Engaging Teachers in Building Capacity for Computing and Coding in Kenya
Presenters:
Patrick Munguti - Director of Education and IT
Felistus Tom - Technology program assistant
Our Vision
An empowered
rural community that learns, grows and thrives together.
Learns
Grows
Thrives
A community that is engaged and using the power of education. Linking to skills in our mission.
A community that is changing, evolving and growing. Linking to values in our mission.
A community that takes specific steps to progress. Linking to pathways in our mission.
To ensure rural children leave education with options, by developing the skills, values and pathways to thrive.
Our Mission
Theory of Change
Skills
Children
with options
How do we create children with options?
Values
Pathways
If we can help develop all 3 of these, we will have children with options
The right kind of person,
with the right set of skills,
on the right path to thrive.
Our Focus Areas help us stay on track and work on areas where we feel we can make the most impact.
How do we do it? Our Focus Areas
Technology
Children equipped with 21st-century technology skills.
Equipping teachers to ensure every child receives a quality education.
Coding Clubs
Working alongside Raspberry Pi, our dedicated Coding Clubs introduce new ideas and tech to children.
Robotics Clubs
In addition we also offer robotics classes covering the basics of robotics and engineering.
Technology Provision
Our mobile technology library moves around schools brining the technology needed to conduct technology lessons.
STEM Bootcamps
School break bootcamps with students to spark interest and educate around STEM fields.
Computer Classes in School
Bringing our trained Kenya Connect staff into our partner schools to deliver series of technology lessons.
Technology TPD
Teacher professional development aimed specifically at technology education.
Technology
Coding skills are quite essential for the 21st century learner and many teachers lack these skills. In order to reach more students it is essential to train teachers.
At Kenya Connect, we recognize that teachers play a crucial role in scaling initiatives aimed at equipping students with essential technology skills.
Why train teachers
Many teachers were skipping coding in the curriculum, as they lacked the necessary skills and confidence to teach it.
To bridge this gap, we began training two teachers per school, equipping them with the knowledge and hands-on experience to teach both digital literacy and coding.
Understanding the need
Our journey began by working with Grade 4 students in two schools to better understand the teaching and learning environment.
Our plan was to leverage on the government-issued tablets for instruction.
During assessment, we discovered that most of the devices were non-functional.
We made efforts to repair those that could be salvaged and supplemented with Chromebooks to ensure learning continuity.
How we started
While our initial goal was to teach coding, we quickly realized that many students lacked basic computer skills.
From the experience, we developed a structured curriculum designed to empower teachers with the skills necessary to integrate technology into their classrooms effectively.
To further reinforce learning, we established after-school code clubs where students could practice and enhance their coding skills in a collaborative environment.
These code clubs are run by the teachers we have trained.
Through this intervention, teachers who previously omitted coding are now able to confidently incorporate it into their lessons, ensuring students receive comprehensive technology education.
We have established 76 code clubs in 76 schools
300+ teachers have been trained
Teachers have trained over 2,000 students on computer basics and coding
Students have participated in international robotics competitions and our teams have won in two consecutive years.
Successes
Monitoring and Evaluation
All this has been possible through working with partners like: -
Partners
Q&A