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Tag: AOCOED

  • AOCOED… driving e-teacher revolution

    AOCOED… driving e-teacher revolution

    The ICT Centre of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos (AOCOED) is emerging as one of the best nationwide and, arguably, a model which other institutions can copy. In this piece, ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA focuses on some of the achievements of the 54-year-old institution last year, particularly the ICT facility – courtesy of its Moderator Governor Babatunde Fashola.

    The Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin (AOCOED), Lagos ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Centre is, arguably, one of the outstanding among colleges of education nationwide.

    Though the structure was completed in 2012, it wasn’t until mid-last year that the facility became operational after it was fully stocked with the state-of-the-art facilities to cater for workers and students’ needs.

    With the centre in full swing, teaching and learning has been enjoying tremendous boost, with lecturers leapfrogging into world-class technology driven experts and daring groundbreaking research, said the Director of the Centre, Mr Victor Akinola.

    He told The Nation that the management is preparing the 55-year-old institution to be fully technology-based via two platforms – AOCOED white board expansion programme (WBEP), which involves installation of 10 additional interactive white boards (IWB) in lecture halls and resource centres, and construction of multi-million microteaching laboratory/launching of optical mark recognition (OMR) and computer-based testing (CBT) for the 2013/2014 NCE degree and the Post-UTME.

    “A major interest in the conceptualisation of AOCOED ICT dispensaries beyond registration and result processing, is the deployment of facilities in learning management system which is bound to create/ expand teaching and learning platform between managed learning environment (MLE) and an eventual virtual learning environment (VLE). Great effort is also expressed on the expansion of college database and prompt access to information.”

    Others, Akinola stressed, include enhancing effectiveness through application of online resources, facilitating prompt feedback and speedy reinforcement, as well as improving personalised support. But on the long run, the ongoing revolution hopes to breed a new generation of lecturers well-versed in e-teaching.

    “The ICT Centre has mapped out programmes for improving teachers’ confidence and skill level by providing appropriate staff development opportunities and drawing a range of technology to support learning, teaching, and attainment of research. Lecturers are expected to shoot up their teaching encounter to ensure that ICT is embedded in their daily practices on instructional delivery,” Akinola further explained.

    Located behind the institution’s health centre, the ICT facility serves as a confluence, coordinating other facets of the college. Its units include: data processing, result management, students’ matters (online registration, resulting printing etc), staff resource, computer aided assessment (CAA), training &development, and tutorial web/video conferencing.

    The college’s Information and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adebowale Odunayo, said students register their courses and are further encouraged to print them online. He said tutorial web is available for students’ academic interaction, consultation, support studies assignments and projects.

    Other pecks for students, Odunayo added, involved online exhibition, electronic conferences, basic computer literacy training and development of instructional packages.

    But besides, the management continues to consolidate on all its programmes following their accreditation by its regulatory body – National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). Ahead of the NCCE visit in March, last year, Governor Fashola gave N250 million for the management to upgrade its facilities. The governor was not disappointed as the college and all its programmes passed the litmus test.

    By August, another accreditation team, this time from the National Universities Commission (NUC) visited to appraise the college’s facilities in preparation for the latter’s proposed degree programmes.

    The teacher institution still oils its collaboration with her foreign partner institutions – London School of Finance and Business; Manchester Metropolitan University; Leicester international College, and Havering College, all in the United Kingdom, where it engages in various exchange programmes. Besides these British institutions, AOCOED also has collaboration with Edith Cowan University, Perth Western Australian and the University of Georgia, Athens, United States (US).

    In October 2012 and February, last year, the Provost of the college Mr Wasiu Bashorun Olalekan, and the Registrar Mr Bola Disu visited these institutions to further explore cooperation geared towards quality education delivery.

    The college’s Directorate of Degree programmes (DDP) broke new grounds with the introduction of the Professional Diploma in Education, which it runs with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). The first matriculation was held in May 2012 comprising 47 pioneer students.

    The college is also not looking the other way in staff development. In February, last year, 30 teaching and non-teaching staff attended the Advanced Digital Application programme for tertiary Institutions. The programme, which was bankrolled by the National Communications Commission (NCC) was organised by the Digital Bridge Institute.

