A Closer Look at 21st Century Schools in Anguilla
Have you ever heard of a 21st century school? Or even visited one for that matter? 21st century schools are dynamic globally- connected systems that provide flexible, innovative and technology-rich learning environments to assist the 21st Century to learners become critical thinking innovators, team players and entrepreneurs in preparation for an unknown, unidentified job market.
The Anguilla Department of Education (DoE) has recognized the importance of providing 21st century learning environments and teaching to every Anguillan learner. Over the past couple of years the DoE has been strategizing the best approach to transforming our schools to 21st Century Schools. At the center of this transformation is ICT (Information Communication Technology).
If you were playing close attention throughout the past decade, you would have observed that our schools were equipped with computer labs, no small feat for a small island. You would have noticed several initiatives by schools and teachers such as the provision of technological devices, laptops, interactive white boards, laptops and projectors. ICT became an integral subject at the Primary level with its own assessment given in Grade 4. Education City, an educational online suite, was introduced as a means of integrating the use of technology with Reading, Math and Science. Our secondary school developed virtual learning environments by utilizing Moodle, a learning management system, Boa
rd works, a suite of learning software, and Aristotle, an electronic grading system.
However, technology is not stagnant. It is constantly changing and evolving; so much so that today, there is an entire generation that has never seen, touched or used a rotary phone, for them communicating across seas is as simple as saying “Call Mom”.
To rise to the call of this challenge of teaching children in an ever changing ubiquitous world, in 2014 the DoE added, Instructional Technologist a
nd E-Learning specialist Tamara Pradel, to their team. Mrs. Pradel came with 20 years of experience as an educator and has worked, with schools and institutions throughout the United States and St. Maarten, integrating technology in education. Supported by a team of vibrant, tech-savvy teachers at both Primary and Secondary level, she is leading the DoE in this 21st Century transformation. Together with her team of Primary and Secondary IT teachers, the Primary curriculum for ICT was revamped, ALHCS is all a buzz with the use of Edmodo, an online learning management system that allows teachers to communicate, share, and teach colleagues, students and parents and Google Apps for Education is becoming the hub for communication and sharing in Anguilla schools. Mrs. Pradel stated “At the heart of this transformation are the teachers. I commend the IT teachers and all teachers who are leading technology initiatives and are sharing their innovative methods with technology at their schools. These teachers are exemplars of 21st Century teacher leaders”.
With the demand for technology 
use in our schools, the partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Information Technology and E-Government Services (DITES) had to be strengthened. Under the supervision and guidance of DITES, our schools have begun to receive much needed upgrading to their infrastructure. As Christmas quickly approaches, three of the six primary schools, received early Christmas presents with the upgrade of their computer labs. The computer lab upgrade is a DITES initiative that began in 2014 with the Valley Primary School, in order for DITES to meet the growing IT demands of our schools. Through the support of local businesses and parents all six primary school computer labs will have a new look or location, in some cases, by 2016.
At this time, you may be thinking that our Anguilla schools are 21st Century Schools, but the truth is, this is only the beginning.
