Marlene's Blog

Hello everyone. I am Marlene Abraham-Finlay, and I am from Grenada – the Spice Island of the Caribbean. I am part of a seven (7) member delegation from the T. A. Marryshow Community College, and was privileged to participate in two of the CCEDP courses - “Facilitating the Adult Learner” and “Assessing and Evaluating Adult Learning”, at the Truro Campus.

The journey began as we engaged in our first group activity – identifying issues teachers face in the classroom. We quickly realized that it didn’t matter which Community College, campus or discipline we represented, the challenges were similar (maybe even identical). We could all relate; the platform was set.

I can vividly remember the micro-teaching sessions. They were so creative, informative and interactive. Who would have thought that so much could be taught in just 10 – 12 minutes? The feedback was meaningful and rewarding. Thank you Cathy McLean (our facilitator), Jill, Rick, Nikki and Dennis! You were a great team!

Our second course reinforced the need to ensure that our lessons are outcomes based; to create classroom environments where the teaching strategies, assessment and evaluation techniques are all aligned and geared towards ensuring that learning takes place. Emphasis was placed on the need for self-reflection and peer assessment (feedback). The seminars were remarkable.

As great as the classroom sessions were, the best part of this experience has been the interactions with the NSCC staff and faculty, as well as the people of Nova Scotia. From our first meal at Murphy’s (Truro), to our chats in the cafeteria, the time you took to share with us the culture and history of Nova Scotia, to Paul who was always willing to help with our IT needs, to our facilitators (Dave, Taralee and Maria), to a splendid lunch at Larry’s. You embraced us and made us feel welcome, part of your ‘family’. Thank you, NSCC! Thank you, Zoran – we couldn’t ask for a better host!

As a member of faculty and an administrator, I am leaving here enriched; and eager to share the techniques and strategies learnt with my staff and faculty.

Marlene Abraham-Finlay
Dean – School of Applied Arts and Technology
T. A. Marryshow Community College (Grenada)