    In February, last year, The School of Vocational and Technical Education annex building was handed over to the management by Ibalaz Nigeria Ltd, its construction firm. The structure, which comprises office and lecture halls, among others, is fully operational. Also same month, construction kicked off at the new School of Arts & Social Sciences Complex and 1500-seater multipurpose lecture theatre. The projects have reached advanced stages.

    As part of its community relations, the Bashorun administration in August presented computer sets, a printer and photocopier to the Ijanikin Police division.

    It is seeking partners in the construction of students’ hostel on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) to ameliorate accommodation challenges.

    ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ goes a popular saying. Little wonder the ambience of the institution is spic and span courtesy of a compulsory environmental sanitation introduced by the management and which every worker and student must participate on every last Thursday of the month.

    The college’s contingent to the 2lastyear’s National Mathematics Competition for Colleges of Education also made the institution proud when it emerged third at the fourth edition of the contest, which AOCOED also hosted.

    What is more? The teacher-producing institution is on the march to becoming a world-class which was the dream of Mr Bashorun when he mounted the saddle in August 2011. “Our pursuit is to transform into a world-class teacher institution where workers and students will feel challenged to dedicate their service for the betterment of humankind. It is also our objective to advance the frontiers of knowledge among pre-service and in-service teachers as well as other stakeholders through teaching, research, all round skill development and creation of lifelong learning opportunities that are relevant and responsive to local and global needs,” he said.

    “We also have a vision to be a leading teacher education institution characterised by an inclusive and enabling value-driven professional culture recognised globally for academic excellence,” Bashorun added.

    On his plans for the year, Bashorun said: “Our plan for this year and subsequent years is to further build on our past achievements and extend our horizon beyond the constraint of the one-third of the college land mass being occupied by the college. We plan to reclaim the swampy portion of the college land to attain the dream of being a first class degree awarding educational institution that can compete favourably with other institutions of higher learning, both home and abroad.”

     

  • AOCOED students protest fee hike

    •Management: our fees are moderate

    Students of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto/Ijanikin, protested yesterday an increase in school fees.

    As early as 8am, the students blocked the institution’s two entrance gates and set bonfires on the Lagos/Badagry expressway.

    They urged the management to reduce their tuition fee and accused it of refusing to release some of their outstanding results.

    Commuters had a hectic time on the road.

    Many trekked from the popular Ile Oba bus stop in Ijanikin and Under Bridge, close to Agbara, to the other side before boarding vehicles to their destination.

    A student, simply identified himself as Femi, said: “We are now paying N40,000, when we are not in a university. The fee is too high, but the management is not ready to listen, so we had no choice but to protest.”

    The Nation learnt that the management earlier scheduled a meeting with the Students’ Union for 1pm yesterday.

    The college’s Head of Information, Mr. Adebowale Odunayo, alleged that some workers influenced the protest, adding that the issues raised “should not trigger such a ferocious protest”.

    He said: “The protest was uncalled for because the issues raised by the students raised are not strong enough to trigger such crisis. Also the manner the protest was carried out shows that we might have some people urging those students on. Currently, returning students pay N25,000 while new students pay N40,000, which is moderate, when compared to what other public institutions charge.”

    On the uploading of their result, Odunayo said: “The College is trying to move away from the conventional manner of compiling results to uploading results online. This is the challenge we are currently going through and you know the process will take some time.”

     

  • AOCOED alumni train Student leaders

    AOCOED alumni train Student leaders

    Diplomacy is more effective than protests, students’ union leaders of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) Otto/Ijanikin have been told.

    They were taught to employ diplomacy at a seminar organised by the alumni association of the college.

    Addressing the about 100 students, National President, AOCOED Alumni Association, Comrade Adeyemi Adesanya, said unionism in the 21st century is anchored on diplomacy and not violent protest as is still practised in some institutions.

    Adesanya said: “This programme was conceived because we realised students union activities on campus has to go in conformity with the present day unionism in the world.

    So, we decided to organise this workshop for about 100 of them across all categories of SU; and we have invited resource persons from all areas of student unionism. We felt with their level of understanding with management, they needed more encouragement with respect to their grievances.”

