Teachers, Tech, and Teaching!

At the 2024 Unesco Global Education summit, there was a call to action around EdTech with an emphasis that organizations need to design technology programs that work in their community context with an emphasis on an articulated vision for learning, a clear vision for outcomes and how the use of technology will bolster the experience of learning. 

This is especially important for EdTech leaders in rural counties to develop programs that can empower teachers to be the tech teachers and leaders of engaging children and youth in this new mode of learning. With a 2023 World Bank reporting that in arid and semi-arid communities like ours, the average number of years in schools is 6.5 vs. the 12 years of students in Nairobi. Even though primary school is free, learners are regularly sent home if they do not pay required school fees. This leaves clear gaps in learning including children not being introduced to technology. With only 17% of families in our county having access to electricity and most without internet or devices, there is not the opportunity for children to learn about computing and e-learning resources at home.

In our rural Kenyan community, most of our 63 partner public schools are without devices and most teachers are unfamiliar, uncomfortable and scared to use technology in their classroom, despite the Ministry of Education including computing in the curriculum. In 2017, the Kenyan government provided tablets to the teachers with very limited training which resulted in many of the tablets sitting in closets. A September 2021 EdTechHub Report concluded that there was a lack of qualified teachers to staff schools and, when teachers were in place, they lacked training and capacity (Otieno & Taddese, 2020). 

As solutions are being developed to assist teachers to become digital learners, teachers and consumers of the vast available educational resources, innovators have not always taken into account that these teachers have had little or no access to using computers and smartphones and they lack the basic understanding of the knowledge and resources available to use in the classroom. Technology is evolving so quickly that teachers are left without a clear vision for what to use and how to use it to achieve desired educational outcomes. They just know they need to do something. Educational think tanks, EdTech innovators and investors and others are creating solutions, but often not involving the community to hear about their challenges, understand the context they are working in and including them in the development of solutions. Teachers are frustrated, overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed.

There needs to be a framework and plan to introduce technology to teachers in rural communities in a systematic way where they can learn about technology in a mode that feels safe, makes sense, and nurtures their desire to be better teachers. This will enable teachers to adopt technology in their classrooms.

Our years of working with Kenyan teachers has led us to building an interlocking system of policies, curriculum and existing software tools to train teachers in the use of EdTech in their classrooms including basic computing, coding and AI in order for them to more successfully and effectively deliver learning as outlined in the Kenyan syllabus.

Our approach includes:

• Training teachers on how to use a computer, various software packages, and the internet

• Connecting computing with the requirements in the Kenyan curriculum

• Creating a curriculum on how to use AI in their teaching context

• Teaching them coding and AI tools that can help them more efficiently and effectively teach lessons required in the Kenyan CBC

• Providing strategies to nurture creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, and self-efficacy in learners through the use of technology

Although this approach may seem like standard practice, as we have learned from teachers and NGO professionals throughout Kenya, technology is being introduced in a haphazard way with many teachers never garnering a basic understanding of technology which is holding them back as more advanced innovations as the power of AI is being introduced. As our work has expanded with computing and coding clubs at 43 schools, it is clear from teacher feedback and monitoring of the program that we are making important inroads in training teachers through the curriculum we have developed, and more importantly, engaging rural learners to become digital learners.

Teacher Faith from Nyaani exclaimed, "I didn't know learning could be so fun!" She shared this after attending a boot camp on computing, coding and physical computing. The boot camp was part of our strategy to support primary school teachers in being digital learners and digital teachers. Since that workshop in 2022, Teacher Faith is now teaching her students on computing and coding, running an afterschool code club, and mentoring her colleagues on how to use technology in the classroom. This is in a rundown classroom with very few resources beyond some tattered textbooks and a classroom of learners who live in poverty.

As a leader in training teachers in the Mwala sub-county on incorporating technology into their classroom and including computing and coding as dictated by the Kenyan curriculum. We have done this in a systematic way through partnering with teachers, Ministry Education officials, Team4Tech and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Our blended learning approach is based on trust, meeting teachers where they are at, making technology meaningful and relevant to the syllabus and providing access to devices so they can explore and practice. We are now poised through developing an interlocking system to guide them and teachers working in rural classrooms throughout Kenya into the use of AI for developing lesson plans, finding relevant content in the Kenyan context, and assisting in nurturing critical thinking, problem solving and creativity in learners. 

"Invest in our teachers and our children will succeed," said Barack Obama. At Kenya Connect, we have invested in working with teachers since we know that teachers are critical to the academic and social success for the 18,000 students at our 63 partner public schools. 

