The Mico students lauded for embracing technology

The Mico Unversity College final-year students who recently completed their teaching practicum were lauded for embracing technology and rising to the challenges in completing their teaching practicum.

Speaking at a hybridised virtual/physical awards and appreciation ceremony in Heritage Park at The Mico in St Andrew on Thursday, president Dr Asburn Pinnock congratulated the soon-to-be teachers for their resilience, agility and unwavering determination in the way they have embraced technology, noting that by their performance they have demonstrated the core values of The Mico: service, leadership, integrity and excellence.

Three hundred and fifty-six final-year students from 20 undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of Education’s Department of Professional Studies were awarded for the successful completion of their practicum between January and May 2022. The practicum was competed in 172 schools – a combination of early childhood, primary, secondary, and special education institutions across Jamaica.

The practicum, known as the Reflective Practicum In School Immersion Part B, is one of three mandatory practicum components of undergraduate and graduate teacher training programmes, and has been in place since the inception of the institution. It is designed to give students supervised, hands-on training in the classroom, allowing them to put theory into practice.

Referencing the theme of the event, ‘Revolutionizing Teacher Education Through Digital Technology’, keynote speaker, Jamaica-born prominent US educator Dr Karren Dunkley, noted that while technology allows teachers to be part of a borderless community of practice, “all the technology will not substitute for the impact of teachers”. Dunkley, the Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA representative, charged students to ‘own’ the profession, reminding them that the number one indicator of student success is teacher effectiveness.

In her recorded address, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education Maureen Dwyer commended the institution for being proactive and responsive to societal demands and said the institution will undoubtedly continue to produce well-trained teachers.

The pandemic resulted in The Mico having to conduct assessments in the virtual space and all three phases of the practicum experience were conducted online. Expressing pride in the performance of the students, senior lecturer and coordinator of the Practicum Unit Alvin Lawson noted that they were not deterred or derailed by the challenges of the pandemic.

The 172 partnering schools were saluted for providing the opportunity for the students, and organisations such as the Jamaica Teaching Council, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, the JTA Coop Credit Union and EduCom Co-operative Credit Union were acknowledged for their contribution to the practicum and to the event.

Students who placed first in their respective programmes received special awards. The first-place award in the Faculty of Science and Technology went to Nasheon Wray, who also copped the top prize overall. The first-place award in the Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Arts went to Chavel Stewart, and the top award in the Faculty of Education was won by Paul Henry.

The Mico University College, which is the oldest teacher training institution in the Western Hemisphere, is celebrating its 186th year.