On this website, each school will have a page where they will upload their photos, videos and reports without going through the Site admin. All the names of the club members and photos are expected to be included such that the UCC Monitoring and evaluation department will easily know who talk to about the impact of the club in the school on the side of learners.

We are therefore seeking for updates from the clubs in terms of activities they are doing, students' participation in lab maintenance and equipment maintenance, success stories, challenges, and sharing of programs and activities for 2019 and beyond.

KAWA was mandated by government to support the clubs in all ways from inception to the time they will be ready to stand on their own. During the launch workshops, KAWA focused on the background, aims and objectives of the launch, challenges and opportunities in the 21^st century and their implications for students, employability “ hard and soft skills, avenues for impact for the clubs, tips for forming clubs, tips for successfully running a club, possible club activities, innovative learning project ideas, skills areas for club members for learn.

Handing over of pair of tablets and T-shirts donated by Uganda Communications' Commission, Recording feedback from a few club learner and Photo/video coverage of the event.

Between 18th June and 18th July, 2018 a team of KAWA members traversed the country reaching out to each of the 20 secondary schools. The KAWA team which included Chole Richard, Nicholas Kugonza, Saadah Nasuna, Albert Emuron and Rogers Mukalele delivered talks and engaged in conversations with some of the club members. Some of the students enthusiastically shared their learning project works that they already were embarking on. We are grateful to Engineer Paul Charles Rukundo, the KAWA Executive Director for the guidance; Phillip Mweheirwe, the UCC Senior Projects Manager; Hon. Nyombi Thembo, the RCDF Director for moral and financial support.

The KAWA team handed to each club about 100 TShirts branded in UCC logos, and a pair of Samsung Galaxy tablets donated by UCC for implementing club activities.

The pilot project is UCC's long term commitment to supporting clubs in maintenance and basic repairs of computers and accessories in their respective schools.
However KAWA's mandate goes beyond maintenance and repair to building capacity in the participating learners to utilize ICT to leverage 21 st century learning practices and make ICT more relevant in their lives and education.

Key objectives outlined are:

• Building in the students the skills of using ICT more effectively and responsibly.
• Building communication skills and confidence in the learners ï‚· Enabling creativity and innovation
• Developing critical thinking and problem-solving mentality
• Being able to integrate ICT in mainstream disciplines, other clubs and schools' activities for learning purposes.
• Engaging learners in programs and activities that develop a sense of global citizenship
• Being able to purposefully network, collaborate and work as a team.
• Becoming peer learners that guide and support fellow students in learning and effective use of ICT in education.
• Empowering learners to address real issues affecting their communities and finding solutions to them through innovative learning projects.
• Developing a sense of ownership of and taking part in maintenance of equipment of their respective ICT departments.

Check out this format

The workshop was sanctioned by the ministry which invited two teachers from each of the selected schools and provided venue.  Uganda Communications Commission was the key funder of the program in terms of pedagogical training and logistical support. Each participating school provided transport and accommodation for its teachers.

One hundred and three (103) participants from seventy-three (73) secondary schools participated, representing fourteen (14) districts: Mbale, Bududa, Manafwa, Sironko, Namasindua, Kapchwora, Kweni, Bukwo, Tororo, Busia, Butaleja, Palisa, Budaka, Kibuku and Butebo.

Background Information

The broad theme of the Ministry of education and Sports is the continuous professional development of teachers. The capacity building of teachers of ICT/Computer Studies is a strategic program that falls under the same theme. It recognizes the need to have resourceful citizens that are creative and innovative to compete favorably in the job market and measure up to current trends locally and at global level.  The teacher's central role in enhancing this cannot be underestimated.

However, as affirmed by findings at the tooling and retooling workshop held at Mbale SS, so many hurdles lie on the way to achieving the above. The participants revealed lack of effective teaching skills, lack of skills and knowledge of ICT, poor knowledge or interpretation of the ICT and Computer Studies Syllabi, negative attitude towards certain methodologies and low or no knowledge of assessment for learning purposes. Some of the schools do not have ICT/Computer studies teachers, relying on part-time teachers. Some of them are not trained in ICT/Computer Studies but in other subjects. The participants knowledge of blooms taxonomy and levels of learning was very low or nonexistent.

Aims and Objectives

The workshop's broad aims and objectives were to enhance capacity of the ICT/Computer studies teachers to:

• Teach ICT/Computer Studied better using the methods recommended by NCDC
• Do more effective formative assessment and evaluation of students
• Relate what they are teaching to the skills requirements in the job market
• Help schools develop their website
• Involve their schools in project-based learning.
• be able to identify challenges affecting ICT in teaching and learning, come up with solutions that they can implement and advocate for desirable change.
• Be able to identify challenges affecting ICT in teaching and learning and come up with solutions that they can implement as well as advocate for desirable change.
• Network and learn from each other.

