SOO Tanzania Launched Teachers &Pupils’ ICT Training

Creative Commons (CC) Tanzania through School of Open (SOO) programme trained Fifty (50) pupils from Kumbukumbu primary school on the benefits of Internet, Computer programmes information/knowledge sharing, and Open Education Resources (OERs) & other related programmes. This is one of the planned activities for SOO Tanzania, where, this training was preceded by donation of Computers, chairs & tables to the computer lab as CC Tanzania initiative to enable public schools to appreciate the use of ICTs in teaching and learning.

This event was officiated by the former Vice Chancellor, of Open University of Tanzania (OUT), Prof. Tolly Mbwette; who agreed to be the patron of CC Tanzania. The university supported the training by two providing training labs that were used by the pupils. Open and Distance Learning (ODL) computer labs were used in the training.

School of Open Tanzania’s program launched by Steven Lukindo; the Acting Director – Institute of Educational technology & Management (IEMT), Open University of Tanzania on April 17, 2014 with three days hands on workshop introducing Public Primary School pupils to Internet, ICT use in teaching and learning. Fifty young pupils from Kumbukumbu Primary School, Kinondoni Dar es Salaam Tanzania were trained in the use of Internet to access OERs, open web to aid teaching and learning using search engine Google. Pupils were also introduced to different computer programmes in learning; Microsoft Word and Excel. The concept of the commons, copyright, and how CC licenses have enabled the global OER movement was also introduced.

A one-month teacher training was also launched, commencing on 20th April 2015. Forty (40) primary school teachers are expected to be trained by SOO Tanzania. The training aimed at equipping teachers from the same school with ICT skills in teaching and learning. Internet, OERs and the commons concepts were introduced in details that comply with school’s ICT syllabus. This training was SOO’s follow up activity after the donation of computers by CC Tanzania to the same school. This training has been initiated by SOO Tanzania and the trainer is a volunteer from USA.

School of Open Tanzania has planed for a continuous training to more training to the public schools’ pupils and students on the benefits of sharing education resources and use of different customized teaching learning tools with local content.

In regard of the above, there are number of challenges encountered by SOO Tanzania including: lack of funding to carry out some of its key planned activities, time to merge busy schedules of facilitators work and volunteering activities, publicity, inadequate ICT facilities in most public schools, and low understanding of ICT in teaching & learning to most schools, perception change in sharing of innovations and creativity within the community. More publicity and training is required to take CC Tanzania to the next lever in the country

CC Tanzania through its SOO planned activities is planning to approach more donors/volunteers to support its 2015 roadmap, and publicizing its activities to teaching and learning institutions to attract awareness of how CC affiliates works for better sharing and bright future.

A group of 50 students from Kumbukumbu primary school and team of CC Tanzania during the ICT training that was held April this year.Photography by Erasmus K

More photographs follow here