Twenty development projects were
undertaken by members of staff of the Institute. These can
be divided into two main categories:
Educational/Curriculum Development
Faculty/Professional Development—of teacher
educators from the member colleges of the Joint Board of Teacher
Education (JBTE)
The majority of development projects were curriculum-based,
perhaps because most members of staff of the Institute are
curriculum specialists, whose first charge is to promote best
practices in their discipline in the colleges. Many of these
projects, which also included a research component, have resulted
in new and revised courses and instructional packages that
reduce the dependence on chalk-and-talk methods in teacher
education and in the school system.
The final professional development project described, the
Centre of Excellence for Teacher Education, was not actually
implemented until 2003, but the Institute was actively involved
in planning, bidding, and selecting personnel in 2002, during
the period covered by this book. Indeed this project is the
most important project for which the Institute has provided
leadership. As one of three projects established under the
Summit of the Americas Initiative, it will serve the entire
Caribbean region as together we tackle an important imperative—improving
the teaching/learning of young pupils in disadvantaged communities.
Through this project the University will be empowered to make
a difference in education in the region, and its inclusion
here provides us with a glimpse into its future.
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