I am Chole Richard, a secondary school teacher of literature and English language. I am currently a teacher at PMM Girls’ School in Jinja.

I love literature but now you may find it hard to define me – whether I am a teacher of literature and English language or of things computer – if you ever get to meet me. My interest in things literature is rooted in my childhood which was spent richly with immense books of all sorts to devour.

My interest in computer, on the other hand, began in my later life when I was pursuing my Bachelor of Education Degree at the then Institute of Teacher Education, Kyambogo (ITEK), now Kyambogo University. I essentially knew nothing about computers, not until the challenge of having to produce a typed research project confronted me. My supervisor, Dr. Kakooza Michael, fresh from a long time British experience of precision and thorough work, challenged me to use the Internet as a very resourceful thing for my research. Thankfully, I was very eager to rise to the occasion but it was a hard going…

The research work was time bound, which means I had to submit it to a typist who could do it fast but alas, it was costly. When it came to Internet surfing, the cafes were the only option as Internet was still a rare thing then and costly too! I still clearly recall how I had to depend on a 15 year or so girl in the café – Lotus Internet Café it was – to guide me through clicking here, navigating there, recognizing a tool the other side and so forth. My inadequacies before this little girl were laid bare. It propelled me into working harder to learn how to use the computer. I had also discovered the power of Internet as a source of information. “Google” became my favorite word. Meanwhile I had to always get back to the little, kind and sympathetic girl to guide me whenever I wanted to surf the net for information. 

Soon, my elder brother had a computer in his home office and he was kind enough to let me have access to it once in a while. I had every good reason to visit his home from time to time. It was at this stage that I had a little more interaction especially with the MSWord.

One of the most significant turning points for me came when I joined PMM Girls’ School in March 2002. My life changed once I entered the school’s computer lab which was furnished with ten brand new Internet-connected Pentium III Compaq computers – they were the envy of those days – supplied through SchoolNet Uganda or so I learnt. That was my first knowledge of the existence of an organization called SchoolNet, Uganda.

The computer lab was like heaven for me. I was very excited about the possibility of gathering information from the Internet for my literature lessons. The Net was overwhelming, especially when it came to literature of the western world. I spared no time in identifying and creating content for literature lesson. When we formed the Lit. Writers’ Club – a creative writing club – we chiefly had magazine making in mind with the aid of the computers in the lab. I would gather the club’s members in the lab and instruct them on the little I knew about computer. They would type out poems, use drawing tools and so forth. Soon we were producing magazine locally produced with the help of the computers. The students didn’t really have any regulated or programmed lessons on how to use the computer. We all just delved into it and learning began and products were produced.

I had discovered that computer was a powerful means to disseminate information, instruct and create. Marriage of literatureteaching and computer had been born. (My dream now is to create a literature content though I haven’t zeroed on the software medium to use). It was also during one of these days that I had my first involvement in ICT hands-on training workshops. Though I wasn’t a principle participant, I witnessed interesting activities going on. It was also during one of these workshops that I met one of the Directors of SchoolNet Uganda, namely Mr. Kakinda Daniel. I still vividly recall him writing on a board:

“Aspire to Inspire Before You Expire”

The magnitude of those words remained imprinted in me. It gave me a sense of purpose in the things I do with computer. I have since designed the wordings and glued to the wall of the computer lab.

Enthusiasm to do things our selves (me and my colleague in the department) – trouble shooting, repairs, creation of contents and discovering new things became our specialty. My enthusiasm must have been noticed by the Computer Department’s Head Administrator then, Mr. Lwigale Bernard who in 2003 recommended me as an administrator in the department and asked me to instruct the head teacher Mrs. Lujwala Petronella in Computer lessons. I became the admintrator in charge of internet connectivity and services to students. It is interesting how one gets to be placed in a place of responsibility of sorts out of sheer interest, experience and commitment to what you have never really done in any formal education.

In another workshop organized for teachers by SchoolNet Uganda, I volunteered to take the lead in modules on MsWord and Internet. I must have done well because the next thing I knew was a phone call from Mr. Kigozi Bright who has worked closely with Mr. Kakinda in various SchoolNet programs. Bright invited me to be ready to facilitate an ICT Workshop in Basic Skills for Teachers in Gulu District. The six day workshop at Sacred Hearts Secondary School in Gulu town was a tremendous success in my opinion because I witnessed teachers who had felt intimidated by computer begin using it confidently in that short time. It also gave me confidence in my ability to change people from being illiterate to literate. Me together with Kigozi Bright subsequently organized and conducted similar workshops in several other districts: Tororo, Moyo, Adjumani, Busia and Mukono. We would always leave behind a desire and challenge of teacher participants and their schools to acquire computers. It wouldn’t make sense to induce you to learn ICT then live on after that without access to a computer.

Meanwhile my growing interest in things computer were bringing me into contact with various organizations in the world of IT fraternity – ThinkQuest Uganda, INetwork Uganda, Ugabyte and so forth. These IT interest groups and especially SchoolNet Uganda had begun to redefine my role, position, perceptions and methods as a secondary school teacher. For one thing, you will be a dead pan teacher if you assume to be the overall provider of knowledge, apportioning, and disseminating information as the all-knowing. The world of IT has made me appreciate greatly the power of adopting knowledge sharing mentality in learning. Not only in IT lessons but in all disciplines.

In any case, younger people characteristically are faster and more creative learners than older people. No one may necessarily claim monopoly of knowledge as some children actually have better access to IT products of greater sophistication than even teachers. This actually makes an IT savvy teacher’s role easier: to direct and guide learners as well as provide an enabling environment for learning to take place; making young people realize the potential of computer and other IT gadgets for useful purposes. Human beings, and especially children, are very imaginative. The versatility of computer provides for very many possibilities for one to exercise his or her imaginations and create new useful products. The key lies in acquiring the necessary ICT skills.

Motivating, guiding and providing an enabling environment for a child to use the computer for beneficial purposes is or will be the new challenge for the ICT teacher of the 21st Century Africa. The growth of ICT is an inevitability for which educational institutions have to get prepared. Having an IT savvy teacher is also therefore inevitable and the contemporary teacher must rise up to the occasion and embrace it regardless of his or her discipline of specialty.

I therefore feel privileged to have participated in several SchoolNet initiated educational programs with specific emphasis on ICT as a means to disseminate and share knowledge, skills and values. Notably:

• Training fellow teachers in basic ICT workshops in many parts of Uganda.
• Being trained and participating as an educator in a sexual and reproductive health program, The World Starts With Me.
• ThinkQuest Uganda.
• ICT youth camps.
• Adobe Youth Voices Project.

Each of these has uniquely impacted on me by:

• Improving and widening my scope of understanding and acquisition of skills in ICT.
• Adopting and innovatively recognizing and practicing new pedagogical skills.
• Making me a more versatile teacher with interdisciplinary knowledge.

Yet again, I only see the beginning of things for me. The sky is surely the limit!!

Chole Richard