    Commending the immediate past Students’ Union (SU) for their good conduct while in office, Adesanya said the alumni body will make efforts to improve the relationship between the current SU leaders and the management.

    He said presently, students face challenges ranging from poor classrooms, lack of public address system in classrooms as well as poor road network, which he said the alumni body is looking into.

    Adesanya said the alumni association was resuscitated earlier this year and is trying to get off the ground. However, despite various challenges, he said it has made modest achievements.

    “We have secured job for our members and are putting some of them on course, especially with the Lagos State government,” he said.

    Also speaking, the PRO, Comrade Oluwole Femi Johnson said the alumni website will soon be uploaded.

    He said: “We are almost at the final stage of the association’s website and once it is done, we shall place adverts in the dailies for our members to log in their resume online. Through that platform, we can connect with all our members worldwide. We have now secured a plot of land in the college where the alumni secretariat will be built. We just did the structural design. But even if it’s to lay the foundation alone, we want to achieve that before the end of the first quarter of next year. We hope the college also assists us as we cannot do it alone.”

    The speaker AOCOED SU Comrade Yussuf Olamilekan, while praising the alumni for the partnership, pleaded with the management to reduce the N25.000 fee management slammed on students that have graduated but have spill over.

    Former College of Education Academic Staff Union chairman AOCOED chapter Comrade Victor Akinola spoke on: ‘Conflict management, resolution in tertiary institution: Role of administrators and Students’ Union’. Alhaji Muhideen Sikiru, a Students Affairs officer in AOCOED treaed Accountability as panacea for a successful administration of Students Unionism, while Mr Ashade oladimeji a consultant, spoke on ‘Conflicts among the three arms of the SU.’

     

  • AOCOED promotes tree planting culture

    Not less than 200 trees have been planted at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos State.

    This was in fulfilment of the pledge by Provost of the college, Mr Olalekan Wasiu Bashorun when the state commemorated its Tree Planting Day.

    Academic and non-academic union leaders and executives of the Students’ Union (SU) took active parts in the exercise.

    At the event, where the college alos observed the day through planting of trees opposite the institution fence, Mr Bashorun pledged to integrate tree planting into the institution’s monthly environmental day programme, which falls on the last Thursday of the month.

    Mr Bashorun said: “We shall continue to make tree planting, tree breeding and tree preservation a priority of the college.

    “Apart from the tree to be planted, principal officers of the college – deans of schools, heads of academic and administrative departments, heads of programmes – shall plant a minimum of two trees during our monthly environmental sanitation.”

    Bashorun stressed that the staff and students should plant at least one tree each on the same day.

    In fulfillment of the pledge, Bashorun began tree planting.

    He was accompanied by the principal officers, senior management staff in the institution.

    Chairman of the Tree Planting Committee, Mr Babatunde Hontonyon, who also planted two trees said the green crusade of the management would be prosecuted.

    He said the Department of Agricultural Education would rise to the occasion of producing enough tree seedlings to promote the new culture.

    Chairman, AOCOED Beautification Committee, Mr Mobolaji Oshodi, noted that plants have salutary effects on the beauty of any environment.

    Areas covered during the exercise included the open spaces at the Administrative Block A; Auditorium 1; areas adjoining blocks B, C, D, E and F, School of Vocational and Technical Education (SVTE); School of Languages; School of Science (SOS); Health Centre among others.

    Meanwhile, an award for the best performing unit in its monthly environmental sanitation exercise has been instituted by the college.

    with the maiden award going to the Library Department (May) while STVE won the June edition.

     

  • SUG leaders trained on leadership

    Members of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree, Osun State, have visited Lagos to learn rudiment of leadership. The three-day leadership training programme and tours was organised by a Lagos-based consultancy firm, Kasa Management Consultancy Services, in Badagry area of Lagos State.

    The programme with the theme: Shaping proactive leaders for the next generation featured Mr Bola Disu, Registrar of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) as speaker. He urged the students to dream big and give meaning to their aspirations.

    Disu, who is a lawyer by training, said success only court people that worked hard to actualise their dreams.

    He said: “You must believe in yourself, and in your dreams. You do not necessarily need the whole world to endorse your dreams. They are your dreams, not the world’s. Great innovations, earth-shaking ideas, global brands and many other revolutionary achievements are not communal or democratic. They are personal issues based on self-conviction and unflinching courage.”

