Former Delta school superintendent John Anderson led a team of seven B.C. educators to Kenya last month to share their technology knowledge with teachers in four rural schools.
With the support of many of the 50 clubs in Rotary District 5040, including the Rotary clubs of Ladner and Tsawwassen, and a grant from the international Rotary Foundation, the team of teachers was building on the work of a previous Rotary District 5040 Foundation grant that provided computer labs to two schools in the Kitui region, southeast of Nairobi.
The Kenyan teachers in the region have since reached out for support in implementing these new teaching methods in four of their schools.
Anderson, a Tsawwassen resident and past District 5040 governor, said the teachers were chosen for their strength in using technology in everyday teaching. They planned the visit for months, but knew their workshop material and teaching approach would have to change once they understood more clearly the needs of their Kenyan colleagues.
The team held four workshops over a two-week period, focused on improving instruction for digital literacy and implementing the “4 Cs” of 21st century learning: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication. The aim was to provide a common language and an understanding of the concepts to bring about instructional change.
The Kenyan teachers and their students wanted plenty of hands-on time at the computers and in exploring content on the new Rachel Plus devices, which connect offline learners to the world’s knowledge in over 40 countries where Internet access does not exist or is limited.
At the end of the second week the team transferred the technology it had been using in the workshops: each of the four schools received two laptop computers, a projector and two Rachel Plus machines.
“Whether it was teaching in the schools, conducting workshops or addressing 700 student teachers at South Eastern Kenya University, our team didn’t miss a step,” said Anderson. “Because of their planning and their willingness to adapt to meet the presenting needs, the teachers and students were quick to show appreciation. They are an amazing group which didn’t stop working, sharing or having fun for the whole time they were there.”
The team included Kristina Willing and Helen Erickson from Smithers Secondary, Tu Loan Trieu from Ecole Glenbrook Middle School in New Westminster, Jason Chow from Richmond Secondary, Tom Morley from RC Palmer Secondary in Richmond and Andy Beadon from St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby.
In November, a group of Kenyan teachers will visit B.C. to see how schools operate and continue the exchange with their Canadian colleagues.
