Dear Editor,
What does a teenager spend most of their time doing? Are they outside playing? Are they reading books? I think that most would agree that teenagers spend the majority of time on their phones. They read on their phones. They communicate and form social relationships on their phones. Therefore, the question is why do the vast majority of schools continue to prevent students from using their phones as an effective learning tool? France recently banned the use of cell phones in its schools.
Some may argue that it makes cheating easier and can be used in bullying where students post pictures of teachers or other students in compromising positions. I would argue that these exact incidences are the perfect moments to teach students responsible use of technology and social media etiquette. Yet most schools are stubbornly opposed.
Education by its nature tends to continually dwell in the past. Let’s face it. Teachers are largely trained by books which by press time have already become obsolete. Teachers take on their duties in the classroom when they are much older. Yes, they may be wiser but have usually lost track of the trends that are central to their students’ lives. Consequently, the education industry lives outside the reality of students. It holds at its foundation an embrace of the past.
The use of technology is so misplaced in schools that the whiteboard is now the advanced chalkboard. The smartboard is mainly used as a glorified whiteboard in most schools. The sad thing is that most schools still consider these tools to be absolutely essential to education. However, students spend the majority of their leisure time not staring at a board but looking at a screen. How boring must the whiteboard or even the smartboard look compared to the moving images on the screen; a screen that can be touched and it responds.
Heavy book bags are still a common sight. Imagine students being trained to use the smartphone as their book bag. Imagine teaching students to be responsible learners where they carry Google Classroom everywhere they go and engage in quiz games using Quizizz while in the mall or riding in the school bus. Imagine training our students to use their smartphones not as mindless infinite scrolling tools but primarily as a research tool.
I was amazed when some of my new students told me that they had Googled me. This means that their natural research method is already Google. Students are already entrapped in the age of Google and are begging to be taught by these methods.
How can a generation who learnt to find the meaning of a word by using a dictionary adapt to students who use Google for the same purpose? Sometimes the self-righteousness and nostalgia of the past can lead a teacher to argue that the student must learn to use a dictionary because it is “just better.” What if there is no Internet? This argument is like saying that years after the automobile was being used, we should have continued to teach people to ride horses, just in case the car broke down. Education must evolve to meet the realities of the future because that is what students are being prepared for.
Most schools demand that student use notebooks. However, our students rarely write outside of the classroom. They type. They use the note-taking apps in their phones. They are already used to texting upwards of 40 words per minute. Why not build on this natural skill? Why not teach them how to organize and store their notes in the cloud?
The simple answer is that we do not know how. We are blinded and scared by the rapidly changing technologies and retreat to our comfort zone – the method that we learned. What an opportunity lost. If the full power of today’s technology was harnessed, students could simply use the classroom for face to face clarity on topics that they desire.
Imagine your teenager constantly on their phone. But not simply gossiping with friends but discussing sections of the curriculum with friends. Imagine your son on YouTube. But not simply watching music videos but researching the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Students will responsibly learn how to use technology. Isn’t this the role of education? To teach students to be responsible adults? Then how can this be done if technology is not utilized in the classroom – if students are not taught to automatically use technology to search for answers?
We have done away with encyclopaedias and have made the power of instant research available to everyone. This is a valuable resource that is not being used to its full potential in schools.
A classroom can consist of a teacher presenting a problem. Students then research that problem inside or outside of class. The students then evaluate their sources, present it in class to their peers and the teacher. The teacher is simply responsible for guidance and the clearing up of misconceptions. The job of the teacher truly becomes that of coach whose job is to direct learning and steer it in the right direction.
The building of critical thinking skills is key. There is no real need to store knowledge in the brain. There is a greater need to be able to evaluate sources of information for accuracy and to be able to use that information to construct new ideas. The current structure of schools does not encourage this. However, acceptance of the smartphone will greatly facilitate this.
Delroy Pierre
~ A Caribbean region dedicated to lifting you to the stars ~
The characterizations mostly connected to the Caribbean are “paradise” and “relaxation”. The region provides a high level of ease in a world that is very busy and sometimes confined within a maze of confusing times. The “Caribbean Lounge” may be the perfect ethos of the region. With a bit more futuristic view, why couldn’t the Caribbean be a Space Lounge? The Mesatic Spacelounge is the idea of identifying the Caribbean as the primary logistic service point to be the facilitator for persons, companies and countries, being supported by the trained elite service representatives who assist facilitating space tourism, moon exploratory activities, Mars journeys, and beyond by using the resource- and accommodation-rich context of the Caribbean and its collaborating nation partners.
