The Harbour Library Journal

  Volunteering to teach children with special needs at an orphanage in Ibadan is my way of demonstrating that every child is capable of learning. #everychildmatters

 Every visit to the orphanage home for children with disabilities brings me a satisfying feeling that words can't articulate but this last visit left me with mixed emotions.  We had an engaging experience as we learned new vocabularies from the story of the Gingerbread man and the children also got a chance to make their own Gingerbread man from construction papers. While seeing the children explore these activities, something within me cried out for a different kind of impact. I realized that two of my precious girls with intellectual disabilities had attained puberty and were currently going through their menstrual cycles. It was very disturbing for me to see these girls carry on without a care because they were unaware of their bodies and didn't have a clue of what was going on inside them. There is certainly a need to do more but how do we educate vulnerable children who are being raised at an overcrowded orphanage with no government support about sexual health education?...

  The IELTS Writing test is 60 minutes in length and there are two tasks to complete. The first task should be at least 150 words in length and the second task should be at least 250 words in length. You should spend 20 minutes on the first task and 40 minutes on the second task. The tasks are different depending on which test you are taking: General Training or Academic.   These tips will help you revise for the IELTS Writing test. 1.        Every writing task must begin with a plan. First, think about what you are going to write and plan each idea into a paragraph. 2.        Read extensively and keep a journal of new words and expressions. Use these new words in your writing practice. 3.        Practice checking and editing your work very often, even informal writings like social media posts should be checked and edited. Look out for common mistakes, like mistakes with verb agre...

  Here are some tips that can help you ace the IELTS speaking test: 1.         Practice makes perfect – practice speaking in English whenever you can. 2.         Always try to express your opinion on a range of topics by giving examples to justify your views on any subject. 3.       Reading articles about your chosen profession or university courses can help you speak more confidently about your own work and study experiences. 4.       Become familiar with relevant language by listening to radio or watching TV programs. 5.          Practice speaking in English for a sustained period of time (2 – 4 minutes) before a selfie camera. Playback the recording and identify ways you can improve. 6.          Practice using hesitation devices in English Language rather than your local language when you are searching for words to use. E.g. Well |The thing is… ...

 The IELTS Reading test is different depending on which exam you have chosen to take: Academic or General Training. Both tests are 60 minutes in length and both are in three sections with a total of 40 questions.  Here are some tips for the IELTS Reading test. 1. Read the instructions and texts. Practice skimming (reading quickly) and scanning(looking for a specific word) texts on a regular basis. 2. Read the questions first to get a general idea of the text. 3. Skim the text for general meaning. 4. Look for key words in the questions. 5. Scan the text to see where the answer is. 6. Answer the questions and transfer your answers to the answer sheet within the 60 minutes. Note that no extra time will be given to transfer the answers to the answer sheet like listening test. 7. Be careful when writing your answers on the answer sheet because you can lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.  Need support with IELTS preparation? We are here for you. Contact our IELTS Pre...

  The IELTS listening test The listening test is the same for both General Training and Academic IELTS. There are four sections, with ten questions in each section. You will listen to four recordings of native English speakers, then write your answers to set of questions. Please note that you will only listen to each text once. The first recording is a conversation between two people and it is set in an everyday social context. The second recording is a monologue that is set in an everyday social context. The third recording is a conversation between up to four people set in educational context and the fourth recording is a monologue on an academic subject. The text questions become progressively harder. You will be assessed on your ability to understand the main ideas, detailed factual information, the opinions and attitudes of speakers and the ability to follow the development of ideas. Here are some ideas to help you prepare for the IELTS listening test 1. Practice listening to ...

Preparing for IELTS? Are you having butterflies in your stomach? Well, it's understandable. However,adequate preparation would help you feel better at ease. In the next few weeks, I will be sharing some top tips for IELTS. Watch this space! How to revise for IELTS 1. Make a realistic plan. Think about what you need to do and how much time you have. 2. Think about the skills you need to improve. Is it listening, reading, speaking, or writing? It might be helpful to attend an IELTS preparation class. Your English teacher will tell you what you need to work on. 3. Practice makes perfect. Get a good learner's dictionary, some practice tests, a good grammar book and a vocabulary notebook. 4. Create a study pattern that is suitable for you. Try to study on a regular basis and you will start to get used to this pattern. 5. Enjoy your study. Need additional support? Register with Shades of Purple Education for a personalized IELTS preparation course that will guide you through the path...

