Monday, September 9, 2013

We had a very productive day. Kenneth Mwandara, Eric DiBari and I visited with the Commissioner of Teacher , Instructor Education and Training, Mrs. Margaret Nsereko, along with the Assistant Commissioner of Secondary Education, Mr. Ndyabahika Elicab Web; and Principal Education Officer/Health Teacher Education, Nabunoni Alice; Education Officer/Secondary Teacher Education, Andrew Taburo; and SEO/Secondary Teacher Education, Nabirya Sarah Hilda; and SEO/Primary Teacher Education, Annet Kajura Mugisha. We discussed our proposal which was originally written by me and revised by Annet Kajura. It calls for a collaborative effort of the Ministry, the Teacher Education Institutes (PTCs), Kyambogo University which conducts teacher training of the tutors who train the primary school teachers, and NCDC, the curriculum writing body. All agreed that the proposal should go forward as a pilot. We should work with 2 PTCs in Jinja because that is where our pilot will be based. We should visit them later this week, determine their needs, investigate their internet connectivity and their knowledge of ICT. These pre-service PTC teachers at Wyangoga and the pre-service/inservice teachers at Bishop Willis in Iganga will be trained on campus in their ICT labs through distance learning and also trained on the use of the XO computers. The inservice teachers also work in the schools and they should extend their knowledge to primary school students. We will also continue to work with the 3 schools already established as XO sites in Jinja, Spire Road, St. Gonzaga, and the Army Boarding School (additional training is planned for next week) and extend training to teachers in the neighboring schools. We agreed that we could not extend too far, because success in this pilot will be the feedback needed to get this kind of instruction into the primary school curriculum and into the teacher training institutes. We are expected back next Thursday with a report of our findings in Jinja and Iganga. Next we met with two ICT officers, the first: Senior Information Scientist, Mukooyo Geoffrey Humphrey who explained the internet backbone is in place in Uganda and schools should be receiving Internet access within 3 years. The second ICT officer, Patrick Muinda, was busy and we made an appointment to see him tomorrow at 11. I emailed him the proposal for discussion. Next, we went to Kyambogo University and we met with Dean of the Faculty of Education, Akikoni Joyce Asiimuve (sp?) and Lecturer in ICT, Ssemanda Emore (sp?) We explained the project. At first, Mr. Ssemanda wanted us to include another PTC that was a bit more advanced and in an urban area, but we explained that we needed to localize our efforts to be able to monitor the activities. They were very supportive and we gave them a copy of the proposal. They explained that Kyambogo University trains the tutors who go to the PTCs to train the preservice and inservice teachers. It is a “train the trainer” model. They also wanted us to investigate what is currently being done at these PTCs. We plan to visit them Thursday and Friday. Time ran out so we didn’t get to visit the NCDC, National Curriculum Development Center but will go at 9 tomorrow morning. The NCDC develops the curriculum for the primary schools. It was recently revised with thematic units, transitional units. We will try to get a copy either there or at the PTCs. If our project shows success, the feedback of best practices may find itself included in the next revision. Eric and I returned to the guest house, ate, wrote and rested. A Good Day!