Here’s an interesting challenge for you.  We all know that the ability to use IT is becoming an essential skill in the modern world.  Children learn to use technology from an early age and in the UK and across Europe and North America it is seen as an essential tool for learning.  But how to teach IT to children where IT equipment is not readily available? 

This is the problem facing Mary’s Little Lambs, the primary school in The Gambia supported by many of our volunteers.  The teachers there know the importance of educating their pupils in how to use IT, and its importance as a tool for learning in the classroom.  They have ICT as a discrete subject on their curriculum, with weekly lessons for each child.  However their computers are old and not easily updated, children have to work in quite large groups as there are not enough machines to go round and their computer room is small, their teachers have no formal training in ICT, and security is an issue. 

They have asked us to try to find a volunteer who could help them with this – they are aware that at the moment they are failing to provide the IT education their pupils need and deserve, and are open to all suggestions!  They want ideas for engaging their pupils, for making better use of their limited equipment, for developing lesson plans which teach IT skills in a structured and interesting way, for introducing use of ICT into other lessons…… the list goes on!  Their overall aim is to make the use of technology as familiar to their pupils as it is to children from other parts of the world.

Are you the person who could help them, or do you know someone who might be interested?  They would be happy to work with either an in-country volunteer or someone who could spare the time to work with them online.  The school has Internet connection and some teachers have laptops.

We are not expecting one volunteer to come up with all the answers here! We just need someone willing to work alongside the teachers to help them develop a plan for a way forward, and to contribute some ideas.

If you feel you have the skills to help with this, even if only on a limited basis, please contact dianne@travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk or mariama@travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk for further information and discussion. Thank you.

To learn more about volunteering at Mary’s Little Lambs take a look here.