iSchool Stories
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The internet opens up a whole new world for pupils, not only just in terms of new information available to them, but in the way they have to learn. By making children research information for themselves on the internet, they can partly be in charge of their own learning, as opposed to being told the information as happens in a traditional classroom. This will aid them through the rest of their education and beyond.
Mrs Pamela Banda, Head Teacher at Chelstone School in Lusaka, believes the internet is actually changing the way that teaching is delivered at her school. "It is breaking the myth of teacher-centredness. The pupils and the teachers now work together to discover new facts.”
Brian Mwitwa, a teacher at Aisha Project School in Ng’ombe compound says that he has found the internet to be particularly good for teaching difficult subjects, like maths and physics. “It makes the pupils open their heads up to new things and their understanding becomes broader. Subjects like osmosis and diffusion are easier to teach using the internet, as they can actually see the process happening."
“The iSchool website fills the gap” Pastor David Kasalika is School Administrator at Chimwemwe Trust School in Kabanana Township in Lusaka. "As a community-run school that educates mostly Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) the school is unable to buy textbooks for all grades and to keep up with new subjects in the curriculum. The iSchool website has filled in the gap. We also teach a number of deaf and hard of hearing children, who have the opportunity to interact with their international counterparts via the internet.”
"I like the iSchool website because most of the information I need for my Zambian syllabus is found there. I also use it for academic research, and to find information about social issues that I need to make decisions about." - Adonai N, grade 12 computer lab monitor, Munali Girls High School in Lusaka.
"Thanks to the internet, the last time we had a chemistry test, I passed. I went through a whole lot of multiple choice questions on the net and they turned out to be almost the same problems that were in my chemistry paper. The good thing was that I was not only corrected when my answer was wrong but I was also given brief explanations on every option so I could learn what I was doing wrong. The internet rocks!" - Maleeka W, SOS High School, Lusaka.
“The internet makes school work less tedious”
"In science I can get diagrams and illustrations that I might not have seen in the text books or in past papers. I get breaking news, like when South Africa experienced xenophobic attacks and other breaking news. This helps me in geography, history and other subjects. This also tells me what is happening in the world I live in."- Murray J, SOS Hermann Gmeiner High School in Lusaka.
"I use the internet for e-learning especially during the holidays when I am away from school and I need to catch up on a few topics. I also took part in the Global Teenager Project in which we were communicating with people our age on many different topics. I was in the Poverty and Hunger group and I learnt a lot about the problems people face in their countries and help find solutions to the problems. I also do different things like checking for new music, books, and movies. The internet has therefore exposed me to so many things I never knew before." - Salifya M, Mpelembe Secondary School in Kitwe. |