    Mr Disu said world brands such as Bill Gates of and Hudson Wrights brothers were individuals who dreamed big and went ahead to give meaning to their dreams.

    He urged the students’ leaders to believe in themselves, “even when nobody perceives you as being serious”.

    Another speaker, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, Deputy Director, Office of the Public Defenders, Lagos State, took the students on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.

    In her paper entitled: Application of conflict management tools in constructive engagement and student-related disputes, Adeyemi listed some causes of students’ unrest in higher institutions to include inadequate facilities, shortage of lecture materials and hostel accommodation, irregular power supply and water shortage among others.

    Through ADR mechanism, all the challenges could be resolved without violence, Adeyemi said.

    “There are various ways of managing and resolving conflicts. ADR and other intervention methods are in widespread demand and use,” she said, adding: “ADR is often used to describe a wide variety of dispute resolution processes that are short of, or alternative to full-scale court processes.”

    She said the conflict resolution mechanism saved time, money and increase control over the process and the outcome, preserving relationships. She urged the students to embrace the mechanism in crisis resolution and management instead of confrontation.

    In a paper titled Developing your entrepreneurship potentials as students’ leaders, Mr Kolawole Asa, a Management Consultant, tutored participants on entrepreneurship. Asa gave some tips to create and develop business ideas, saying that the society expected youths to take charge of their lives and become successful.

    After the workshop session, the students visited historic sites in Badagry, including the Whispering Palm Resort.

    Folorunso Samuel, one of the participants, said: “The training has totally widened my knowledge on leadership.” Another participant, Adewale Salawudeen, said: “We commend the management of Osun State Polytechnic and the consultants for organising this powerful and wonderful training.”

     

  • Voyage of discovery

    Voyage of discovery

    By 7am last Wednesday, the buses were on stand-by. In no time, some students had gathered at the main gate of the Ikorodu Campus of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) with their luggage. Where were they going? They were heading for tourist sites in Oyo State on excursion.

    They are origins of the state studying in LASPOTECH and AOCOED.

    The Pace Setter state, which has a rich culture, is endowed with many tourist sites such as natural geographical phenomenon; historical and archaeological centres; battle grounds and old settlements.

    It is a routine in the federation of Oyo State Student Union (FOSSU) to embark on such a trip every year. Last year, the students went on a similar trip to the state. From Ikorodu, they went to the Isolo Campus to pick their waiting colleagues. They were led by Niyilola Akanji and Alalade Idris presidents of the union in LASPOTECH and AOCOED respectively.

    The journey was enlivened by members of the Kegites Club, who were part of the trip. From Lagos to Ibadan, the students sang gyration songs.

    When they got to Ibadan, their first port of call was the 200-year-old palace of Baale of Irefin.

    The palace, which was built with mud and has 185 rooms, is one of the enduring legacies in the ancient town. The first Baale of Irefin, the late Ogundeyi Ogunlade Irefin, was a warrior, who detested robbery. According to legend, the late Ogunlade rid Ibadan of bandits. He was said to have migrated from Owu, a village close to Iwo in Osun State.

    Mr Abdulfatai Ogundeji Irefin, one of the late Ogunlade’s grandchildren, conducted the students round the palace. They were shown kobi (entrance) and igbejo (court yard) .

    They visited Bower Tower, also in Ibadan, the same day. The tower, which is 997 feet and 303 metres high, was erected in honour of the late Captain R.L. Bower, the colonial officer who administered Ibadan metropolis.

    The monument was erected in December 1936 at Oke-Are to appreciate the late Bower’s effort in curbing kidnapping, human sacrifice and inter-communal strife. The late Bower’s administration was also said to be instrumental to the provision of fundamental freedom and education.

    On the second day, the students arrived in Oyo Town and visited the Old Oyo National Park on Isokun-Iseyin Road.

    On entering the park, the students came face to face with two huge ostriches. Mr Lukman Durosimi, a worker in the park, conducted the students round the museum, showing them various historical items.

    He recounted the stories behind the objects. The tourists saw a tortoise called papa, which has spent 99 years in the park.

