| August 23, 2008 |
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Mr. Mark
Matunga- MESA Education and Citizenship Manager gives
certificates to a ToT
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Microsoft through the Partners in Learning Program has
partnered with the Ministry of Education - Kenya, and
the African Centre for Women in ICT (ACWICT) to transform
education through the use of ICT in Education.
Specifically, the partnership aims to build the capacity
of women teachers in ICT while at the same time addressing
the issues affecting Girl Child education in Kenya.
Microsoft Partners in learning initiative supports the
dual commitment by Microsoft to advance the quality of
education and provide alternative channels for economic
progress.
By building partnerships with governments and schools
around the globe, Partners in Learning works to integrate
technology into daily teaching, learning, and research.
The project, which will be implemented over a five year
period starting from August 2008, is expected to train
16,800 women primary and secondary school teachers from
the 210 constituencies countrywide.
The training will take a training of trainer (TOT) approach
and will be delivered through a localized Microsoft Partners
in Learning training curriculum designed to develop the
capacities of women teachers in both ICT and Girl Child
issues in Kenya.
The programme begins with a 3 week Training of 30 Teacher
Trainers (TOTs) scheduled for August 2008. The Teacher
Trainers will be equipped with the necessary skills set
and attitude that is required for implementation of the
programme.
The TOT’s will be trained at the ACWICT training
centre in Nairobi and Suba Youth Resource Centre under
the supervision of E- Learning Coordinator, Ministry of
Education.
The teacher training will begin in December 2008. In order
to train 16,800 teachers spread across the 210 constituencies
countrywide in fives year period, the programme has been
designed to train 80 teachers per constituency in 14 constituencies
every term holiday.
Other key activities to be implemented include hosting
annual Innovative Teachers and learners Congress events,
facilitating exchange platforms for teachers involved
the programme, and innovative teacher road shows designed
to enable reach in areas that are otherwise not covered
by the prerequisite ICT infrastructure.
The TOT’s will be introduced to Microsoft Digital
literacy, how to mentor teachers to be Innovative ,how
to use ICT y to Capture legal and Social issues related
to the Girl-Child, a number of emerging technologies including
wireless connectivity, solar power technology and the
whole philosophy behind Microsoft Partners in Learning.
ACWICT will work closely with the selected training sites
,the Ministry of Education and Constituency Development
Fund to synchronize the training schedule to capture those
teachers who otherwise for involvement in school calendar
events are not left out.
Of central focus will be the use of a customized Microsoft
Digital Literacy Curriculum with Girl–Child content
so as to capture issues and challenges facing the Girls
in and out of school environment. The teachers will be
instructed, and mentored and incited by the, TOTs to use
ICT innovatively to re-socialize the girls so asto make
them realize their potential.
For purposes of scaling up the program, ACWICT seek partnerships
with like minded organizations these will include but
not limited to telecommunication operators, media houses,
educational institutions, operators in the energy sector,
ICT service providers, Government of Kenya devolved funds
structures including the Constituency Development Fund.
Collaborative effort will be made with the Kenya Institute
of Education (K.I.E) to introduce digitized syllabus content
in the subject areas where girls have been performing
poorly. The trained female teachers (innovative teachers)
will act as role models in this area by using computers
to improve Science teaching in schools even as they use
wireless technology to improve access to gender based
information for schools.
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