Half a Year Report (KITaDTC)
Posted Sunday, January 1st, 2006 at 3:06 am
Kilimanjaro Information Technology and Development Training Centre (KITaDTC)
Half a Year Report
August 2005 – January 2006
Background:
Kilimanjaro Information Technology and Development Training Centre (KITaDTC) based in Moshi, Tanzania, specializes in information and communication technology training, consultancy, research, data processing and high technology publishing.
Accordingly to our goals of the half a year August 2005 – January 2006, these are the activities of iEARN representative in Tanzania, Moshi during this half a year:
- Bring understanding of vital role of ICT in education development by discussing difficulties and problems of education, possible solutions and forthcoming programmes in Kilimanjaro region, with spokespeople of Moshi Municipality, Non Government Organizations, Schools, Colleges and etc
- Introduce to social community of Kilimanjaro region aims, goals and philosophy of World Education Corps and James Martin.
- To gain more visibility for Kilimanjaro Information Technology and Development Training Centre in order to make impact to more teachers and students from primary and secondary schools.
- Pursue goals of sustaining collaborative work and relations with international community of Kilimanjaro region primary and secondary schools teachers and students by training KITaDTC trainers in field of iEARN collaborative projects.
- To make teachers gain ICT and implement new teaching technologies in classroom curriculum by teaching basic knowledge of computer, Internet and introduction in iEARN collaborative projects teachers from primary and secondary school.
- Create basement of teachers with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office and Internet to enable them to participate in Training of Training program.
- Find partners for sustainable development of KITaDTC program and achieving goals, promoting vision and philosophy of WEC.
Goals and Success achieved through half a year August 2005 – January 2006
- 43 teachers from primary and secondary schools of Moshi city trained at Kilimanjaro Information Technology and Development Training Centre. After training teachers achieved basic skills in Windows – 95/98/XP, Microsoft Office, implementing and using of iEARN Collaborative Projects in classroom curriculum. There were expected 65 but because of different circumstances they did not attend trainings. For more information see Concerns, Problems, Challenges section.
- Two trainers from Kilimanjaro Information Technology and Development Training Centre attended iEARN Distance Learning course – “Creative Writing Online Course” which was sponsored by WEC and iEARN USA. After completing the course, the teachers were recognized as iEARN Master Teachers.
- Approximately 450 students from primary and secondary schools are participating in iEARN projects. But not all of them participated in online forums. For more information see Concerns, Problems, Challenges section.
- Established Support Training Centre at Kishumundu Secondary School. Kishumundu Secondary School has 10 working computers with Windows 98 and XP operating system and 4 teachers with good computer skills. After attending training at KITDTC they started to conduct training for their l students at Kishumundu Secondary School!
- Organized qualified and skilled team for promoting World Education Program, James Martin Philosophy and iEARN.
Concerns, Problems, Challenges
- Electricity fluctuations and regularly cuttings especially on dry seasons.
- Lack of involvement of many teachers and students in collaborative work attributed to – not all schools in the region of Kilimanjaro and Moshi city especially have computer labs and Internet connection. As a result, main iEARN projects activities passing inside of schools do not gain international community.
· Teachers’ absence in training attributed to – exam oriented curriculum, heavy teaching load, parliament and 2005 General Elections, transport cost,
· Misunderstanding of the importance of ICT in education and necessity of integrating the ICT in their teaching led to lack of interest
- Lack of sponsors has also been our major problem.
Activities for second half a year period January 2006 – July 2006
Aimed with the experienced gained in the last few months, the team at Moshi, Tanzania is targeting the following area for the remaining period!
- Conduct Training of Trainers for teachers who attended the first part of Basic Computer Skills, Microsoft Office and Internet. The teachers would be selected according to their interest and ability. The aim is to select few good teachers who will become competent trainers after the pilot program! These will teach others and form a baseline of training for collaborative projects in Tanzania!
- Conduct iEARN workshops for primary and secondary school teachers. Trainings is going to be conducted by two trainers of KITaDTC who attended the just ended iEARN Distance Learning Courses. This will be a challenge because we expect primary and secondary school to offer a reliable base for iEARN collaborative projects! As things are shaping now, teachers leave a lot to be desired for their lack of interest in ICT!
- Conduct training at the Support Training Centre of Kishimundu Secondary School for the neighbouring primary and secondary school teachers. There are more than 16 primary schools and four secondary schools in the area. Each primary school has approximately 800 students and 45 teachers. The secondary schools are new and they have 350 students and 25 teachers each!
- Organize training of teachers of secondary and primary school in Moshi city by an Alumni of TOT program. This will be a throw back strategy where graduate both teachers and students would be used to train others upon successful completion of their training! This way we can accomplish another part of our target which is sustainable training after the pilot program!
Support that we are looking for:
- Fund to pay for Internet connectivity at Kishumundu and enable students and teachers to gain online access. At the moment teachers and students are getting basic computer course at Kishumundu and move on to KIT for online access. KITaDTC is about 16 Kms from Kishumundu Secondary that’s where the question of transportation cost arises!
- Sponsorship for teachers training to buy stationeries, transportation cost and incidentals. Understandably teachers have little interest because of the cost involved in attending the course. They have to meet their transportation cost, stationeries and incidentals! All other services at KITaDTC are free of charge!
- Sponsorship for more computers in both primary and secondary schools. Some of the teachers who attended the first basic computer course had never touched computer before. The same teachers will go back to their schools after completing their basic training and will not be able to use computers because their schools do not have them!
- More iEARN online training sponsorship to KITaDTC teachers would enable them to manage collaborative projects! It would be beneficial for iEARN to use these teachers during its online training! This will be part of the global network of iEARN!
Expected activities at KIT in 2006!
- Kit will start a secondary school this January. It will be run by KITNet (the Non Governmental Organization- NGO). This NGO will promote the image of WEC. it is proposed to name the school after the visionary founder of WEC Dr. James Martin. It will enrol orphans and primary school failures from the destitute families. The school’s name will be James Martin Educational Centre! Students and teachers in this school would be cultivated to the ongoing online collaborative projects and enable them to enjoy the best education ICT can provide!
- During the Mount Kilimanjaro Marathon, some teachers in training will take part in an effort to raise money for their school! There will be a half marathon and full distance marathon.
- Sometimes this year between March and June, the WEC expedition for Kilimanjaro will take place. The expedition will comprise of teachers and possibly students who are taking part in the training! This expedition is expected to raise some money to cover cost for the teachers, transportation and stationery! This will wind up the first WEC pilot program in Tanzania. The event will be annual one for the same purpose.
Gratitude:
- Much heartfelt gratitude should be bestowed on the Moshi Municipal Council for their support in the program. The Municipal has proved that local government can be an integral partner in the ICT development process.
- The staff of Kilimanjaro Information Technology Development Training Centre for their keen and unreserved support and guidance to this program! Through their Community Outreach Program, KITaDTC has been able to use its expertise and popularity among the residents of Moshi to sell this project successfully. Many bureaucratic dogmas were shelved because KITaDTC is part and parcel of this local community.
Contact persons:
Onesmo Ngowi
WEC Coordinator for Tanzania
ngowio@yahoo.com
Lev Gavrish
WEC Volunteer, Tanzania 2005-2006
levgavrish@yahoo.com Full Postal Address:
Kilimanjaro Information Technology and Development Training Centre
P.O. Box 1106
Majengo, Ghalla Street
Moshi
Tanzania
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