Shaping the Future with Senator Abiru's Innovation Lab

"My exposure to the inquiry-based teaching method has opened my eyes to new ways of thinking and planning. Through my knowledge of Google Slides, Render Forest, In-shot, Legend, Canva and 2D and 3D animation, I learned better ways to develop and use teaching materials in my classroom, and my engagement with students gave them more opportunities to think, reflect and take ownership of ideas on topics and issues.It also enhanced their abilities as individual learners.

"My experience in the program was very informative, engaging and impactful. I would like to thank all the facilitators, for their innovative ways of teaching us. I often discuss with my colleagues new ideas learned from the program. I recommend the Lagos East Teachers Scholarship to all teachers in Ikorodu and Lagos State.”

These are the words of Adedeji Owoyade, one of the Cohort 2 Majors, Non-STEM Group I of the East Lagos Teachers Scholarship, after graduating from Senator Abiru Innovation Lab ( SAIL), a first of its kind Community Innovation Space, set up in partnership with renowned technology and social enterprise, The Co-creation Hub (Cc-HUB).

In his quest to continue empowering his constituents on various fronts to lead more productive lives, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru had established SAIL to train young people in the Lagos East Senate District in digital skills and of relevant innovation and build the best entrepreneurs capable of being competitive in an ever more dynamic global economy.

Lagos East Teachers' Fellowship is one of SAIL's leading cutting-edge programs. At first, the teachers, numbering more than 1,500, asked for training. 950 registered for the online course for 30 days while 120 outstanding candidates were admitted to the physical course.

Last week, 105 of the 120 teachers from public and private schools in Lagos East, who registered for the 2022 class of the Lagos East Teachers Scholarship at SAIL, graduated after successfully completing their training which lasted more than three months.

Owoyade, who teaches government at Epe Senior Grammar School, Epe, Lagos State, believes that the teacher scholarship has greatly impacted him as a teacher.

Sobowale Adefolahan Olusesan, another graduate, thanked Abiru for his bounty on human capital development so that teachers are now able to learn new pedagogies and improve student learning outcomes .

On the other hand, Blessing Osoba, a biology teacher at Olomu Community Senior Secondary School, Ibeju-Lekki, said that "with lots of hands-on training on digital learning apps like Render Forest, In-shot, Canva, and Legend for instructional designs as well as materials to facilitate learning, my experience in the Lagos East Teachers Fellowship has been truly rewarding for my career.Additionally, the use of labs digital, Google Classroom and Quiz has been a game-changer for me, helping me to engage learners in better exploration of science concepts and to assess my learners' understanding."

Qudus Bello, a teacher of further mathematics at Community Senior High School in Orimedu, has for his part been able to master the art of inquiry-based learning and apply it to deepen the imagination of his students and stimulate their creativity. This was in addition to his exposure to using a digital lab as teaching aids for science hands-on, which he confirmed improved the learning experience and results.

Addressing the graduates, Abiru, congratulated the teachers on the successful completion of their training and urged them to influence their students with the skills they have acquired.

Abiru, who was represented by his Special Advisor on Constituency Issues, Dr (Otunba) Saheed Oladapo Ibikunle, urged teachers to explore various teaching methods to improve their students' learning outcomes and their asked to embrace continuous capacity development as a way of life. .

In his opening remarks, SAIL Project Consultant, Deji Abisola, said, “The East Lagos Teachers Fellowship has provided an invaluable platform for educators to learn, grow and develop their skills. “, adding that the graduates have been trained in the survey. -based learning, a state-of-the-art pedagogical approach that encourages students to actively participate in the learning process.

The dynamic method, Abisola noted, is designed to stimulate curiosity and foster critical thinking, preparing young minds for the challenges of tomorrow.

"In addition to inquiry-based learning, our East Lagos Teachers Scholarship graduates have also been equipped with the knowledge and tools to effectively integrate technology into their classrooms. This is particularly important, as we live in a rapidly changing digital age where technology has become an indispensable part of our daily lives. By embracing the use of technology in education, we open doors to a myriad of opportunities ...