In attaining these above objectives, the activities devised focused on certain key areas:

• Government ICT for Education policies and initiatives
• Desktop publishing
• Assessment and evaluation (formative and summative)
• Website development
• Elementary programing
• Inspirational talks
• Job market application.

Engaging and participatory pedagogical approaches were majorly selected with understanding that the participants were adults, which meant they had considerable experiences that they would share freely.

• Facilitator guided discussion
• Learner driven group discussions
• Participant presentations
• Facilitator presentation especially in exposition and harmonization of sessions content.
• Hands-on group activities like planning to accomplish tasks
• Formative assessments.
• Market-like group presentations

Participants have liked the more engaging learning activities like minds-on or hands-on group tasks and guided discussion.

By the end of the workshop, participants expressed desire to each make a difference back in their respective schools and classrooms. These included: attempting website designing for their schools, introducing desktop publishing, etc.

Recommendations

For a more effective workshop and to have a more sustainable process of tooling and retooling ICT/Computer Teacher, we recommend the following:

to organize workshops that are within proximity of schools. This will curb the bother of having to travel long distances to workshop venue.

A greater deal of emphasis on refreshing teachers' mind on blooms taxonomy (Revised) and their practical applications in learning activities/programs. A teacher's thorough knowledge of and effective application of bloom's taxonomy and the levels of thinking is very crucial if the full potential of ICT in learning is to be realized, especially in terms of enabling creative and innovative learning in class.

We also recommend designing or developing follow up activities as integral part of the workshop. This is necessary for continuity and sustainability of the tooling and retooling exercise.

Full downloadable word doc report is here

See the report below

Full Magazine Report is here below

The participants were greatly inspired by experienced and motivational speakers who took them through a fully packed program ranging from Desktop publishing, Web Design, establishing and managing ICT clubs and how to set and manage qualitative ICT assessment for O' level and A' Level.

Richard Chole represented KAWA and led a session on School ICT Clubs. Together with KAWA under the UCC funded ICT Clubs Pilot Scheme, Richard has been mentoring teachers and students in about twenty schools country wide to start and manage ICT Clubs.

In the discussions which followed especially on the teachers' Whatsapp platforms, many teachers from other schools which were not part of the pilot schools expressed interest in being part of the program but it was not possible in the short run since it was only a pilot. In this session, KAWA facilitator briefly shared with the ICT teachers how they can kick start ICT clubs in their schools with the resources they have. In future if the UCC funded program is rolled out to more schools, then they will quickly get on board since they will already have some formations on ground, which will simply get boosted.

He also highlighted the benefits of ICT Clubs in schools, possible club activities, projects and workplans. He also gave more tips to the teachers on how to inspire creativity and innovation among students and also share with them examples of Avenues for Global Citizenship and Impact such as the World Technovation Challenge.

Chole Richard is an advocate and passionate practitioner of best practices and integration of ICT in education. He is a Secondary School teacher and Master Teacher of International Education Resource Network (iEARN) where he facilitates a students' global collaborative learning project, Envision My Ideal World. He worked for ten years as an educator with Adobe Youth Voices, an international learner driven purposeful multimedia production program for teenagers using concepts of project-based learning under local patronage of SchoolNet Uganda. He is a Microsoft Innovative Educator, emerging one of 18 best in (MIA) Microsoft Forum for Middle East and Africa in 2012. He is very much inclined to engaging students in inter-disciplinary learning through purposeful multimedia creation. He has participated and presented at several international conferences dedicated to promotion of ICT in Education and Development. He is an associate member of Kisubi Associated Writers Agency (KAWA) and currently a teacher at PMM Girls' School where he teaches Literature in English and English Language.

As schools started using these computers, there emerged the challenge of poor maintenance of computers and very high rate of breakdown. The solution to this, has been found in training ICT teachers and the leaders of computer clubs. This is a pilot project being implemented by UCC in partnership with 14 selected Universities and KAWA in twenty secondary schools selected all over the country.  For more details see the report below:

Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) mandated Kisubi Associated Writers' Agency (KAWA) to implement a pilot project of launching ICT Clubs in selected Secondary Schools. Namely: St. Mary's College, Rushoroza; Bishop Kivengere Girls, Kabale; Mbarara High, Mary Hill High School, Mbarara; Rwenkoba Secondary School, Ibanda; Masaka Secondary School; Kasanga Seed Secondary School, Kampala, Nabisunsa Girls, Bishops Secondary School, Mukono; Dabani Girls, Busia; Mbale High; Mbale Secondary School; Nero Rock High School, Kumi; Lira Town College; Gulu High, St. Joseph, Layibi; Arua Public, Arua Senior Secondary School, Nalinya Lwantale Girls and St. John SS, Nandale.

