Bugesera: 49 teachers trained gained digital skills

Elias Hakizimana May 22, 2023May 23, 2023 0 Comments

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

At least 49 teachers from all primary schools in Mareba sector in Bugesera district were trained by Internet Society Rwanda Chapter on digital skills to enhance the use of Internet in teaching and learning processes.

The three-day workshop that was concluded yesterday, Sunday, May 21, 2023 was organized by Internet Society Rwanda Chapter in partnership with Bugesera District with the funding support of Internet Society Foundation.

The subjects under digital skills empowerment they got include computer basics, internet essential, email basics, Microsoft Office: (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Emmanuel Mfitumukiza, Chairperson of Internet Society Rwanda Chapter explained that the training aimed at building teacher’s digital skills especially the use of internetin teaching within the new digital era.

“A teacher will be able to use some of the social media and other sites that are useful in education nowadays, at this time around, we have trained 49 teachers from Mareba sector, we expect them to share the acquired skills to their fellows at their respective schools to ensure a good culture of internet use in schools is rampant in our community,” Mfitumukiza said.

He explained that the next step in the future projects will look at the means to provide digital devices to some teachers who do not have them in order to enhance the effective practices of the gained skills.

“These skills will push for the infrastructures availability such as computers, we teach them and we know that some of them have come from the schools that do not have computers, what we want is to first train them and, among our programs, we help them get digital devices, we believe that these skills will continue to push for their achievements in their daily activities,” Mfitumukiza explained.

“We will continue to build teachers’ capacity on internet use, the next training session will be conducted virtually as a way to help them practice and increase the knowledge so that they get to the level of using digital skills in teaching,” he added.

Rose Niyomufasha, a teacher from Ecole Primaire Ruyenzi in Mareba sector is among the trainees. She teaches Kinyarwanda Science and Technology as well as Mathematics. With smiles, she said that the training benefited her a lot as she didn’t know more about computerand internet use.

“I am very happy because I have gained knowledge, I only knew few about computer software, but I have managed to know how some works like Microsoft Excel, I used to hear people saying that they do reports using computer and I couldn’t believe it, now, I am also able to do students’ reports by using Microsoft Excel; the same as Microsoft Word, I could open the computer and write but I could not highlight texts or change the colours, which I have learned through the training and I can manage to do that. Besides, I have had the email but without basic knowledge to use it, thanks to Internet Society Rwanda Chapter to provide these skills with us” Niyomufasha said.

She added that internet is going to ease their work in teaching and help students and teachers to do research and have adequate knowledge on various lessons.

Callixte Malizamunda, another teacher from E.P Ruyenzi said that the knowledge acquired on internet use will help students cope with both in-and out-school life.

“In our sector, Mareba, there are eight (8) schools and among them, four schools have wireless connection, others have few computers, we will manage to use such available infrastructures to share knowledge with fellow teachers, it will ease teacher’s work and boost student’s knowledge.” Malizamunda said.

Isaie Sindamubara, an English teacher in the low level of primary said: “Internet use will help teachers to achieve more in a short time and will fast track student’s knowledge development, I thank Internet Society Rwanda Chapter to think of helping us gain digital skills and I wish that this initiative can be replicated to other schools as teachers still lack such knowledge”.

According to the recent figures by Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), Internet connectivity in schools is steadily increasing with currently about 47 percent secondary schools connected and 54 percent in primary schools across the country.