By Paul Blackman I was playing tennis and suddenly felt acute pain in my chest. This led to a two-hour delay finally getting to a hospital where I can be treated. The doctor who examines me tells me that I have had a major heart attack and that if I made it through the night
As a teacher you are more likely to remember the kids that create ways to avoid doing work by acting out or becoming the class clown and of course you remember the ones that shine. That’s how it was for Paul Blackman former primary school teacher, Guidance Counsellor and Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour
“Early reading skills tend to come more easily to bilingual children. They score higher on average on tests involving creative thinking or problem-solving and develop more flexible approaches to thinking through problems.” Year One students from Delainamasi Government School in Nasinu are part of the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) project organised by the Ministry of
The Informer recently featured a story “Did I Read That Right?” 5 July 2022) on WordSmart, a local initiative designed to help dyslexic and other children with learning difficulties, achieve better results in English literacy. To recap, WordSmart.app is a hybrid reading programme aimed at beginner readers. The app provides the basis for students to
Delainamasi Government School in Nasinu is the first school in Fiji selected by the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts for a Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) project. Minister for Education Premila Kumar confirmed this during her visit to the Northern Division. Ms Kumar said one of the best things that ever happened was the 2021-2022
A new piece of software for schools aims to address a growing literacy gap by identifying students – particularly in low socio-economic areas – who may have dyslexia. New Zealand literacy company WordSmart – alongside Sweden company Lexplore – have created a literacy package to assist students struggling to read by targeting the area in
Children learn best when they’re having fun. Ben Fahy spoke to the founder of an app that’s helping kids break through learning barriers. On Paul Blackman’s first day of school in Grey Lynn in the 1950s – “before Grey Lynn was so flash” – he sat in a class with 54 other kids and the
We live in a precarious time, which has accelerated the use of online learning tools.
What if we could take advantage of technology for the greater good and empower all children to become successful, life-long learners with a passion for reading including those that normally fall through the gaps due to learning differences, such as dyslexia?
