From Ken - more on link-up between teachers in Denmark and in Kenya May 1, 2011

Dear Pam,

 

Thanks for your exhaustive and detailed response.

 

Your response is a whole book with a zillion tips to borrow a leaf from.

I am glad that i benefit from yet another platform you have created for sharing, learning from each other, and collaborating.

It started by connecting online, then "learning from each other", then "collaborators connect" and now a leaf from "Teachers Connect".

It is true ICT is a great enabler of both formal and informal education.

Instantaneous sharing of ideas, knowledge, and skills has made collaborative work dramatically easier, with the help of  Internet.

 

Contrary to the expected, we have been lucky to find a venue in a school in Kibera slum with room enough to hold a capacity of 30 participants.

Moreover, it is equipped with 20 internet enabled desktops.

The desktops use ADSL broadband technology but we will use the mobile internet as a fall back plan incase of power outage.

So i believe the problem of band width is partially solved.

The teachers themselves are fully responsible in  leading the sessions.

There will be moderators both on the Danish side and the Kenyan side.

I will be participating and following the proceedings here in Denmark.

James and other Nafsi members on the ground will be helping with the set-up and the technical stuff in Kenya.

We have shared most of your ideas with the participating teachers and doing alot of liasing so that the participants are accustomed with the procedures and have a better understanding of each side.

the teachers already have a topic of discussion already and will be sharing educational material from various websites

But they will not just restrict themselves to this, they have welcomed the idea of also dwelling on ICT and cultural awareness.

 

We are now considering a simple set-up based on your ideas.

And we will do a test run on a not yet defined date before the D-day just to be sure everything will be alright.

Perhaps, we could catch up during the test run and rub minds more.

 

Thanks again for your ideas that are always "positively infectious".. i always get enthusiastic to learn more and more when i read your postings.

It is true, learning never exhausts the mind.

 

Peace,

 

Ken Owino