Daniel MUSIBA talks about the role of the teacher in the.
Hi Daniel, tell me what kind of teacher methods you will use in the course and why. How will you use ICT? The course will be based on case studies, this mean giving lively examples or referring to anything that can make some one understand what is being taught and what has been taught- As a teacher I will apply case studies basing on the existing experiences in ICT, I will also allow all the students who feel like giving several examples on what is being studied to give examples so that those who will be having few ideas on what being taught get enough case studies to ease their learning. Similarly as a teacher of ICT will have to make sure that theory is turned into practical’s, how?. I will be able to organise ICT demonstrations whereby every student will be given an equal opportunity to demonstrate what he or she has learnt in class, in the process weaknesses will be identified and corrected. Students will also be sent for field work as a supplementary to case studies and getting enough experience, tests will be done and exams done at the end of the each semester, all to ensure that students can what they are supposed to get.
How will the students cooperate?
Another important thing to note is students learning from each other, as a teacher am a ware that in a class people have different experiences gained in ICT, we also have quick and slow leaners, there I pause a question for my self, how am I going to help the slow learners to cope up?. To begin with there is going to be a class assessment to identify those with some skills that is to say experience and those with little ideas. As a teacher after assessment I will divide students into small groups, anybody who has some experience in ICT will be put together with somebody with little knowledge so that during group discussions they are able help the slow learners. Active class presentations on the course work given will be considered so that Multiple Intelligences are identified and enough time given to students to do their presentations as time is one of the most important factor considered during teaching.
In what way you students will appreciate you as a teacher?
Critical reflection on what is in place to make the class more aware of what I will be teaching, I will also ask student whether they will be understanding what I will be teaching or not, an opportunity to repeat what is being taught will be available from the teacher at a no cost, the teacher will also be responsible for motivation of students in class through talking about successful people and telling every student that he or she can make it to success, normally as a teacher I can realise when the class is boring, there I have to crack a joke with the students so that they can have a simple refreshment of the mind, more still students will have breaks. A conducive environment will be created by the teacher whereby classes will be conducted in a cool environment without much noise for interference so that adults can be helped learn well.
The eTeacher Training in Service program addresses the strategic implementation of the NICI plan on ICT Policy and strategy for developing the Rwandan information society, economy and education system. It also address the Education Sector Strategy Plan (ESSP) especially when it comes to the sector priorities Developing a skilled and motivated teaching, training and lecturing workforce as well as Integrating ICT within all subject areas.
eTeacher Training at Teacher Training Colleges in Rwanda started as a pilot project operated in three teacher training colleges (TTCs): Save, Matimba and Rubengera during 2011 – 2012, with 30 teachers participating. The evaluation of this piloting was done by the University of Eastern Finland. One of the things it could conclude was that it is possible to run an eTeacher Training project to rural areas in Rwanda.
Next step - Innovation for Education
This pilot project has now led us to a next step in implementing ICT in teaching in Rwanda. Through Innovation for Education we are now able to develop our eLearning- concept in Rwanda more and have defined the following innovative areas in our project:
e-Learning as a way to reach the rural areas using ICT in education: the teaching takes place online in a learning management system called Moodle
Authentic work-based learning within ICT in teaching: the participants are to use their authentic environment for learning as well as concentrate on student-centered methods in their assignments, this using ICT as a part of their planning, teaching and reporting as well as in communication with other participants, teachers and e-tutors
Sustainability: an important part of the project is the training of the future Rwandan e-tutors to take over the teaching of the course after the two years when the project is finished. This way also the rest of the TTCs and hopefully many secondary schools can participate in this program. Also the course material will be a part of the Rwandan educational system after the project – Rwanda Education Board is our partner in the implementation.
Online community of practice: as a part of the concept of sustainability we see that both the course participants as well as the future Rwandan e-tutors need a platform where to continue their professional development. Forming this could be partly done for example in cooperation with Rwanda Education Commons.
As indicated above the project eTeacher Training aims to increase the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the practices and research of Teacher Training Colleges. In addition, the project aims to support e-learning development for teacher training in Rwanda in general and as mentioned, specifically in Teacher Training Colleges. We hope also to include one secondary school in this project. This in order to see whether this structure of e-learning could be applied even in the secondary level of schooling. The third aim of the project is to utilize digital technologies to provide flexible online professional development for teachers: creating an online community of practice is part of this aim. Ultimately the project aims to improve classroom practice through the teaching of the tutors at the TTCs.
