Following the success of the pilot phase of the programme, where 32 Foundation Phase teachers; specialising in English, Afrikaans, Life Skills, Mathematics and Home Language, went through a series of, Pearson South Africa will be launching the second phase of its Author Development Training Initiative, with workshops scheduled for the second week of July, during the school holidays.
According to Dr Benadette Aineamani, Director of Product & Services at Pearson South Africa, the key focus areas covered in the programme help emerging authors understand the book production process; how to interpret the curriculum, write for the syllabus and correct language level, align different components for complete content, recognise multilingual aspects in content creation, as well as understand digital pedagogy.
“We continually work with educators and learners to improve our products and services, ensuring they have the most positive impact on learning,” said Aineamani. “With regards to the Pearson Author Development Training Initiative, part of responsibility means ensuring that participants also gain more practical experience in understanding how to write artwork briefs, text and photo permissions, avoid plagiarism, and use appropriate digital tools in the authoring and reviewing process such as marking up corrections in Adobe Pro.
The training and workshops are delivered by Cheryl Gleeson Baird, an experienced author, as well as Content Developers from Pearson who shared their vast knowledge, experience, and expertise.
All educators and subject matter experts who would like to learn more and are interested in participating in the Pearson Author Development Training, are encouraged to complete this application form. Candidates that meet the selection criteria will be invited to attend a free online workshop that will outline the publishing process and provide them with the knowledge and tools to write educational content for the curriculum.
“Pearson is dedicated to creating positive social impact, from our products and strategies to the way we engage with our millions of learners, partners, and communities around the world,” concluded Aineamani.