presentations (January 27 and 31, 2011). This training exposed Curriculum Specialists, the Secretary, Production Staff and the Office Attendant to the varying techniques in making an impressive electronic presentation. EVENT PLANNING AND PREPARATION Curriculum specialists are always organizing events, among them: Science Fair, Reading Month, Students of Heroes Gallery, Sports Meets, Music Festivals and Arts Festivals. These events require skills in planning and management. To help develop the skills of Officers and to make planned events more professional, a session on Events Planning and Management was deemed necessary. Mrs. Fortuna Belrose, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, facilitated a highly interactive and passionate session on Event Planning and Management

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Longest serving Curriculum Officer Mr. Michael Pierre joined the Ministry of Education and Culture in 1980 as the Physical Education Officer with specific responsibilities for the organization of all school sporting tournaments at both the primary and secondary schools. In addition to this, he was given the task of curriculum implementation. During that period, he worked with Mrs. Acynta Auguste (the other Physical Education Officer). His office was housed at the old Ministry of Education building at the corner of Micoud and Laborie Street. During the course of his career, he has seen nine different homes, and has served under different heads of CAMDU, namely: Mrs. Muriel Gill, Mr. Aldrick Mondesir, Mrs. Martha Isaac, Dr. Campbell, Mrs. Petronilla Deterville and Dr. Anthony Felicien. During his formative years, there were sponsored tournaments at both the primary and secondary school in all the major sporting disciplines. Today, the only Inter-district Primary Competition is track and field. A number of districts, though, organize their own intra football tournaments. Mr. Pierre believes that while technology has resulted in greater productivity, the CAMDU Production Unit has not truly lived up to its expectations and potential. He laments that over the years, the true potential of the Production Unit has not been given the priority it deserves, and has been placed on the “back burner”.

New Education Media Technologist

The Curriculum and Materials Development Unit has recruited an Education Media Technologist, Germain Anthony. Mr. Anthony joined CAMDU in January of 2012. The Education Media Technologist is assisting Curriculum Specialists in designing

and developing multi-media and interactive teaching/learning resources. Already, CAMDU can claim to have a measure of online presence with it’s new website. The website

(www.camdu.edu.lc) will help Curriculum Specialists offer more resources through the web; and also communicate with and get feedback from teachers. Germain Anthony is a former teacher of Information Technology at the Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School and a recent MA graduate of the Middlesex University of London. He has twenty years of experience in Education. Mr. Anthony is very keen on seeing the successful integration of ICT in St. Lucian schools. This will, to a large extent, depend on the quality of leadership training received by principals and the quality of ICT pedagogical training received by teachers.

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Dr. Felicien’s PhD Study Published The PhD thesis of the former Education Officer attached to the Curriculum and Materials Development Unit (CAMDU), has been published. Dr. Felicien’s research “The Status of Literature in Secondary Schools of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean

States (O.E.C.S.)” was published by Lambert Academic

Publishers.

The study involved an in-depth analysis of the status of Literature in the islands of Antigua, Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent, St. Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia. Six hundred students, fifty teachers and twenty-five principals from traditional grammar schools, comprehensive schools and modern/newer secondary schools formed part of the research. Interviews, questionnaires, document analysis and lesson observation were the means of collecting data. The data revealed that, generally, there was no formal policy regarding the place and value of literature on the curriculum of the islands. Literacy was seen as a priority of the governments, but this was restricted to English Language. In all the islands, English and Mathematics are the only two compulsory subjects at CSEC level. Students generally claimed a love for Literature, but timetable options, careers paths and the job market determined the subject choices students made at the end of Form Four. Teachers identified Poetry as the most difficult genre to teach, and Prose as the least difficult. Students identified Drama as the most interesting genre, and Poetry as the most difficult. Observation of Literature lessons revealed that while most teachers were implementing the CSEC Literature syllabus as recommended in terms of identifying the elements of the various genres, class teaching revealed a heavy bias to the traditional chalk and talk method.

New Appointments

Two new Curriculum Specialists have been appointed at CAMDU from May 2nd 2012.

Mrs. Priscilla Lucien Curriculum Specialist, Music Mr. Leonard Robinson

Curriculum Specialist, Modern Languages

Mission To provide quality instructional support services for the

promotion of lifelong learning and the development of human resources.

Office Staff

Curriculum and Materials Development Unit Morne Fortune, Castries St. Lucia Castries, St. Lucia Tel: 4532522 or 4537057 | Fax: 4531989 Please send your feedback to: camdueducation@gmail.com or log in to our site at www.camdu.edu.lc or check us out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/camdu.mornefortune

CAMDU OCTOBER 2012

Ms. Etha Francis - Secretary

Mr. Anthony Felix Production Assistant Mr. Hildreth King

Production Assistant

Ms. Meredith Darcie - Custodian Mr. Johnson Serville Production Assistant