Working closely with Teacher Training Colleges
During the project’s first three months we have started to work on the baseline study thus needing to visit all the five TTCs on the project: TTC Gacuba II, Kirambo, Matimba, Rubengere, and Save. TTC Muhanga has agreed to be our control group in the baseline study, thus giving us valuable information when looking at the results after two years. One of the pictures in this article is from our trip to TTC Matimba – we observed a music lesson, which was part of the Early Childhood Development program. During this lesson the teacher used ICT in order to teach about nursery rhymes and songs. We have been met with a lot of interest in using ICT in the classrooms – the teachers are eager to learn about ICT in teaching and directors open their schools for this development. Nevertheless there is still is work to be done to improve for example the standards of the computer labs and making it possible for teachers to use ICT outside the lab. A good start is to keep the labs open after school hours for the purpose of learning through ICT!
We have also started the revision work of the pilot course together with Rwandan teachers and eLearning experts from Sweden and Finland. The revision group focuses on ICT and learning in five different modules:
Introduction to ICT and learning
Integrate ICT in your subject
Use online community to develop your teacher profession
Create digital course material
Teachers Community of Practice
We intend even to give USB memory sticks to all of the participants. This to ensure that when the Internet is weak or not working, the teachers have a possibility to reach certain material offline.
Last week MKFC Stockholm College visited Rwanda giving presentation and held workshops at The Rwanda International Conference on Technology in Education (RICTE) http://ricte.reb.rw/. Another part of the visit was to meet an Art Studio who we developed a partnership with. This test is from http://konstskolan.mkfc.se/2012/09/09/uburanga-arts-studio-tutors-prismas-students/
“During the second meeting between Uburanga Arts Studio and MKFC the two parts agreed on an immediate start of collaboration.
With start during the ongoing term, three artist members of the art studio shall be taking part in Prisma’s advanced course (Fördjupningskursen) as online guest teachers. These three artists shall put out their own material related to “Art in Africa particularly in Rwanda”, take part in discussion assignments, comment the students’ paintings and finally take part in the evaluation of the students’ answers.
As a positive consequence of this event, the existing material of the unit will be translated into English and all the correspondences and the discussions between the students and the tutors shall be in English.
Prisma has the intention to invite more “Guest Teacher” artists from other parts of the world to tutor few more “Units” of its courses in the future”.
Teacher Hashituky from our Teacher Training course in Rwanda presents his assignments number 4. In his assignment his present examples that he find useful for his class about Wiki. He describes this as a start to encourage to more collaboration in learning.
About Wiki (for teachers and students):
“I honestly thought my email to anybody was going to be a shout into the night like it is for most places – but then they responded right away and son on. Wikispaces has become indispensable to what I do.” Let me say how impressed I am with their service. It always amazes me that such an organization still has that personal touch.” I set up a Wikispaces for my classes I have received nothing but positive feedback from parents, students and other faculty members. I have found a new resource that is easily accessible by students and parents. It allows parents to find out what their son or daughter is doing in my courses. Why Bring It To The Classroom? Great motivator for students Easy to monitor allows for creativity and innovation Encourages participation of all students Promotes communication between students, teachers, and parents and interesting way to learn.”
Dengue fever has been increasingly becoming an epidemic in Pakistan. Due to the high cost of treatment, the disease spread more rapidly in 2011 than in previous years. As of November 2011, it has killed over 300 people in the last several months and over 14,000 are infected by this mosquito born disease in Pakistan. Considering the threats of this fever, Faisal Public school organized a campaign and seminar at school to make children aware about the possible precautions and locally available solutions to get cure against this disease. Children were exposed to different educational materials, practices, solutions and preventive methodologies against dengue fever. Children took part in this campaign by reading materials about locally available solutions, writing stories, poems and by performing in a play about telling the stories of possible solutions. This interesting movie is partly in English and Urdu and written by school children. The movie directed by Mr. Babar Maqbool Khan with the help of children.
Mr. Khan is working as school head and has been a student of MKFC In-Service Teacher Training during 2009-2011.
