Information
Technology
Consortium
April, 2001
Inside:
Computer Maintenance Workshops a Success!
IT Consortium Dinner - May 9th
IT Manual for Training
Schedule for Training
Computer Maintenance Workshops a success!
In February and March of 2001, several Peace Corps volunteers hosted a series of three workshops to improve the skills of people working with computers in rural Gambia. The "hands on" format was intended to provide school and government office workers with the experience to tackle basic hardware problems and more importantly, share those skills with others in their workplace.
Especially popular among trainers and participants were two practicals in which trainers broke machines and then assisted repair teams in solving problems. Trainers emphasized the importance of applying the scientific method and recording what they did/observed during both the hardware and software practicals.
In closing the last workshop, Yamai Secka-Jack, APCD for Education (and now IT) spoke about the goals of Peace Corps and the importance of IT, "We hope that you will all go and share your knowledge with others. You are in a better position to benefit the country than even the president: You can help others access information, and that knowledge can give people power."
She also reiterated the central goal of Peace Corps to Gambian professionals in attendence. She said, "Volunteers come to The Gambia and share their knowledge freely. They are here to help you acquire the skills so that in the future you will be able to do these trainings yourself."
The workshop trainers plan to meet on May 9th at Luigi's Pizza in Senegambia (7:30pm) to discuss plans for the next cycle of computer trainings. All interested people are invited to attend.
Jeremy would also like to thank all those who contributed, including (but not limited to): Clara Soh, Hethur McKinley, Marc Maxson, Peter Bendix, Dave Mills, Mike Casper, Gibril Touray, Harriet Gomez, and Jackie Francy.
Announcements
There will be a very important meeting of the Information Technology Consortium at Luigi's Pizza on Wednesday, May 9th 2001 at 7:30pm. All volunteers working with computers and their counterparts are invited to attend. I (Marc) will attempt to get a Peace Corps vehicle to take us there, driven by none other than Yamai Secka-Jack!!!!
Clara wanted to point out that Chunky Apple Sauce in on sale at the Shell Station - D18.50 a bottle!
She also wanted to inform readers that the Computer Literacy Manual will be available by April 15th. You can obtain a copy through Yamai. Yamai also believes that there is enough left over GAD/IT IST money to print several copies for each computer lab in the country - thanks to low attendance this year.
A working draft of the Gambia Computer Literacy Syllabus is available from Yamai (or http://fishbowl/stormloader.com /itc/index.html). It covers a year of education and can be taught on any machine with any version of Windows, a mouse tutorial, typing tutor, and Wordpad. So technology is hardly a limiting factor - people are.
Where There Is No Tech Support
I (Marc) finished the Peace Corps IT/Computer training manual. It is available for your perusal. Please provide input. The main purpose is to underscore the importance of sustainable approaches to IT.
Excerpts from the manual are below:
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction
What do IT/Computer volunteers do?
Chapter 2: Challenges
What major obstacles will you face?
Chapter 3: Vision of the Future
Where do you see IT in Africa in 10 years?
Sustainability
Make 'working yourself out of a job your number
one goal!
Chapter 4: Resources
Seeking out the right counterparts
Chapter 5: Peer Training Practice
Chapter 6: Technical Training
Chapter 7: Peer Lectures
Topics requested by the volunteers
Chapter 8: Notes on Model School
Chapter 9: The Practical Portion of this Book
Appendix I: Other Reading Materials
Excerpts from Peace Corps 2000 Project Status
Reports
News clippings
IT Survey Results (conducted August 2000)
Computer Education Syllabus
Pre-Service Training 2001
Yamai believes that the next training group will have 5 Math/Sci, 5 PTT, and 5 IT volunteers, with some Health volunteers as well. She is looking for volunteers who can help out with the July-Aug training of new volunteers.
The training schedule is tentative, but here are summaries of the 5 Tendaba sessions:
- Session: What do IT/Computer PCVs do? What Problems Will IT/Computer PCVs Face?
- 3 (Chapter 2)
- Format: [Panel Discussion] PCVs will each describe their job. Each will mention the work they have accomplished, what they needed to learn, and what they expect to do next year. Then they will answer questions from the trainees. In closing this session, Yamai should tell PCVs to read about past PCV projects and IT projects in Africa – Chapter 1 and Appendix I.