Hello Everyone! Trust everyone is having a great school year. It's been quiet on this platform and I apologize for my silence. I have been very busy with my master's program. Two weeks back, I had the honor of hosting my faculty members in my classroom. I showed them around the room and shared my reflections from my last professional development workshop. This is a summary of what I shared: I reflected on three key areas that resonated with me after participating in the ‘Making the PYP Happen’ online course. Key Concepts: I talked about the importance of the key concepts in guiding planning and the lines of inquiry. I also shared my understanding of  their importance in allowing students to ‘dig deeper’ with their inquiry.  Transdisciplinary Skills:  I talked about their importance and also the need to teach the skills and support children’s self-evaluation of their understanding of these skills as well as the Learner Profile.  Assessment: The cour...

Hello Everyone, Compliments of this beautiful season. I recently attended a workshop on the Primary Years Program. Please find my reflections below: This course has influenced me in a lot of positive ways. However, one thing I will never forget about this program is the new perception I have about what international mindedness truly is. My take home statement is in the words of Singh (1999) in the article  Becoming International ; “Every aspect of the curriculum focuses on moving students toward becoming people who reflect the characteristics of the international person”. This statement has redefined my teaching philosophy and orientation completely. In the past, the IB learner profile was just another display in my classroom. I actually stuck them on the wall because the Head teacher made it compulsory to have them displayed in every classroom. As I wrap up this course, the learner profile has moved from the wall to my heart, my lessons, my behavioral standards and expect...

There couldn’t have been a more apt description of my early education experience than the ‘Vocational/neo-classical’ orientation in education. It was characterized by rigidity, teacher dominance, text books, formal assessments, high priority on math and language above other subjects and formal classroom arrangement. We were prepared to become lawyers, doctors and engineers. Any other profession outside these three was for students who are not smart. One of the most striking perspectives in the Vocational/neo-classical orientation is the teacher-student relationship. I was so afraid of my teachers; I could hardly express myself in class. The sight of teachers walking around with long canes still gives me nostalgia today. I remember a time when I was given homework on long division and I couldn’t figure it out. I was so petrified at the thought of facing my math teacher with an undone assignment that I ran away from home the next morning. I dressed up in my school uniform and instead of...

“Oh! I wish you were a boy”…I don’t remember how many times my father said these words to me during my growing up days. I was born into a family of seven and I am the second daughter. I used to wonder if I was ever accepted in the family since I turned out to be a girl while he was expecting a boy. Did I have a choice in determining my gender from my mother’s womb? What was I supposed to become with these words? My growing up days was tough. My father rarely paid my school fees without murmuring and complaining even though he was quite well off. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t impress my father. I often overheard him speaking in favor of my younger brother and discrediting my potentials. I grew up with low self- esteem as a result of the words my father spoke to me. As I grew older, I resolved to start speaking words of affirmation to myself and through these words I regained my self-confidence. On the twenty sixth of July, three years ago I had my second daughter- a ch...

Summarizing the research work of Swick and Blackwell was a very interesting and thought provoking experience for me. It deepened my understanding of the importance and relevance of a research work in stimulating intellectual growth in young children. They opened their report by focusing on current trends in social studies. In as much as contributors to the current trend in social studies have come up with specific method of learning (relaying on verbal or highly symbolic method of learning), these methods according to them are often inappropriate for pre-school age children especially for culturally disadvantaged children. Research studies have shown that the intellectual and linguistic growth of young disadvantaged children depends very much upon the presence of various concrete learning objects in their immediate environment. This makes it necessary to develop multi-media materials that will help preschool children to develop the vast base of concrete experience that will lead them i...

I have been pondering over the inconsistency of the educational programs in Nigeria until I understood the role of research in education policies and programs. The oxford English dictionary defines research as a study and investigation to discover new facts about a subject (Oxford University Press, 1995). In the course of my study on the subject of research and its impact on education policies and programs, I have been able to come up with my own definition of research. I see research as a deep search on a particular field in order to develop and formulate theories that are based on empirical validation. Research is what we do when we have a question or a problem we want to resolve. It happens as a result of dissatisfaction and a yearning for something better than what is already been used. We may already think we know the answers to some question or think the answer is obvious, but until a problem has being subjected to vigorous scrutiny, then should we arrive at a conclusion. The fir...

All over the world, students have different academic calendar depending on their country’s educational body. Students in Nigeria attend school for an average of 195 days in a year, the school year starts in September and ends in July. The typical school day is from 7:45am-3:30pm. Giving this background, it is worthy to note that the structure of the Nigerian school calendar is sufficient for every student in Nigeria to acquire all the education they need for every academic year without adding extra, except for students who may need intervention and additional support. The Nigerian school calendar is compliant with the standard requirement for academic calendar around the world. Students in Australia attend school for 200 days in a year from 9am-3:30pm. While students in China attend school from September to mid –July and the average school day runs from 7:30am-5pm with a two hour lunch hour break. Kenya has an academic calendar that is similar to Nigeria’s and their school day i...