KABAROLE DISTRICT PRIMARY SCHOOLS GO ICT

Computers for Schools Uganda introduces digital storytelling as a teaching tool in Kabarole district. Computers for schools Uganda, an ICT for education Non-governmental organization in partnership with Australia Aid, initiated the first digital storytelling project in the Rwenzori region.

This stated with selling of the idea to three pilot schools and was followed by an inception meeting which was later followed by the collection of stories. This took place between the 28^th of January and 8^th February, 2013, in Kabarole district. The meeting, held in three schools, Rubona, Mugusu and Kasiisi primary schools, attracted teachers of English language and head teachers from the three schools.

                      Inception: Teachers of Kasiisi, Mugusu and Rubona primary schools.

The project being piloted in the three schools of Kasiisi, Mugusu and Rubona is aimed at improving literacy in primary schools and improving pupils’ writing skills. Three teachers of English language were selected from each of the schools, to implement the project.

Head teachers of the chosen schools, welcomed the idea and agreed to work with CFSU, to see that the project becomes a success. This is the first of its kind to be carried out among rural project schools in Uganda. Digital story telling involves the changing of hand written stories into digital stories, using video, photo or audio tools.

COMPUTERS FOR SCHOOLS UGANDA HOLDS INTER-SCHOOL CLUB COMPETITION

Computers for Schools Uganda under its Education Programmatic Program, EPP, organized an inter-school club competition for primary schools. The event was carried out in 15 of its project schools by the CFSU project officer Ms. Lydia Kamba with the help of the project school teachers.

The competition was aimed at ascertaining the existence of these clubs and the creation of some in those schools, which did not have any.  The competition had the Debate; Music Dance Drama and Writers’ clubs compete in their respective categories.

A pupil performing during the drama competition

Computer for Schools Uganda and the participating schools had three quarters of the month of September 2012 dedicated to improving these clubs in order to help improve the communication skills of both teachers and students through debates, music, dance and drama, writing and drawing.

Pupils in the dance competition

The competition acted as a Curtain raiser for the instructional materials exhibition which was to take place in 5^Th October, 2012.

                               

DIGITAL STORY TELLING ANALYSIS WORKSHOP HELD

Kenneth Inn played host to a four day workshop on digital storytelling, by Computers for Schools Uganda. The workshop aimed at analyzing stories written by primary four and five pupils in the project schools of Kasiisi, Mugusu and Rubona primary schools; attracted over six hundred story contributions from the pupils, with only four hundred fifty of these, being passed by the teachers for consideration.

Teachers from the three primary schools conducted in-class and inter-class story writing competitions, to have pupils come up with stories for the project. The project, funded by AusAid and implemented by CFSU, is aimed at equipping pupils in rural schools with modern learning skills and exposes them to ICT oriented class experience.

  

                    ANALYSIS: Teachers of Mugusu, Kasiisi and Rubona, analyzing the stories. 

The selected stories underwent further scrutiny by CFSU and the teachers from the respective project schools and had only fifty stories selected for digitalizing. This reduction in stories was due to the limited writing skills of the pupils, inconsistent theme formations and numerous grammatical errors. The remaining stories were handed over to CFSU, for further development, improvement and digitalization. The rest were sent back to the contributing schools, for improvement.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS EXHIBITION HELD

Rubona and Kigarama coordinating centers, played host to the Mini exhibition of instructional materials of non-conventional innovative methods of teaching and learning, held on 25^th to 28^th September, 2012, in Kabarole district. 

The event, aimed at correcting and improving material developed by teachers, in preparation for the main exhibition slated for 5^th October 2012, was attended by language experts and a representative from Computers for Schools Uganda. The event left the exhibition inspectors impressed and they advised participating schools against use of artificial materials for the main exhibition, which some of the schools had initially attempted to use.