- Length: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Invite any PCVs who work with computers. Include a PCV from every sector.
- Session: Vision of the Future
- 4 (Chapter 3)
- Format: [Debate]The guest speaker or technical trainer (Yankuba, Kemo, Gibril, or Jodi) should provide background information about IT in Africa (10 minutes). Then, the trainer should rehash the key points of the September 2000 IT Africa region workshop (5 minutes). He should put Peace Corps in the context of these competing visions of what role IT will play in the next decade. The guest speaker should be able to involve trainees in a debate (15 minutes).
- Length: 30 to 45 minutes
- Guest Speaker who has a good knowledge of the popular opinions on the future of IT in the developing world. I suggest Kelly Morris. If an international spokesperson is not available, the local possibilities are Jodi Lis, Yankuba Cham, or the DFID director.
- Session: Sustainability (Core Session)
- 4 – should be at same time as the "Vision of the Future" debate.
- Format: [Collection of Short Presentations by PCVs] PCVs should each prepare a short 5 minute presentation on different aspects of the sustainability problem.
- What is sustainability? Define and give a summary of how NGOs have changed their past practices to instead promote sustainability.
- Top ten ways to evaluate if your project will be sustainable.
- You are a trainer: Explain the concept of "Skills transfer" not "filling a position".
- Compare practices that "transfer ownership" of a project to the community to those practices that promote dependency on outsiders. Mention the importance of SPA community contributions!
- Peace Corps is not the Organization for Stuff: Explain why human resources are more sustainable than material resources. Give examples of past projects which ultimately failed because materials were the focus and not training.
- Summarize: How to work yourself out of a job.
- Length: 1 hour (2 hours if trainees ask a lot of questions).
- Karen Ruscetti can help moderate. A different PCV should be invited to give each short presentation. So 6 PCVs in all is recommended. Yamai or a trainer can say a few words in closing as well.
- This session is important. Presenting PCVs should be encouraged to prepare for their session. Yamai should meet with each of them beforehand to provide support.
- Session: How to identify the right counterpart
- Resources
- 5 (Chapter 4)
- Format: [Presentation] The trainer can talk about a few problems with counterparts (transfer, motivation, scheduling). Then the trainer can present a variety of methods which can be used to weed out unreliable counterparts. See Chapter 4 for details. Any PCV who wishes to contribute should be invited to do so.
- Length: 30 minutes
- Format: [Information Sharing Session] Beatrice will introduce volunteers to the spectrum of available resources. Consult Chapter 4 for a list. Beatrice can also lead a brainstorming session of books, websites, and software that can be used both in training PCVs in their technical skills and teachers in their literacy or maintenance skills.
- Length: 30 minutes
- Beatrice, Technical trainer and PCV
Session: RDI Maintenance and Repair Workshop
6 (Chapter 6)
Location: RDI Computer Lab, Mansa Konko or other nearby suitable lab with at least 5 computers. This does not involve any Tendaba time.
Format: [Field Trip] 4 Computer PCVs and the technical trainers will take the trainees to a computer lab and briefly review computer hardware. Then, the trainers will purposely "break" each computer and have the trainees try to diagnose and fix the computers. Trainers should take good notes of how they broke each computer. The "problems" should be of a variety that is commonly encountered and has a low potential for SERIOUS further damage (i.e. don't switch the power supply to 110v!).
Length: 3 to 4 hours, plus transport time. Trainees should be back in villages before lunch.
4 good computer PCVs and the technical trainers (Gibril and/or Kemo)
Transportation Logistics Required.
Session: Peer Lectures
7 (Chapter 7)
Format: [Trainee Directed Lesson] This session allows the IT/Computer trainees to lead sessions for other IT/Computer trainees (and any interested 2nd year PCVs!) on technical subjects. Trainees should be informed about this session in Week 5 so that they have 2 full weeks to prepare.
Length: 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the amount of subjects.
Trainees and Trainers. 2nd year PCVs are invited to sit and learn.
May require a computer.
Editor's Final note:
Well that's a wrap, folks. I would love to pass this newletter on to someone else. If interested, see me.
Marc Maxson