Bridging the gap to meet the challenges of ICT and E-learning in the educational environment of Liberia
Friday, 15th May 2009
Leroy M. Beldeh during the workshop
Photo Credit: Photo by Peter
Photo Credit: Photo by Peter
eLearning is one of the key pillars that hinges on Information Communication Technology relative to the educational environment. In today fast globalizing world, ICT have reshape the world into a global village, bridging the digital divide and developing the consciousness of peace, unity, tolerance education, respect for diversity, etc. This is been made possible through the framework of several international organizations, eLearning users and providers, institutions etc.
iEARN, TEN, Global Teenager projects are such organizations working to Bridge the Digital Divide for teachers in Liberia so as to help them use technology as an important tools in enhancing education.
The gap of technology in the educational environment in Liberia is so wide and inconceivable that it requires a serious attention. The iEARN-Liberia recent survey conducted among 60 (K-12) schools within Monrovia and its environs reveal an amazing result, very unimaginable in contemporary time. It shows that 98.6% of the total enumerated schools do not have easy access to internet; 72% do not have a computer lab; 99.1% do not know what is eLearning and have not participated in a collaborative online classroom projects or learning circle; while 81.1% of 122 teachers enumerated are not computer literate and 90.4% do not have an email account. With this information, we have realized that there is an immediate and urgent need to support the educational environment in Liberia especially through ICT Skills Training. The government alone cannot do all but as US President Obama said “Yes we can” this is the time for initiatives and collective collaboration to help bridge the gap.
iEARN-Liberia in collaboration with Global Teenager Project and Technology Empowerment Network have team up to conduct a two days ICT workshop for teachers in Liberia. Speaking during the introductory section of the workshop iEARN-LIBERIA/Liberia Global Teenager Project National and country coordinator Leroy McDyiah Beldeh said to the teachers “this workshop is not just another workshop, it’s a training section that will educate and equip you to meet the challenges of ICT and eLearning teachers face in post war Liberian schools” adding, “at the end of this workshop teachers will be able to; Use Internet software application and CD-ROM/FLASK DISC, browse the web searching educational resources, build a technical Internet vocabulary, Understand iEARN's mission and vision and the GTP goals, Get familiar with and navigate iEARN web site and available resources at hand, Practice using iEARN's technology tools and be aware of the difference between them, Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Project Base Learning, Discuss different classroom management techniques and how ICT can enhance classroom project implementation, Joining regional and international Learning communities, Working with school in other time zones/semester schedules, Develop project base curricula that integrate international educational standards, Establish long-term professional relationships and sustainable sense of community.”
The workshop was attended by twenty one teachers from twenty schools in and around Monrovia. Also speaking to participants was Joseph Jimmy Sangartuah president of the Federation of Liberian Youth, adding, “we are so impress, impress to see teachers being enlighten about the benefit of ICT and how it can enhance the skill of our teachers and impact the life of our young people for good citizenship.” the technical aspect of the workshop was facilitated by TEN IT-staff.
Meanwhile, the participants were so excited about the workshop and requested through their spoke person Ms. Jacqueline Brown of the New Jerusalem Assembly of God Mission School in Liberia. She said that “we are so excited that technology is an important tool for our class room, we thank the organizers of this workshop for such a worthy initiative, but please try to extend the workshop duration to at least a week so that we can explore more of the importance of ICT to education. Two days is inadequate.” While the Elizabeth Blunt school ( a local school name in honor of former BBC reporter in Liberia during the Early Days of the Liberia Civil Crisis) requested that iEARN – Liberia and its partners should help train its teachers in Computer literacy program to help them bridge the digital divide a new phrase they have just learned.
At the end of the workshop iEARN-Liberia and TEN-Liberia have agree to partner for future workshops especially at the beginning of every school year and to also collaborate on the following projects:
iEARN, TEN, Global Teenager projects are such organizations working to Bridge the Digital Divide for teachers in Liberia so as to help them use technology as an important tools in enhancing education.
