OER4Schools adaptations for different contexts

You can view the current page in the following versions: Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ghana

OER4Schools is available in a number of different versions, for different contexts. Below are samples for what a page with various localised text looks like. Click the above countries to see only the text for that country.

An example from Unit 5

In this example, the names of the capital, the name of the national park, as well as the picture of that park was adapted.

Idea D: Planning for a trip to the game reserves and Lusaka

Imagine you have two overseas visitors who have just arrived in Lusaka and would like to visit a game reserve near Lusaka, plus the Victoria Falls and one other interesting site by car. The two visitors only have one day to visit these three places by car. Can you inform the visitors about the distance to these places from Lusaka city centre? Can you also suggest an itinerary that will take into consideration the shortest distance of travel to and between the three places, starting and ending at Lusaka city centre? Please state the distance of travelling to each place and the approximate time required to travel.

Example of website on visiting Zambia: http://www.zambiatourism.com/welcome.htm.

Make sure that you do consider the practical arrangements for this trip! In the itinerary: decide on the length of your imaginary journey and work out the travelling time, but also think about the practical arrangements: how much luggage (water, food, equipment) will you need to take and how will you be able to carry this? Are there any elderly people or young children in your party, who might need special provision, such as extra food, or more frequent stops?

Examples from ICT practice

In the first example, the use of the term "robots" has been adapted. In the second example, "netbook use" has been adapted to "XO use".

Robots and spreadsheets, part 2

Introduction (5 min) to Traffic lights^(a). (Or, "robots", if you prefer.) Traffic lights (robots) have three lights - red, orange and green. These lights signal to drivers what action they should take on the road with each coloured light having a different meaning associated with it: Red means STOP; Orange means GET READY TO GO and Green means GO. Their meanings for classroom application are as follows:

• RED means “I’m stuck. I need some extra help. I don’t feel I have progressed.”
• ORANGE means “I’m not quite sure. I need a little help. I feel I have made some progress.”
• GREEN means “I understand fully. I’m okay without help. I feel I have progressed a lot.”

While you do practical work in groups, make a stack of your three cards near your groups. Place the colour on top which shows how you are progressing as a group. The facilitator will see the colour and help you appropriately.

Different-tasks group work (15 min) with ICT on various topics. You now have 15 minutes to do ICT practice, and we return to working with spreadsheets. Below are the two sets of exercises with spreadsheets: one you have already encountered in a previous session, and the other is new. Revisit what you have done, and then work on some new things. Remember, that many of the applications you are using are pretty open ended, so explore additional things that interest you.

1. Basic Calculations

• Add
• Subtract
• Multiply
• Divide
• Calculate averages
• Find the maximum value

You can print this content on a separate sheet here: OER4Schools/Spreadsheet exercises/1.

2. Formatting Worksheets

• Format text
• Format cells
• Adjust columns and rows
• Print worksheets

You can print this content on a separate sheet here: OER4Schools/Spreadsheet exercises/2.

Technology familiarisation

Same-task group work (20 min): Practical activity exploring netbooks. Here is a netbook familiarisation activity that you can use with your students. Spend some time working through the activity yourself now and think about how your students will respond to it. Make sure that you can answer all of the questions.

Netbook familiarisation activity

Take the school netbooks to your class - making sure that they are carried and used according to the rules set by the school.

The pupils work in mixed ability groups (with computers distributed evenly). Groups do not need to progress at the same speed: There will be faster groups and slower groups. However, the faster groups should be helping the slower groups. If a fast group has managed to do something, their task is to split up and help others to reach the same stage!

Activity:

1. Exploration of turning on a computer. Allow pupils to figure out how to turn them on (find the power button). The pupils should be discussing this in the groups. Encourage them, e.g. by making analogies with other electrical devices. If they are stuck, first show one group and then ask that group to show others. When they have managed to turn on the computers, they should observe what happens; the login screen comes up. Remember that faster groups should help slower groups.
2. Exploration of the login screen. Ask groups: What do you need to do next? What do the parts of the netbook do? Can you give names to the parts? Give them plenty of time to discover and press things on the netbook (with the password screen up), without telling them. They can’t really break anything if they are careful. Let them help each other and discuss with each other what they are finding out.
3. Logging in. When groups have figured out how to type text, tell one group about the username and password, and see whether they can enter them. When they have managed to do so, they should immediately help other groups to reach the same stage.
   1. username: classroom
   2. password: student
4. Exploration of the desktop. They now need to apply their new knowledge: “click” on “username” classroom, and “enter” the “password” student. They now see the desktop. When a group is ready to move to the next stage, the teacher demonstrates how to open a web browser (to that group). Ask the students to do the same. Again, the students find out what happens. Don’t worry if they can’t open the web browser - let them try to open whatever applications they like. After a while, repeat the instructions about opening a web browser to the same group. Again, get the groups to help each other how to open the browser. They should immediately share anything they find out with the whole class.

This activity is an example of enquiry-based learning, which we will cover in much greater detail later in the OER4Schools programme.

You can print this content on a separate sheet here: OER4Schools/Netbook familiarisation.

Here is a Zambian teacher's experience of introducing netbooks to her class:

The netbook familiarisation was impressive. Each and every pupil participated fully. What was more impressive was the fact that some of the pupils were very much acquainted with the computers. They can open, they can play games, they are also able to type, they are able to close. So they were able to help others. Of course this no go without challenges. Some pupils had never seen computers before. Nor touch them. So it was difficult for them. However, after being helped, they found it so interesting that they did not want to stop. Just look forward to working with them once again.

While participants learn about their own use of ICT, it is really important that participants are aware of their own learning process. While they are learning about ICT, participants should think about how they could engage their students in the same learning process.

This of course could apply to learning anything new, but in the context of the OER4Schools programme, ICT is likely to be a completely new skill, so it's particularly important to bring awareness to the process.