There are five steps that might be possible scenarios going forward as a Caribbean body that might help to achieve the goal of becoming the primary Space Lounge for the world. The five development strategies are to facilitate an initial program team who would focus on setting up a series of action points and representing the scope of responsibilities for each regional partner.
To start with, This would take shape by identifying persons or organizations within the region from the different regional nation groups which are, for example, the Dutch Caribbean, the French Caribbean, the British Caribbean, the USA Caribbean, and the independent and allied nation groups, who would work together to develop this MSL-Program Team.
Secondly, this MSL-Program Team could look at developing a MSL-Capacity Initiative that would identify which areas are significant to begin a preparation or a strategy to grow and working or collaborating with different programs that exist in the region. Basically, establishing a SWAT analysis within this context, and then from there seeing who within the region or context would be a good partner to grow the human skill and knowledge capacity in the following key areas.
If the Caribbean region were to become the host for the world in becoming the space lounge it would be important to initiate training and strategic investment activities in the following areas: Working on and initiating processes that facilitate a regional fluid logistic movement between islands, taking part in satellite development programs, growing a specialized elite executive and event services program, developing initiatives that focuses on growing strategic agricultural specialists, and finally growing awareness and innovative services for Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, holographic, and nanotechnology.
“The Caribbean economies are hampered by a lack of intra-regional transportation, and the governments should work together to assess how best to develop an air and maritime travel system that meets the needs of the region’s citizens. Despite the challenges, the Caribbean’s economic future can be made much brighter by combining the talent and know-how that drives the knowledge economy with the practical demands of today’s global service sector to lay a strong economic foundation for the twenty-first century,” according to a study called “Beyond Tourism: The Future of the Services Industry in the Caribbean” published in “The Caribbean Papers; A Project on Caribbean Economic Governance”.
The Space Jump industry, as I like to call it, is a multi-billion dollar one that does not seem to want to slow down in its passion towards this future space goal. Since 2014, more than 59 nations were in one way or another involved in the US $42,4 billion space race and were finding ways to accelerate that process.
Thirdly we would have to consider having Regional Activation Packages. This would take shape by each country, within the region, proactively requesting and representing the set improvements and identify the persons or start-ups that they are presenting as candidates to receive the financial activation subsidy package. This would then be to develop activities in context of the space lounge program. As we progress towards a time of unprecedented advancements in the digital industries and social convergences, we as a region have to assess ourselves and begin to define our future desired goals.
Fourthly we would consider which international agent partners or organizations that could be connected to the space lounge program to assist with the representation and framing of this Caribbean space lounge strategy. The question of where should we start or what should this vision look like might be a thought, but what can be said is that examples can be taken from nations like Curaçao who some years back started a process that considered space tourism as a means of national development. By countries in the region positioning and associating themselves with progressive scenarios, it helps to stimulate regional change.
The fifth and Final Caribbean space lounge step could be the setting up of a “feast for all festival” that would be about identifying, initiating funding programs and facilitating community service organizations who are supporting the less fortunate and homeless shelters in our region. By doing this we are able to not only give back but also make sure to not miss out on valuable talent that can be nurtured and identified through these programs.
In conclusion the Caribbean could position itself to become the space lounge for the activities that will be developed in relation to all forms of space tourism, research and development, the moon gate project and moon related developments, and the transformational vision of life on Mars and life among the stars. The Caribbean is the most suited region with all of its allied partners to lead the charge in developing the necessary conditions to lift us into that next stage of growth as a region.
Ir. Damien Richardson
Dear Editor,
When ego competes with common sense, even the professed educated officials are blinded by their willpower to be politically correct; consequently, it only impedes their ability to visualize the bigger picture. And as logic would indicate, these opposing visions are bound to create stagnation and confusion. So, what does it benefit the country when government prolong, or fail to rectify the issues surrounding the flag that was once hoisted at the Cole Bay Hill?
If the lack of protocol and safety of tourists are indeed the reasons for removing the flag, then what is preventing government from solving these clear-cut problems? As it stands, there is much more to the matter than what was divulged to the public. Weighing the situation from a logical point of view, the need to remedy the concerns is simply not a priority for this administration. What a shame!