The gap of technology in the educational environment in Liberia is so wide and inconceivable that it requires a serious attention. The iEARN-Liberia recent survey conducted among 60 (K-12) schools within Monrovia and its environs reveal an amazing result, very unimaginable in contemporary time. It shows that 98.6% of the total enumerated schools do not have easy access to internet; 72% do not have a computer lab; 99.1% do not know what is eLearning and have not participated in a collaborative online classroom projects or learning circle; while 81.1% of 122 teachers enumerated are not computer literate and 90.4% do not have an email account. With this information, we have realized that there is an immediate and urgent need to support the educational environment in Liberia especially through ICT Skills Training. The government alone cannot do all but as US President Obama said “Yes we can” this is the time for initiatives and collective collaboration to help bridge the gap.
iEARN-Liberia in collaboration with Global Teenager Project and Technology Empowerment Network have team up to conduct a two days ICT workshop for teachers in Liberia. Speaking during the introductory section of the workshop iEARN-LIBERIA/Liberia Global Teenager Project National and country coordinator Leroy McDyiah Beldeh said to the teachers “this workshop is not just another workshop, it’s a training section that will educate and equip you to meet the challenges of ICT and eLearning teachers face in post war Liberian schools” adding, “at the end of this workshop teachers will be able to; Use Internet software application and CD-ROM/FLASK DISC, browse the web searching educational resources, build a technical Internet vocabulary, Understand iEARN's mission and vision and the GTP goals, Get familiar with and navigate iEARN web site and available resources at hand, Practice using iEARN's technology tools and be aware of the difference between them, Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Project Base Learning, Discuss different classroom management techniques and how ICT can enhance classroom project implementation, Joining regional and international Learning communities, Working with school in other time zones/semester schedules, Develop project base curricula that integrate international educational standards, Establish long-term professional relationships and sustainable sense of community.”
The workshop was attended by twenty one teachers from twenty schools in and around Monrovia. Also speaking to participants was Joseph Jimmy Sangartuah president of the Federation of Liberian Youth, adding, “we are so impress, impress to see teachers being enlighten about the benefit of ICT and how it can enhance the skill of our teachers and impact the life of our young people for good citizenship.” the technical aspect of the workshop was facilitated by TEN IT-staff.
Meanwhile, the participants were so excited about the workshop and requested through their spoke person Ms. Jacqueline Brown of the New Jerusalem Assembly of God Mission School in Liberia. She said that “we are so excited that technology is an important tool for our class room, we thank the organizers of this workshop for such a worthy initiative, but please try to extend the workshop duration to at least a week so that we can explore more of the importance of ICT to education. Two days is inadequate.” While the Elizabeth Blunt school ( a local school name in honor of former BBC reporter in Liberia during the Early Days of the Liberia Civil Crisis) requested that iEARN – Liberia and its partners should help train its teachers in Computer literacy program to help them bridge the digital divide a new phrase they have just learned.
At the end of the workshop iEARN-Liberia and TEN-Liberia have agree to partner for future workshops especially at the beginning of every school year and to also collaborate on the following projects:
- To extend the iEARN-Liberia Technological needs and teachers/Educators ICT Skills assessment Survey from the initial 60 schools cover in 2008 to at least 400 schools in Monrovia and its environ so as to have a broader representation of schools in the survey result and not probability. Under this partnership arrangement TEN–Liberia will produce the questionnaire hardcopies, stationeries and do a coverage of the survey on its site, while iEARN-Liberia structure the questionnaire, provide voluntary enumerators and do the statistical analysis of the survey;
- To conduct an Accelerated Computer Literacy Training for teachers in Liberia covering Four basic area (Word, PowerPoint, internet explorer project base learning and how to integrate PBL into the classroom) The two organizations agree to jointly solicit for used or junk PCs locally (since there is no funding to purchase new ones and it might take a longer period). TEN-Liberia will refurbish the junk PCs and install the appropriate software, produce training manuals and modules, power point slides for the presentation, while iEARN –Liberia will facilitate the nine(9) weeks training in its resource center(to be organized);
We are working together to bridge the gap, thus meeting the challenges of ICT and eLearning in the educational environment in Liberia. We look forward to a more constructive collaboration from the ministry of education and other eLearning and ICT Development partners to join us in the quest to technologicalize the learning environment in Liberia. Leroy M. Beldeh/iEARN-Liberia and Caesar R. Morris/TEN
