NOW IS THE TIME: School principals urged to access leadership training online
Director/Principal of the National College
for Educational Leadership (NCEL), Dr. Taneisha Ingleton, is encouraging school
principals and administrators who are at home due to the novel coronavirus
(COVID-19) to utilise its online platforms to continue their leadership
training.
She said that through the entity’s website,
YouTube and Facebook pages, programme participants can access a range of video
and audio clips on various topics.
These include curriculum implementation,
visioning, teacher leadership, emotional intelligence in leadership, and
partnership and stakeholder engagement.
“The college went full speed in developing video and audio around these topics so that our principals can be kept engaged during crises like the COVID-19. These bite-size videos facilitate principals and leaders who are on the go and are seeking new ways and approaches to improve and enhance his or her practice,” she noted.
“Now that the principals are at home, they
have over 30 learning videos they can access to learn different approaches to
leadership,” Ingleton added.
NCEL was established in 2011 to equip
school leaders with the competencies required to ensure that schools operate
effectively in an increasingly demanding environment.
To achieve its mandate, NCEL provides
continuous professional development for leaders across the education sector
with a view to building on existing competencies and to keep them abreast of
current practices and trends.
Dr.
Ingleton contended that NCEL recognises the importance of technology in
delivering its programmes, and for the past two years has developed its online
platforms “to ensure that stakeholders are consistently engaged whenever and
wherever they are”.
As she sees it, the COVID-19 pandemic
provides an opportunity for programme participants to complete courses online
and at their own pace.
“I think, in hindsight, we were preparing
for something like this. I am happy that NCEL has all of these online platforms
that are fully supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information,”
Dr. Ingleton said.
Meanwhile, Acting Principal of the Duanvale
Primary School in Trelawny, Beverly Canningan, who accessed training through
NCEL’s online platforms, said in addition to the leadership training, she is
also better equipped technologically to lead her team at this time.
“With the challenges COVID-19 presents,
because of the access that I have during my training, I am more proficient in
the use of online platforms,” she told JIS News.
“I have been using videoconferencing to
keep in touch with my team, so we are able to have a full day of school even
though we are away from the physical plant,” she noted.
Principal of the Ferncourt High School in
St Ann, Sheldon Thomas, who participated in the college’s Child-friendly School
programme recently, credited his exposure to the content, which was fully administered
online, with being able to ensure that students are engaged in the teaching and
learning processes during the COVID-19 crisis.
He explained that lessons are delivered through
Facebook, WhatsApp, and are also uploaded to a Google site.