EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION USING TECHNOLOGY

THE SWAY LINK OF EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION USING TECHNOLOGY IN MY CLASSROOM

Uche Linda Okpala is a Global Educator, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Global Education Exchange winner, Global Teacher award winner, Skype Master Teacher, Wakelet Ambassador, Flipgrid Students’ Voice Ambassador, Global Minecraft Mentor, IT/Master Trainer, National Geographic Certified Educator and a Guest Speaker for Skype in the classroom.

 I'm delighted to let you know that I won a grand prize In just concluded #WakeletCommunityweek competition for global educators. 

My life as an educator has always been focused on my scholars: making sure they’re healthy, have positive relationships, and get a fair chance at quality learning experiences regardless of who they are and where they came from. As teachers, we’re used to putting our needs aside and pouring our energy, hopes, and time to the young people we serve, their families, and the community. We’re always there for everyone else. But now it’s time to come together and be there for each other.

As a teacher in one of the public schools in Nigeria, West Africa, I have been experimenting with the new ways of sparking curiosity, cultivating empathy, and sharpening critical thinking in the classrooms both online and offline.

When the global pandemic broke out, it was not difficult for me to transition to remote learning because I have been leveraging the Ed-tech tools and resources in and out of the classrooms. I engaged my students with learning activities such as virtual field trips, connecting with their peers around the world, collaborating and executing on the global goals project.

        As a guest speaker, I engages myself with remote learning activities such as:

• Training of both teachers and students on how to integrate with technological tools and resources in their classrooms.


• Creating an interactive lessons, monitoring feedback from both teachers and students, Planning, organizing and attending webinars


• Engaging student-to-student collaborations and facilitating teachers for professional development all while in distance learning.


• It has been a game changer for me and a chance to connects with other Change Makers  both on the local and global scales and discover opportunities to use my skills to support other causes.


• Engaging students in creative coding activities to solve the problems of real-world scenarios.


• Introduces game-based learning that supports 21st century skills and relationship-building with students.


• Hands-on remote learning with Merge cube


• Providing tools and resources that equip teachers to address critical social issues with their students like trauma, mental well-being and youth violence  

I have been working tirelessly to enable distance learning to work for both students and teachers across the globe.  When I’m done with the school workloads, I normally stays back after school hours and engages both students and teachers with:

• The 21st-century learning skills


•  Mind-blowing games


•  Virtual field trips


•  Inviting an experts, Authors and explorers thereby by bringing the natural world scenarios into the classroom.  


• My students have benefited from Leveraging the Ed-Tech tools and resources in the classroom in more innovative ways:  


• Having a technological drive, enthusiastic attitude towards the teaching and learning process.


• Igniting  passion for space exploration with lessons from Phygital Labs


• Introduces students to the many opportunities for scientific discovery aboard the International Space Station.


• Building confidence in themselves to amplify their voices on global issues.


• Collaborates and executes SDG’s projects with their peers.


• Been equipped with 21st-century learning skills


• They have virtually traveled to over 32 countries across the globe in the comfort zone of their classroom.


• Becoming global and digital citizens, experiences cultural diversity by connecting with their peers globally.

Taking actions in the project-based learning (PBL), empowering students by designing a pathway for a greater community partnership, inviting their counterparts and community members as they serve as clients for students as they design a solution to real-world problems.

• This is what I think about education transformation during global pandemic (schools closure)

The kind of technology-based innovations that are beginning to transform K12 education is the only major industry still left behind on the technology transformation curve. And it’s not just about computers in the classrooms; it’s about using technology to deliver individualized solutions for every child. Education Transformation demonstrates how Federal government college Daura’s system of learning can evolves rapidly and at scale to meet students’ increasingly diverse needs by tapping into the same innovations that have revolutionized in the following ways: The ways we work, shop, connect, play, and consume entertainment over the past three decades.

• THE ED-TECH TOOLS AND RESOURCES I HAVE INTEGRATED IN OUR CLASSROOM:  

#ProductivityTools #SkypeInTheClassroom #Wakelet #Flipgrid #HourofCode #MinecraftInEducationedition #O365  #MicrosoftTeams #Buncee #Padlet #Kahoot #Sway  #MergeCube #ArgumentedReality etc.

•      Challenges/Blockers 


• Feeling down during these uncertain times. We Connects with others around the world through Empatico’s new initiative: \"Empathy Hours\". Empatico \"Empathy Hours\" provides a virtual space in which educators, parents, and caregivers can come together through virtual “meetups” to stay connected, find a sense of community, and support one another through trying times.  Each biweekly conversation - led by an education expert - will focus on topics as they relate to the challenges of COVID-19.


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  Non availability of digital devices

  
  


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  Non stability of power supply

  
  


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  Regular Fluctuation of network

  
  

Non sufficient of:

• Speakers


• Smart board


• Projectors


• Microphone


• Presentation sensor

This is what we hope to learn about education transformation when we engages with Microsoft in education or any other ed-tech company. They are as follows:

• Artificial intelligent (AI)


• Virtual reality


• Hands on STEAM  (Microbit) etc.

This is what we are keeping in mind as we take these next steps:

• To build a sustainable ecosystem of life long learning of 21 century skills


• To have an enthusiastic attitude towards the teaching and learning process and to meet up with our counter parts


• To be focus in students centered learning and technology driven


• For more  digital and global citizens


• For my students to become a member of work force eventually when leaves school


• To inculcate the \"Digital skills today...Future ready tomorrow

However, it has not been easy for me to accomplish all these. Data subscription and network connection were the tougher of the challenges.

More so, I try to do the best I can with my limited resources. I hope and still striving to build a sustainable ecosystem of lifelong learning for my students and learning communities etc, so that they can be a member of the workforce, problem solvers, future programmers and data scientist etc.  #StaySafe #StayHome #WeAreInThisTogether Thank you.