Our work is primarily in Machakos County, a county of 1.4 million people of which 59% fall below the poverty line and only 17% have access to electricity. Working within the system allows us to provide enrichment and empowerment programs for students, teachers and parents at severely under-resourced schools. Our partner schools include the Machakos School for the Deaf and the Wamunyu Special School for students with cognitive and physical disabilities. Most of our students' parents are subsistence farmers, day laborers, basket weavers, woodcarvers and small business owners. Located in the semi-arid Mwala subcounty, our community is frequently in water distress due to the lack of water infrastructure and limited rains. Many parents are challenged to earn enough to feed and house their families and to pay school fees. However, they believe in the power of education to improve their children's future.

The students, our main beneficiaries, are eager, bright, and curious. They walk 2-3 km each way to school ready to learn. They dream of being engineers, pilots, journalists, nurses, and even "Kenya Connect." They learn in classrooms with empty walls, no science equipment books, or manipulatives to use. However, they have teachers who want to provide them with learning, despite the lack of materials to use. 

We have seen when we empower teachers with effective and well-tested classroom management skills that nurture critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving, that students become even more engaged. Instead of having a "quiet classroom" we have worked with teachers to have an active learning environment with inquiry based and student-led learning. This has resulted in students being more engaged and teachers enjoying teaching more. Providing training to teachers on integrating technology in the classroom and providing sets of computers and tablets for students and teachers to use has been transformational, especially for students who have been labeled "dull" or unable to educate. 

Teachers are stressed by the requirement of the Ministry of Education to "get through the syllabus." Sometimes the teachers do not know how to teach a particular content area so they skip over it. Kenya Connect is poised to help these teachers use Generative AI to help with lesson planning, content information and differentiated learning. These powerful tools can help provide better instruction for students in our rural classrooms and make teaching more manageable for the rural teachers. We know our current work is helping to bridge the digital and educational divide and we know the next step of providing AI training, guidance and support will make even more of a difference to the children we serve, the future workforce and leaders of Kenya.

Kenya Connect has been partnering with schools in Wamunyu for the last two decades, and more specifically in bringing computing and technology to teachers for the last decade. Patrick Munguti, Director of Education and Technology, has been leading the charge to bridge the Digital Divide and is seen as a leading Tech Educator in Kenya. He has presented on Maker Spaces for inclusive STEM education in the mEducation Alliance symposium in Virginia (2023), was a panelist on Monitoring and Evaluation of Blended Learning Models on Edtech Mondays sponsored by Mastercard Foundation on National TV (2023), participated in the Raspberry Pi Africa meetup in Cape Town South Africa (2023) and as a panelist in the 2023 Global Africa Diaspora Forum talking about Technology changes and Innovation for people of Africa. Patrick is currently in the prestigious HP Cambridge EdTech program.

Kenya Connect is a strategic partner of Team4Tech, a non-profit impact accelerator bridging the digital equity gap in education. In 2023 we were selected as their "Partner of the Year" and honored at their 10th anniversary celebration. As an effective partner, Kenya Connect has been asked to serve as panelists in their community of practice and through their network, we regularly participate in meetings with other NGOs in Africa to learn about new strategies. Through Team4Tech, we have partnered with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to bring coding clubs to teachers and students at 43 partner schools.

Our Tech reach has grown substantially because of Patrick and his tech team who work closely with teachers and head teachers to bring technology to their classrooms through the creation of teacher professional development in tech. The team creates curriculum and offers regular teacher workshops and bootcamps, they bring sets of computers into classrooms, and they train the teachers so they can be the "tech educators." They listen, evaluate, and provide programs and trainings to meet the teachers and students needs. We also coordinate with the Teacher Service Commission (TSC), the Curriculum Support Officers (CSO), and Ministry of Education officials. This means when teachers take a course with us, their certificate of completion is included in their professional development portfolios.  

As AI tools are being developed, our team is learning how to use this powerful program in order to assist the teachers. Instead of waiting for the Ministry of Education, we are participating in workshops, testing out programs, and preparing to create an AI curriculum for teachers. We plan to first work with the committed cohort of teachers running coding clubs. These teachers regularly share feedback with us on what is working, where they need help, and what's been a challenge. 

However, AI and other tech tools cannot happen without devices and either internet or cell signal. Our team has been committed to garnering devices and funds to bridge the divide for our dedicated and eager community. 

Here is where we are today: we have developed a prototype system that is being used; we are gathering feedback and iterating. With the help of this program, we want to inch closer to a 'shippable' version of this system that we can get into the hands of many more educators and students in order to “scale up.'" 