If government could only envision the potential of the location, this can become another huge attraction for the destination. So it is time to face the reality, since this government believes in transparency. The most obvious reason behind this lack of interest is to discredit the initiator of the project. But does it really matter whose initiative it is? If the mission is geared towards enhancing the cultural and tourism aspects of the country, why stifle the effort?
I too, like several others are very disappointed in the unbecoming behaviour of the former VROMI Minister; particularly on the floor of Parliament and in the media. But, it does not take away the fact that erecting the flag on “Jack Hill” is an admirable enterprise. I am not sure what plans government has for the area, but here are my two cents. Instead of putting the project on hold, why not embrace it, and ask the permission of the property owners to beautify the entire landscape?
What if the section close to the sculpture is turned into a cozy, high-end, creole-styled dining area? Indeed, the location is ideal to construct a restaurant made of concrete and then glaze the inside and out with wood. Top it off with an attractive gingerbread verandah – one that encircles the entire building to conjure that old-fashioned charm and to complement the roofing. Afterwards, splash some Caribbean colours to highlight its authentic beauty.
Design menus to reflect the rich culture of countless local drinks and dishes, served by persons dressed in the St. Maarten cultural attire. Perhaps a small area can be allocated for a mini tourist office to housed one or two personnel, who are guaranteed to disclose accurate and vital information to the many visitors, expected to patronize this breathtaking site.
Erect railings on both sides of the path going towards the flag with columns of stone walls. Keep the area as natural as possible but pave the road with rocks for easier accessibility and maneuvering, particularly for the visitors who are confined to wheelchairs. Build some stairs on the incline and adorn both sides of the path with the Yellow Sage.
When the cruise ships are in Port, probably passengers can be entertained by a three-piece steel pan or string band players from both sides of the island. There is a choice to alternate the entertainment, either by days or hours, depending on the demand.
Government officials should never let their ego get in the way of making the country a better place, because “The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” As the future is uncertain, they should also realise that “There is one difference between dream and aim. Dream requires soundless sleep to see, whereas aim requires effort to achieve.”
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
The people of Middle Region, Sucker Garden and the rest of the entire East side of Dutch-side St Maarten welcome and appreciated the agreements both the transport Minister and bus drivers agreed on, for buses to run through Middle Region and Sucker Garden.
It is they very move which you all agreed on, but please don’t forget for buses to also run through Dawn Beach, Oyster Pond and Pointe Blanche.
The East side of the island is not ghettos. Let’s put all hands on deck to make sure buses run through all the entire East side of the island every day and night.
Yes, we can make it possible. The new police vehicles came just in time so the justice minister can send two patrols out through Philipsburg, Sucker Garden, Middle Region and Madame Estate to keep 99 per cent of gypsies out of the street.
Read my lips: Middle Region is not a ghetto. It is time government put some public officers in MIddle Region to ease the traffic toward Simpson Bay.
I quote: Why at 9:00pm most of these bus drivers are off the street or go to bed early as a bird? Some of these bus permits really need to be revoked.
Cuthbert Bannis
On behalf of InselAir International, I would like to extend my personal apology for the inconveniences and frustrations, many of InselAir’s customers experienced as a result of delay and flight cancelations in these past days including today.
In light of today’s competitive airline industry, and in the current state of the economy, our customers may expect the best value for their travel spenditure. InselAir strives to provide this value through a mix of customer safety, on-time performance, professional service with honest and timely communication also when things don’t work out due to weather, technical, crew flight or aircraft limitations, or other reasons causing delays and or cancellations. Customer’s Safety is our priority. The safety and well-being of customers and other persons such as crew is of paramount importance. We want to make travel on us a convenient and trouble-free experience for our passengers.
The management team at InselAir has been actively managing this situation and steering information through the appropriate channels to staff at all levels. I personally have been constantly involved and kept updated on the progress.
It became clear to me that communication within InselAir leaves much room for improvement. We are evaluating and assuring that the process of communication is improved, such, that staff on all levels is fully informed and involved, getting the right information to do their job at best possible, and enabling them to inform our passengers, timely, adequately and transparent.
It is our goal to provide exceptional service on every occasion, and on behalf of InselAir, I am truly sorry we failed to do so on these occasions.
On behalf of the InselAir management team,
Lars de Brabander, President
