School Leavers with O/L & A/L – opportunity to be teachers in New Zealand

For the first time two “Full Time” courses are offered in Sri Lanka specially designed for “school leavers” to obtain well recognised two degrees to become qualified teachers in “Early Childhood Education” in New Zealand.

Early Childhood Teaching is a high demand profession in all developed countries. The courses are designed with classes being conducted in Sri Lanka except 1 year in New Zealand. With Diploma in Montessori Teaching being no more recognised in most countries and Teachers in Early Childhood Education (ECE) must now be qualified with specially formulated degrees.

Ladies College of Colombo is a leading girl’s school in Sri Lanka. It has been offering vocational programs for teacher training for several years through its vocational

Are you ‘studying hard’ or ‘studying effectively’? For most students and parents, success at university is measured in terms of grades and academic performance. Therefore, they assume that ‘studying hard’ is supreme.

However, it is not always clear what ‘studying hard’ actually means. Mostly as the role of university today is not just to develop knowledge expertise but to develop employability skills that can be transferred from the classroom to the boardroom.

Assessments at University will not simply focus on how much a student knows. Rather, high grades are awarded for how well they develop and communicate ideas or how well they have applied theories to solve problems.

A common question from undergraduate students on any assessment is ‘how many words do I need; how many references should I include’ but this is missing the point. The question they should be asking is ‘how many arguments should I make; how much evidence to I need to present for this viewpoint’.

Therefore ‘studying hard’ has been replaced by ‘studying effectively’. Universities provide all new students with material and introductory courses on writing and study skills geared towards the academic needs of the discipline.Undoubtedly, this information is essential for students beginning any degree programme. However, aside from these core skills there are several other factors indicated by research which likely differentiate the truly effective students.

Study a little at a time and often: The university calendar is structured so that learning happens for a set number of weeks followed by a examination.

This implies for many students that studying is an activity they undertake after the teaching weeks and prior to the assessment. In contrast, the body of research on learning and memory tells us that the most effective studying would happen in small regular batches throughout the semester. Students should learn the information early on and then use the final run-up to the exam only for review and revision.

Any simple activity such as writing up notes, discussing material with friends and doing the additional division. This division is now registered as Ladies College - Institute Professional Studies (LCIPS). Edlocate is a leading overseas university representative in Sri Lanka of many well recognised Australian, New Zealand and Malaysian based top universities and higher educational institutions. New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) which is a NZ based leading private degree awarding institution approved and accredited by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for all of its degree programs. All three parties collectively offer the courses to enable students from Sri Lanka and Maldives to academically and professionally qualify as Teachers – (ECE). Accordingly NZTC, will; a. Accept students following the special Pre Degree preparatory program approved by them that will be conducted at LCIPS for entry into year 2 of the NZTC’s readings when done regularly and soon after each class will be a far more efficient use of time than hours spent memorising material in the days leading up to the exam.

Engage in active study vs passive study: In fact, students should take heed of the ‘testing effect’ phenomenon shown across research in the last two decades. This phenomenon suggests the most effective study strategy is answering test questions ( triggering memory retrieval) or writing essay questions.This activity strengthens memory through the process of constantly bringing the information backwards and forwards from memory or having to use it to plan essay answers.Similarly, this testing effect can come from teaching the information verbally to others. Talk about the subject with classmates or in study groups or talk to parents who may be more patient to listen. This Self-testing should be done following a break from the books and without them in front of you for the best results.

Don’t sacrifice sleep: Many students have tried to use the strategy of last minute cramming for exams, working all night right up to the exam in the hopes that the information will be fresh in mind.However, a recent study showed that as the mind tires your ability to learn new information is impaired so all night study activities are likely to be counter-productive.

If this is the case evidence also provides support for the benefits of daytime napping. Napping even for small amounts of time when you feel yourself nodding off can boost concentration. Allowing yourself to nap rather than feeling you must force yourself to push through is a relief and decreases the additional stress

Bachelor of Education (ECE) b. Conduct the NZTC’s Bachelor of Education (ECE) year 2 and 3 in Sri Lanka at LCIPS and award students the Bachelor degree c. Enrol those students successfully in the Bachelor degree to follow the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE)in New Zealand over a one year period at its Auckland or Christchurch campus Successful completion of the graduate Diploma qualification enables students to register as Teachers (ECE) in NZ and also obtain the Graduate Job Search work visa. The qualification thus enables students to apply for residency if they wish to live and work in New Zealand. This qualification is also approved by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) – the body which oversees the national quality framework for the Australia on your mind.

Attitude over Ability:No matter how a student may be performing at the start of the course it is important to have a mindset of confidence. Research from the University of Central Florida showed higher ‘selfefficacy; - a feeling of general competence – will impact positively on actual performance irrespective of ability.

Self-efficacy doesn’t breed intelligence, rather it makes breeds confidence and willingness to face challenges. Similarly, students who saw performance and intelligence as something that could be developed rather than set in genetics did better. That is, your attitude about the potential for success can be as important as your baseline ability levels.

Understand everyday Problemsolving: Students may see problem solving as something they are only likely to encounter in certain subjects. But problem solving is a central part of our daily lives and all students must problem solve in order to successfully navigate their studies. Psychology has a long history of investigating the processes involved in problem solving which can be applied to effective university management.

Once this ‘problem space’ is understood and the series of steps through is mapped out the task will feel more concrete and manageable.

While this all seems quite abstract it essentially means that students should not blindly approach assignments, or hope that day to day problems will somehow work themselves out. Instead students who take initiative in seeking help, work little by little towards a goal or simply take two minutes to think about the processes involved in a task before making a start will be in a far better position for success. early childhood sector, meaning that NZTC graduates wishing to apply for Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) status in Australia can do so without having to apply separately for an assessment of their qualifications.

The stage one of the 3 stage program is a pre-degree preparatory course delivered by qualified academics under the overall supervision and guidance of a Professor in the field of Early Childhood education. Students with GCE O/L could enter the “Standard Pathway” and those with GCE A/L can enter the “Accelerated Preparatory” course.

Students require high proficiency in English communication skills to enrol in degree programs in teaching. Therefore the pre degree preparatory courses includes training students to achieve the English standards required to enrol in the degree courses and to be eligible to obtain teacher registration through IELTS examinations.

We will also facilitate the enrolment in NZTC for the final degree course, the student visa formalities and assist students with post study requirements through our resident representative in NZ.

The first intake for 2017 is in mid May for course commencement on 02nd June 2017. An Information day is planned on Saturday 20th May from 9.30am to 12.30pm at LCIPS for students and parents to meet academics and counsellors. For prospectus, enrolment and more details contact the course coordinator on 0115763589 or 0773037303 or meet her on working weekdays from 9am to 12.30pm at LCIPS at 27th Lane, Off Inner Flower Road, Colombo 3.