NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 7 – 100 Teachers from 26 local schools in marginalized communities of the Kalobeyei settlement and Kakuma Refugee Camp in the Turkana region of Northern Kenya have been selected to join an internationally accredited and certified teacher training program.
The training which will run until December is a collaboration between Intel Corporation, Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL) and AsyTec a local Original Equipment Manufacturer.
The selected teachers will undergo a six-month free professional training course which will be delivered through a blended learning approach integrating face-to-face and eLearning sessions, with the support of online faculty from around the globe, as well as that of local onsite facilitators.
Speaking at the launch of the training program in Kakuma, Dennis Momanyi, Representative in Kakuma at JWL said, “We are applying global best practice in this teacher training programme. Our aim is to shift the role of a teacher from the traditional or conventional approach of presenting information to students in the form of a classroom lecture, to a facilitator role.”
Adding: To achieve this shift, a teacher must go beyond acquiring technical skills to transforming their perception of teaching and learning altogether. It means the role of a teacher shifts to a facilitator’s role to motivate, instruct, coach, or lead the learning process. We are also training teachers to learn how to use instructional media and technologies to create rich, meaningful and diverse learning experiences.”
Each teacher participating in this training will enjoy access to a new, connected laptop courtesy of Intel Corporation and AsyTec a local Intel Partner during the course to support this novel eLearning initiative. The collaboration with Jesuit Worldwide Learning is part of the Intel Rise initiative which aims to use technology to support communities combat the effects of Covid-19. By partnering with JWL, Intel is deliberate in its efforts to facilitate access to online learning and improve student learning experiences in marginalized communities.
Around 258 million children and youth are out of school, according to a research by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Learning technologies extend the reach of education and this applied, six-month course will integrate best practices of online and onsite facilitation. It will culminate with a practicum through which learners will apply educational principles and practices to address a collective concern within their local community.
Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL) has an established track record of delivering teacher training programs in marginalized communities in the last ten years. The program was developed in response to the overwhelming desire and need for learning and education at all levels within refugee and other marginalized communities. Among other course content, the training will integrate Intel® Skills for Innovation framework which helps educators use technology to embrace new ways of teaching from any location and to adapt instructional technology to meet future needs.
To facilitate the transformation from teacher-centered to learner-centered approach, teachers typically require specific training and ongoing support. One of the key observations is that successful teacher training often integrates different forms of online and offline learning into wider blended learning designs. These incorporate mentoring and peer support mechanisms and draw on learner-centered pedagogies.
JWL’s professional certificate courses have been developed within the framework of Ignatian Pedagogy which seeks to develop the whole person, with learning structured around the concept of experience, reflection and action. The curricula for this teacher training program will incorporate two internationally accredited tracks offering 24-week Learning Facilitator Course and 8-weeks course on eEducation Tools.
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