教育专家呼吁教师接受数字技术

Education Experts Urge Teachers to Embrace Digital Technology 教育专家呼吁教师接受数字技术

Editor's note: Roseleen Nzioka, a freelance English teacher and writer in Nairobi County, Kenya, wrote this story after taking the VOA Learning English online course, "Writing for the Internet" at the American Resource Center in the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Her story was the third place winner of the contest sponsored by the embassy and VOA Learning English.

Education experts have urged teachers in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa to embrace digital technologies to improve teaching and learning. The call was made by speakers during a two-day international conference. The meeting, called "Education Innovation Africa," was held on June 8 and 9, 2015 in Nairobi.

Conference organizers said their goal was to showcase inspirational ideas for improving teaching and learning using technology.

Isaac Kinyanjui of eLimu Kenya, an education technology start-up company, spoke¹ to the delegates about what he called 'smart' classrooms of the future in Africa. He said such classrooms will require teachers and learners to be innovative² beyond the use of traditional textbooks.

"Publishers won't allow the reproduction of entire textbooks because they still need to sell their books. So we need to be innovative about digital content development," Mr. Kinyanjui said.

He added that the content has to be "rich and culturally relevant." He said students should be able to use it on multiple platforms, such as PCs, laptops, computer tablets and mobile phones.

eLimu Kenya develops apps and content for digital platforms. Mr. Kinyanjui said the company was already employing security tools to ensure that pupils can only access safe content from the Internet. He said solutions have been found for other challenges, such as unreliable electricity and Internet connectivity, by improvising³ with solar power and stored or downloaded content.

Another speaker, Albert Korir of Drury University, USA, demonstrated the power of digital teaching and learning. Professor Korir said that, at higher levels of academia, science students may use digital simulators. The simulators allow them to learn how to operate machines or equipment that may be expensive. This was already being done in the United States and could also be done in Africa, he said.

Prof. Korir said online resources for sciences, such as ASDL (Analytical Sciences Digital Library) and Khan Academy, are widely used by learning institutions in developing countries. These same resources can be useful in African academic institutions, he said.

Emma Dicks, the founder⁴ and co-director of Code4CT, South Africa, said her organization focuses on teaching young girls basic coding skills. She said the girls can use these skills to design solutions for real-life problems in the local community and even for commercial clients.

Ms. Dicks said her organization works with schools in Cape⁵ Town, South Africa. Code4CT teach girls how to code for social impact. The aim is to change the perception of women in IT. Ms. Dicks said the organization wants to reach out to women who would otherwise avoid studying IT-related subjects.

She added that the students learn how to present projects to clients. This practice develops language for professional communication at an early age. She said clients are brought in from local industries. Guest speakers are also invited from nearby IT and engineering industries, thus giving students real life scenarios⁷ of the work environment, she said.

Another speaker was Antony Gioko of the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa. He challenged teachers to create their own personal digital footprints.

"Your students have them already (digital footprints,) so you too need to get onboard," said Mr. Gioko. He added that the basic digital footprints for a teacher are a Skype account, Twitter, WhatsApp and a blog.

"If you are teaching pupils about the Maori of New Zealand, it is better if you do a Skype session with a real Maori in New Zealand than trying to explain from a textbook," said Mr. Gioko.

He added that it was imperative⁸ for teachers to shed the old ways of teaching and adapt the modern 21st century methods of engaging with learners. He said the excuse that teachers give about "following the syllabus⁹" is not valid¹⁰ because the syllabus is just an outline that allows for autonomy and creativity in the actual learning process.

Mr. Gioko said the learning environment is not merely the classroom and the school compound, but also includes the parents of pupils and the local community.

He emphasized the need to balance learning for exams and learning for active citizenship¹¹, whereby pupils invest not only in academic theory but also the practical aspects of what they learn.

The inaugural¹² Education Innovation Africa conference provided a platform to unite local and international educators with investors¹³, financiers and entrepreneurs. Kenya was chosen as the first site for the forum¹⁴ for its drive for digital innovation.

Exhibitors displayed innovations in educational technologies, including interactive¹⁵ whiteboards and screens that can be used in classrooms.

Less than one third of primary school pupils possess basic literacy and math skills for their level. That information comes from a 2012 report by Uwezo, a project set up for the purpose of studying the state of education in east Africa.

Words in This Story

simulator -  n. a machine that is used to show what something looks or feels like and is usually used to study something or to train people

IT - n. short abbreviation for information technology, the study or use of systems (especially computers and telecommunications) for storing, retrieving¹⁶, and sending information.

scenario⁶ - n. a description of what could possibly happen

digital footprint - n. the data that is left behind by users on digital services. 

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

3 improvising   

即兴创作（improvise的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• I knew he was improvising, an old habit of his. 我知道他是在即兴发挥，这是他的老习惯。
• A few lecturers have been improvising to catch up. 部分讲师被临时抽调以救急。

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

6 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

7 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

9 syllabus   

n.教学大纲，课程大纲

参考例句：

• Have you got next year's syllabus?你拿到明年的教学大纲了吗？
• We must try to diversify the syllabus to attract more students.我们应该使教学大纲内容多样化，可以多吸引学生。

10 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

11 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

12 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

13 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

14 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

15 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

16 retrieving   

n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Ignoring all, he searches the ground carefully for any cigarette-end worth retrieving. 没管打锣的说了什么，他留神的在地上找，看有没有值得拾起来的烟头儿。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Retrieving the nodules from these great depths is no easy task. 从这样的海底深渊中取回结核可不是容易的事情。 来自辞典例句