Excitement was visibly written on the faces of some primary school teachers in Kaduna State, yesterday, as they touched and operated the computer for the first time ever.
The 25 teachers had undergone a five-day digital literacy training organised for primary school teachers in Chikun Local Council of the state by Emerald-Isle Foundation (EIF) under its ‘Train-the-Tutor’ project, to improve the capacity of teachers.
The programme was organised in partnership with the Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism, IHIFIX Foundation, Queen Amina College, Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development as well as Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, a youth-focused leadership development non-profit organisation.
Ms Kasham Tanko, who teaches Primary Four at Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Sabon Tasha, said the training was a game-changer for her.
The visibly excited Tanko said: “Oh! Wow! To God be the glory. I participated in the training that has completely transformed me from a digital novice to a digital-savvy teacher.
“Whenever I see a laptop computer, I used to ask myself, what is this? Not that I haven’t seen it before, but I had been wondering how people operated it. It is a rare privilege for me because I have never undergone any computer training.”
Tanko added that the training improved her capacity to use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint applications to prepare lesson plans, notes and presentations. She commended EIF for the opportunity, which enabled her to know how to source materials online to prepare rich lesson plans and notes using different online platforms.
Other participants told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they had also seen computers in the past, but it was their first time of operating one. Head Teacher of UBE Primary School, Sabon Gida, Udawa, Mrs. Debora Solomon, said her experience was “beyond description”, having had the opportunity to operate a computer for the first time.
“This is my first time touching a computer since joining the teaching profession in 2007. Now I have learnt how to use different tools and applications, including Google tools and other e-learning platforms.
“I have also learned how to use Google tools to interact with my teachers and hold online classes. The experience is so amazing, and thanks to Emerald-Isle Foundation; now I can do all these things on a computer,” she said.
