The new school year is just here and for STP maths teachers, this year has new challenges! All because of new technological resources provided by representatives of CASIO and TEXAS INSTRUMENTS (TI) in Portugal.
In a joint initiative between the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (APM), CASIO, TI and the IMVF, executor of the project “School +”, the donating calculators and other technological resources to support teaching and learning was made, materials that will now contribute to the training of teachers of Mathematics and Physics of schools on the islands of S.Tome and of Principe.
This partnership was not limited to donations, there is also a great interest about the quality of training in the use of equipment – working groups of CASIO+ and T3 and trainers of the training center of APM shared, in this sense, different materials and information with the cooperation agents that are on the ground.
Since 2009, carried out by portuguese cooperation agents, has been the of monitoring technical and pedagogical to STP teachers. The lack of calculators was identified early on as a constraint to the work of teachers to develop essentially in the 2º cycle of secondary education (equivalent to the Portuguese secondary cycle). This initiative brings, therefore, good prospects as the diversification of working methods as well as for the development of mathematical skills that the didactic integrating of these technology resources is leveraged.
“The support of the Mathematics Teachers Association, mobilized the participation of companies that were readily available to collaborate with the project. Making a systematic intervention at the level of teacher training, certainly will generate the multiplier effect that will result in improving the teaching and learning of mathematics in the country. We intend, however, do it gradually to promote a conscious use and insightful technology in the teachers learning practices”, explains Joana Latas, whose dual role as vice president of APM and trainer of the Program “School +” facilitated the narrowing links between the institutions involved in this, still young, but promising partnership.
It is within the project of the Portuguese Cooperation “School +” the reform program of any high school in Sao Tome and Principe – that every week this training among peers in order to support the STP teaching team to improve their work conditions and their technical skills.
“School +” is an initiative of the Portuguese Cooperation which is allied with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Sao Tome and Principe and IMVF, with the desire to promote a better quality of education, more sustainable and adapted to the country.
The Portuguese teachers team that participats in the project has already left for Sao Tome and Principe on Tuesday, September the 4th.