    In Ogbomoso, the students went to pay homage to Oba Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagungbade III, the Soun of Ogbomoso. They were welcomed into the palace by Alagba – a tortoise said to have spent 350 years in the palace. The tortoise is the oldest member in the palace.

    At Igbeti, the headquarters of Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State, the students saw the beauty of nature. Igbeti is an ancient settlement located by the hill of the woodland forest. It is about 84 kilometres northwest of Ogbomoso and surrounded by hills, the tallest of which is Iyamopo Hill.

    During their trip to Igbeti, the students visited Agbele rock formation, which depicts a picture of a woman carrying a load of dried sliced yams and a baby on her back. The rock’s historical significance is rooted in the tradition of Igbeti people.

    The students also visited Ogunjokoro, a mysterious iron, before they returned to their base in Igbeti town.

    During their visit to Iyamopo Hill, Chief D.O. Ogunbiyi, told them that Sango Olufiran Ajala Iji was the first person to settle on the hill before the Alaafin of the old Oyo Empire in the 13th century took over the hill. The major occupation of the natives is hunting.

    Chief Ogunbiyi told the students how the people came by the name, Igbeti.

    He said: “One of Iji’s children, who had no male child to inherit the throne after the death of their progenitor, was instructed by Ifa (oracle) not to hunt again because he had killed many lovers of Iyamopo (mother who knows problems of people),who assisted them to settle in the area. So, if people asked him why he did not have dried meat, he would tell them: Mo ti pagbeti (I have stopped hunting)’. So people started calling him Baba Pagbeti.”

    The students climbed the Iyamopo Hill to see some historical places like Iyamopo well, the palace of Iyamopo, which is a cave under the hill. It is spacious and can contain 50 people. The students also saw a mysterious tree, which has an entry and exit.

    Afeez Gazali, one of the tourists, told CAMPUSLIFE: “Everything I have learnt in the course of this trip is not what a student can learn in the classroom. One should always visit historical sites to appreciate the culture and our roots better.”

    Oluwadamilola Ayoade, another student, described the excursion as “very educative”, saying she learned new things about her roots as an Oyo State indigene.

    FOSSU presidents praised their colleagues for their peaceful conduct during the trip, advising them to be serious with their studies.

     

  • AOCOED fetes retired Provost, Council members

    AOCOED fetes retired Provost, Council members

    The Provost, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos, Mr Wasiu Olalekan Bashorun, has described his predecessor, Mr Hakeem Olatokunbo Ajose-Adeogun, as an accomplished administrator who linked the past 55-year-old institution with the present.

    He made the remark at a valedictory session held in honour of Ajose-Adeogun and four former members of the Governing Council at the college premises last Wednesday.

    Said Bashorun: ‘I will like to use this opportunity to publicly thank you, Mr Hakeem Olatokunbo Ajose-Adeogun for nurturing and leaving behind a legacy of dedication, service and accomplishment worthy of emulation by the college community.”

    The honoured former council members are Chief labi Ishola-Lemomu, Alhaji Salia Fagbenro, Mrs. Bolanle F. Ajani and Mrs Ibironke Adeseye, who all disengaged having completed two terms in the Council.

    “Mr Ajose-Adeogun initiated projects which he completed, and left some behind not for lack of will power but because the projects has to follow execution schedule. His administration was so effective that he could be described as a bridge builder between the past and the present administrations.”

    He also likened Ajose-Adeogun as a ‘good listener’, ‘scholar of repute’ and ‘silent achiever’.

    Chairman, Governing Council of AOCOED, Mrs Victoria Adedamola Akran, relived with nostalgia, the contributions of the four former council members and Ajose-Adeogun. Mrs Akran said the quartet brought their wealth of experience to bear on the board, thus enhancing and enriching the policy formulation for the college for the period they served.

    The college orator who also represents the college community on the Governing Council, Mr Samuel Akindele, and the Registrar, Bola Disu poured encomiums on the five.

    Mr Disu, also a lawyer, testified to Ajose-Adeogun’s administrative acumen, adding that he worked relentlessly to improve the academic qualities of the college.

    The AOCOED Management presented parting gifts, which included plaques. Other members of the community also did same.