In 2015 1st term holidays, SchoolNet Uganda organized a WSWM teachers’ workshop. These teachers were drawn from the schools where WSWM club is established. These schools are in some of the districts of Jinja, Iganga, Bugiri and Tororo and King of Kings is one of them. The workshop was held at Gayaza High School and this was my second time to attend a workshop of the kind, representing my school.
I arrived at the workshop on 3rd May, 2015 at the time when the Commissioner for private schools and institutions, Mr. Nsumba Lyazi had finished opening the workshop. That meant l had missed the opening session.
My coming late was not intended. The previous day l had had to escort the two student peer educators from my school who had just completed their peer educator training at Gayaza High school up to their parents. Worse still, they were not familiar with the geography of Kampala city, so l could not leave them on move alone for me attend the opening session.
The passion l have for children, forced me to dig down my pockets to see to it that the students from my school attend. They were from needy families. I am happy to note that they and their parents appreciated it.
This workshop was unique in its true sense. There were quite a number of surprises. When l arrived, l found everybody very busy but also very quiet. Instead of a facilitator taking the participants through a particular session, everyone sat in front of a computer.
This was not what we did in thin the previous workshop. Maybe the workshop will start some time later. These people might be resting,’ l wondered. I discovered a new dimension in methods of teaching. I had never attended any workshop organized like this before.
No sooner had l gotten a seat than l realized that the participants had been given a task, which involved sharing information online. I appreciate the fact that workshop was ICT based. I have had the opportunity to enhance my communication skills electronically and creating a bigger network of teachers who are now part of my social capital.
Uganda is embracing technology vigorously. In the wake of this many things are being done electronically ; university admissions now are done online, Uganda National Examination Board has just registered candidates online, and above all teaching science subjects has gone computer, not leaving out the other learning areas.
On this first day l had my own ‘digital migration,’ l opened two e-mail addresses, learnt how to download a document with the assistance of a facilitator. This made me appreciate the fact that computer study is very simple provided you have your hands on the machine. Acquisition of this knowledge surely puts a teacher in the 21st century.
When I started sending mails, the first three could not be sent. Perhaps l was using wrong e-mail addresses. My conscience told me not to ask anyone. I discovered the mistakes and later l could see notifications, ‘message has been sent’. This not only relieved me but also gave me courage to learn more. It was a sign of triumph! One of the e-mails l received was from one of the facilitators, Elizabeth Nazziwa. It had our student peer educators’ views on how the WSWM club can be improved in schools.
After supper on the first day, l could not go to sleep. I stayed with some others on the computers up to 01:00am on Monday. This is because l found learning using internet very interesting.
At times when some issues are reported in the media, we hardly get torched. I have had a chance to meet colleagues from different schools, sharing with me some of the challenges they face in addressing teenage growth problems. I am happy to note that from what we shared; l discovered that our teenagers face the same challenges. It gave me the confidence that by coming together we could collectively put hands together and find ways of dealing with these problems professionally.
At the same venue, we stayed with people attending a Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) setters workshop. This was quite challenging. We were barred from sharing anything with them in spite of the fact that we are colleagues at the work stations. On Monday, l felt small as I looked at Rev. Father Kirikarama from Hoima, but could not approach him. We had taught together at St. Andrea Kaahwa’s College –Hoima, the years l was there. Most importantly, this workshop has instilled in me something new; respecting rules and regulations which l had not at times taken serious. At times we think only students should be treated this way. The priest new it and did not even bother to smile at me. We had to keep to task.
Nonetheless, the way the workshop was run would make you want to stay at Gayaza for some more time. For the first time the workshop had a medical doctor full time in attendance. Before l set off for Kampala l knew there was a typhoid epidemic. I was skeptical about taking any water in the city, the workshop inclusive. To my delight, we had to boil all the water we drank. This was a good gesture in as far as creating awareness is concerned. I hope to replicate the same at my school with the learners; for instance telling them to practice personal hygiene to eliminate avoidable health consequences.
More often than not, we expect our bosses to have too little time to move out of office and do some other work. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education Sports Science and Technology- Dr. Rose Nasaali defied this odd. She came to Gayaza High School to visit the school farm and on her way to the farm, she came to the workshop to see what we were doing and talked to us about the need for teachers to embrace ICT. This was a learning point to me. I noted that a teacher needs not rely on salary but on a variety of income generating activities and most importantly on agriculture using the time outside teaching. This, l believe should not end at the teacher but should be extended to the learners, who later can cause change to their parents by transferring the knowledge to them.
All along l had always thought that it is only a politician’s work to transform a community. However, my perception of this has greatly changed. I believe what l have seen and done at the workshop has more than equipped me to impact on my students and village mates.
I hope to modify my teaching methods so that, my students leave school when they can easily adapt themselves to life situations, ranging from soft skills like problem-solving and hard skills. This of course calls for one’s passion towards something of value to the disadvantaged.
I have realized that our local communities suffer lack of information to start basic entrepreneur enterprises. Better liquid soap making, cultivation of high yielding crops like soya bean, tomatoes, onions and passion fruits are my priority. Africa’s problem is failure to “walk the talk” by many people. I hope not to walk the path to a better Uganda.