The mandate charges KAWA with responsibility of coordinating the launch, arranging for a visit by an ICT Innovator, training of enrolled members of the clubs, delivering two tablets for each of the clubs and three months internet bundles for each tablet donated by UCC, supplying each club with 100 branded T-Shirts of UCC.

In planning out the launch, KAWA prepared a one-month program from 21^st June to 18^th July 2018 in which period each of the selected schools was visited by KAWA officials and the launches were carried out. Each school was allocated at least three hours for issuing out T-Shirts, making a presentation to sensitize the club members, give them opportunity to share their expectations and accomplishments in ICT, preside over a short handover ceremony of Samsung Tablets donated to the clubs, officially launch the project and do a video recording of feedback from some student participants.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday August 6, 2018 at Makerere University Business School main campus.

The following schools were selected and attached to universities as follows:

1. Nabinsusa girls – Kyambogo University
2. Bishops ss Mukono – UCU Mukono
3. Kansanga Seed SS – KIU Kansanga
4. Dabani Girls SS, Busia – Busitema University
5. Mbale SS, Mbale High School – Livingstone University Mbale
6. Nyero Rock High School – Kumi university
7. Lira Town College – Lira university
8. St. JOSEPH Layibi and Gulu High school – Gulu University
9. Arua Public and Arua SS – Muni University
10. Nalinya Lwantale Girls School and St. John Nandere – Ndejje university
11. Masaka Ss – Mutesa 1 Royal University
12. Mbarara High and Maryhill High school – Mbarara university
13. Bishop Kivengere SS and St. Mary's Rushoroza – Kabale university

We expect one teacher per school on Tuesday next week starting 8:00 am to discuss the ucc curriculum, harmonisation of the activities, competencies and learning outcomes of the clubs which are to be cascaded as good practices to the rest of the 1500 secondary schools.

Sponsored by dfcu Bank in partnership with the Dutch Embassy, KLM airlines, VIVO energy, Sadolin Paints and Shares (U) Ltd, the annual Netherlands Business Golf Cup is an event that brings together members of Uganda's business community in both the public and private sector to provide a networking opportunity with Dutch affiliated businesses.

Last year, over 200 participants teed off at the 2017 Netherlands Business Golf which took place at the Kitante Golf Club. Golfers networked with guests from various business backgrounds as they played on one of Uganda's toughest golf courses.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, dfcu Bank's Chief Change & Innovations Officer, Paul van Apeldoorn said the tournament provided a platform for various members of the Ugandan business sector to network, share best business practices and in turn grow their individual business pursuits.

There was excitement as the day's champion was awarded for an outstanding performance on the greens that enabled them win the 2017 Netherlands Business Golf Cup. Both players received fuel vouchers of 500,000 shillings from Vivo Energy and air tickets to Amsterdam from KLM. Last year's overall winners were Hillary Ndugutse and Candy Mpanga with 41 and 39 points respectively.

The target group of the program is secondary school students who are passionate, willing to learn new things and venture an extra-mile with learning activities. At least thirty of such students from each of the two schools will be selected to spearhead their respective ICT clubs.

Learning process will be learner driven with at least one teacher being a guide, facilitator and mentor. There will have a well programed access to ICT facilities of their school for purposes of learning. Each club will identify an issue/problem and create a project to mitigate in an interdisciplinary approach. The learners will exhibit their output and learning experiences in their project to a targeted audience. Each club member will undergo formative evaluation.

The club members will draw a program for their periodic meetings, preferable once a week. Identify opportunities of service with intervention of ICT in their school. With the aid of ICT facilities, the learners commit themselves to undertake a learner driven and ICT supported project. A workplan will be set up by them. They will hold an exhibition of their completed project within a year from launch of the club. The students will be expected to use available ICT resources in their school for research, presentations, creating of data and so forth.  There will be a major evaluation undertaken at least once per term. Findings of the evaluation will be made available to stake holders.

PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The proposed main aim of the program is to build capacity in the participating learners to utilize ICT to leverage 21^st century learning practices and make ICT more relevant in their lives and education by.

• Developing a sense of global citizenship.
• Being skilled in technology and able to use it responsibly.
• Being good communicators and confident.
• Enabling creativity and innovation
• Developing critical thinking and becoming problem solvers.
• Being able to use ICT as an integrated habit of studies in mainstream disciplines at school.
• Being able to purposefully network and collaborate.