Dubai: Allowing only the best to become teachers will go a long way to improving the quality of teaching and thus the quality of education, an academic has commented.
"There has been considerable research in recent years on what makes a good educational system. And the solution is to make sure only the right people become teachers," Dr Howard Reed, Director of Dubai Women's College, said.
He was speaking at the opening of the eighth National Teacher Education Conference on Monday.
In countries such as South Korea, Denmark and Finland, whose graduates perform exceptionally well internationally, only students at the top of the class have an opportunity to become teachers and that makes all the difference, he said.
Increasing per capita spending on education or higher pay for teachers will not improve the quality of teaching, he added.
Major challenge
"By making it tougher to choose teaching as a profession, we ensure that only the best get trained to be effective teachers." But the current situation is a far cry from this, he said. For years in many countries the average performers have been allowed into the profession. "The challenge is enormous," Dr Reed said.
The one-day conference hosted by the Dubai Women's College discussed raising the standards of teaching and learning in UAE classrooms.
Attending the conference were more than 400 teachers, teacher educators, teacher administrators, school principals, university and college students and other educators.
Under the theme Effective Strategies for the Student-Centred Classroom, teachers had the opportunity to learn new ideas and techniques that promote active learning in student-centred classrooms and take away something to use in their own schools.
"Raising the quality of education rests ultimately on the shoulders of teachers working with students in their classrooms," said Michael O'Brien, associate dean and head of HCT's Teacher Education programme.
"While strategic planning and initiatives at the government level are essential, it is through the relationships created by teachers with their students and the learning experiences they offer that these are transformed into reality, he said.
Engaging children
If you concentrate on fun then the children will focus on learning is the advice of Alan Pollock, a teacher who presented a session at the conference.
Delivering a presentation on the use of e-learning to improve vocabulary and spelling, Pollock introduced the teachers to a few free tools available on the internet for individualised learning.
"To be student-centred, teachers need to have ways of getting students to help themselves improve their own learning. And these tools do just that," Pollock, who is the independent learning centre coordinator at the Abu Dhabi Women's College, said.
His pick of useful websites:
http://www.memorylifter.com (a system of electronic cards for students themselves to author)
http://www.spellingcity.com (an engaging website that helps students spell)
http://tinyurl.com/NATEC2010 (downloadable games)
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