Comments on: International Perspectives http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/04/international_p.html Technology, leadership, and the future of schools Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: A. Mercer http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/04/international_p.html/comment-page-1#comment-14788 A. Mercer Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2007/04/international_p.html#comment-14788 I'm trying to get Kobus van Wyk over here to post about some of the issues he is having in South Africa. When I see these posts, I have more questions than comments. What do they want to use computers and the Internet for in other countries? Do they want web 2.0, or are they still in the drill online approach? I ask this because they seem to be at about the same point I remember schools here being at in say the 1990s (infrastructure not up to par, not enough tech support) when edugames seemed to be the rule. Please, I want to hear more so I'm not making stupid assumptions. I’m trying to get Kobus van Wyk over here to post about some of the issues he is having in South Africa. When I see these posts, I have more questions than comments. What do they want to use computers and the Internet for in other countries? Do they want web 2.0, or are they still in the drill online approach? I ask this because they seem to be at about the same point I remember schools here being at in say the 1990s (infrastructure not up to par, not enough tech support) when edugames seemed to be the rule. Please, I want to hear more so I’m not making stupid assumptions.

]]> By: Kobus van Wyk http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/04/international_p.html/comment-page-1#comment-14789 Kobus van Wyk Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2007/04/international_p.html#comment-14789 I can completely relate to the Cambodian experience. Implementing ICT in schools in the developing world is not a walk in the park. Khanya is an initiative in the Western Cape, South Africa, and the the purpose is to assist schools here to use ICT for curriculum delivery purposes. Details of the project can be found on our website: www.khana.co.za and the lessons learned and thinking behind the project is documented on the blog: www.khanya.co.za/blogs. Just a few comments on the points raised in the posting above: 1 Used computers: don't touch them with a pole. If they are not good enough for the corporates who discarded them, they are not good enough for learners. There is a lot of emotional blackmail going around: "Poor children, have nothing, half a loaf is better than nothing ..." It is immoral to give sub-standard equipment to the poor; if one wants to bridge the digital divide, one must give the very best to the poorest of the poor. Against a lot of criticism, I have resisted the efforts of many organisations to palm off their cast-offs to our poor schools. 2 Training must be ongoing. Absolutely. You cannot put teachers in a training session and hope they will learn, understand, remember and have the wisdom to use ICT after that. Ongoing, patient hand holding is required. For this purpose we have a team of "facilitators", skilled ex-teachers with good ICT skills who are visiting schools at least once per week to render support. Acquiring ICT skills is the easy part; to learn how to use ICT as a curriculum delivery tool is completely another kettle of fish. And so I can ramble on ... I can completely relate to the Cambodian experience. Implementing ICT in schools in the developing world is not a walk in the park.

Khanya is an initiative in the Western Cape, South Africa, and the the purpose is to assist schools here to use ICT for curriculum delivery purposes. Details of the project can be found on our website: http://www.khana.co.za and the lessons learned and thinking behind the project is documented on the blog: http://www.khanya.co.za/blogs.

Just a few comments on the points raised in the posting above:

1 Used computers: don’t touch them with a pole. If they are not good enough for the corporates who discarded them, they are not good enough for learners. There is a lot of emotional blackmail going around: “Poor children, have nothing, half a loaf is better than nothing …” It is immoral to give sub-standard equipment to the poor; if one wants to bridge the digital divide, one must give the very best to the poorest of the poor. Against a lot of criticism, I have resisted the efforts of many organisations to palm off their cast-offs to our poor schools.

2 Training must be ongoing. Absolutely. You cannot put teachers in a training session and hope they will learn, understand, remember and have the wisdom to use ICT after that. Ongoing, patient hand holding is required. For this purpose we have a team of “facilitators”, skilled ex-teachers with good ICT skills who are visiting schools at least once per week to render support. Acquiring ICT skills is the easy part; to learn how to use ICT as a curriculum delivery tool is completely another kettle of fish.

And so I can ramble on …

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