US Educator Says Integrated Learning Can Help J’can Students

In service to students in several inner-city schools and interacting with education stakeholders has gifted this educator new perspectives.

 

Speaking on the need for practical classroom reforms, co-founder of Academic Motivational Performance Elizabeth Brannon suggests some North American approaches could be useful in improving student learning and teaching efficiency in Jamaican schools.

 

Brannon said, “Integrating subject areas. So, for example, when a teacher is teaching reading skills, it's good to teach just books and like fictional stories, but you can also incorporate non-fiction that maybe if they're studying countries of the world in social studies, their reading lesson can be reading a book about countries of the world. So, you're integrating subject areas which really help students learn and see connections.”

 

Mr and Mrs Brannon found that school supplies in Jamaica could be very expensive, adding that the cost was putting pressure on many families.

 

Parents themselves, they accept, basic items such as notebooks, pens, and uniforms can quickly add up, making it harder for parents to prepare their children for the new school term.

 

“And then when we met Mr McLaren and he told us about high school students having to take final exams and having to pay for those exams, and many of these students and their families they just can't afford it. And if they don't take the exam then they cannot graduate high school which means they cannot go to college or university. And so, we wanted to help in that way as well by sponsoring high school students by covering their exam fees so that they can be taken and they can go on to the career that they want to pursue.”

 

Co-founder John Brannon told CVM, “We may be the face of the of what's going on in Jamaica, but behind us there's a number of people both in the United States and Canada. And we find that, annually, it helps with of course the high school students and the financial support, but there's always a great need in the schools every year for the school supplies. And we send barrels multiple times a year just to meet that need within a downtown area of Kingston. It's the need is so great. It's hard to cover really all the all the need that's there, but we cover what we can, and we disperse between different schools.”

 

The Academic Motivational Performance Foundation has already been making plans for the new school year, providing much needed school supplies to St Alban's Primary School in Denham Town and other inner-city schools.

 

An educator at the school told CVM students individual packages of books, bags and other school supplies. She said, “They normally give me a package for myself. So, I will have those for students who are really, really in need and just in case you know somebody bag may burst or somebody may come and you know there something happened to their bag you know not zipping up properly or whatever you know I'll have a bag so I can you know just pass on the love.”

 

Love that saw Tivoli Gardens High School gifting the family a citation for their life-changing support at their recent graduation ceremony in Kingston.