Through training over 300 teachers on technology and roughly 6,000 students in our rural community, we have learned a great deal and been able to adapt our trainings based on feedback from the teachers. Currently, we have a cohort of 82 teachers at 43 schools teaching computing and coding after they attended a week long bootcamp. These educators are fired-up and excited to be part of this work. We have the infrastructure and teacher buy-in for this program. We are now monitoring and evaluating the program and planning to introduce Gen AI to the teachers to assist in lesson planning, problem solving, classroom management, and course content. We know that this powerful tool will aid teachers who have so few resources, and we know that we are trusted and well positioned to pilot the use of this technology in a rural African context. Being a MIT SOLVER will serve as a model for the many NGOs like ours who are grappling with bringing technology, and specifically AI, to communities who barely know how to use computers. We know that creating an AI curriculum for teachers will be beneficial to teachers throughout Kenya. A community led and engaged NGO like ours is well poised to test various AI programs and to garner feedback to see what is most successful for teachers in East Africa. 

Our Tech Team has been rock stars in bringing technology to rural Kenyan teachers. For the last decade, we have been ahead of the curve in bringing technology to teachers and students in our subcounty, even before the government was doing so. When the government delivered tablets to the schools in 2017, we were the tech trainers and trouble shooters. However, we are a small staff and the rapid transformation of educational technology can be overwhelming. It's challenging for teachers in the developing world to imagine using AI in their classrooms. We know that it is even more challenging for rural Kenyan teachers who have just learned how to use a computer in the last few years to shift to AI. 

We are seeking partners who can help us sift through the noise and to help us develop a robust and thoughtful curriculum on introducing AI into our community for teachers with the goal of giving them a tool to help them find course content, teaching strategies and methodologies, and ways to help learners with differing learning styles. The goal is to help them complete the course syllabus in a more efficient and effective way while most importantly, engaging their students in dynamic and student-centered learning. We are looking for thought partners who can help us be smart in rolling out this program and in developing a monitoring and evaluation plan to determine the effectiveness of the program. We are especially seeking partners who are interested in learning about our community and the challenges they are facing (similar to other rural communities) from our Tech Team who has been working in the space for over a decade. 

We learned a great deal from  participating in the MIT SOLVE Leap program that helped us design a framework for evaluation for our literacy programs. The fellows shared their knowledge and expertise that is helping us evaluate our literacy programs with a new lens. 

We are applying for the MIT SOLVE Global Challenge because empowering our teachers with technology and AI will benefit the children in our community and beyond. We believe it will provide improved education through new ways of engaged learning and more robust content. We believe that AI for teachers may be a disrupter which will energize Kenyan classrooms in an energizing way. Our impact has grown through partnerships and learning from experts in their fields. If selected, it will not only transform our work, but other NGOs like ours and it will transform the experts that we will work with. Our staff is curious, dedicated and fun. Partners love working with us.

Being selected will also provide access to funds to help provide devices to teachers and funds for connectivity so they can become better teachers with more resources to serve their learners.

As new EdTech solutions have been developed, they often are created without the input from those working in rural landscapes. For example, in 2022, we had a team from the Raspberry Pi Foundation travel to our project site to launch a pilot to teach coding and physical computing to our partner teachers. Prior to the visit, we had shared our context and the challenges that teachers face in rural classrooms. However, when the first day of training began, the trainers were stunned to see the teacher's lack of knowledge and comfort using computers and how some of the course content they designed with examples were not relevant for Kenya. They pivoted quickly, and with guidance from our tech team, they were able to restructure the workshop to make it meaningful, relevant and successful.

It is clear to us that in order for tech solutions to be truly successful, there needs to be community based leaders who are passionate about education and technology to lead the way. Tech innovators are creating powerful tools like AI, but without solid infrastructure and commitment on the ground, these innovations may not reach their full potential. The Kenyan government talks about providing computing, internet, and training to teachers, but it has been mostly talk, with NGOs like Kenya Connect working to ensure that teachers and students are not left behind.

Along with working in our county, our Tech Team is sharing our work with other NGOs, private schools, and county officials. As a Team4Tech partner, we have the platform to share our programs with others in Sub-Saharan Africa and have partnered with organizations like Nairobits to do joint programs. As an MIT Solver, we believe the work we will do together will be a North Star for others to follow who are working in rural under-resourced communities or developing solutions.

Our Theory of Change is:

Empower rural Kenyan learners with essential computing, coding, and advanced technology skills through locally developed and led teacher training programs.

Assumptions:

Community Led NGO: Our locally led team fosters a sense of ownership and sustainability within the community.

Teacher Empowerment: Training teachers in computing and coding equips them with the necessary skills to effectively impart knowledge to students.

Access to Resources: Providing teachers with training resources ensures they have the tools needed to deliver high-quality instruction especially in the rural context.

Relevance to Curriculum: Integrating computing and coding into the curriculum aligns with the CBS and prepares students for the digital age.

Pedagogical Support: Offering ongoing pedagogical support through live sessions, zoom workshops and WhatsApp groups ensures teachers can effectively incorporate computing concepts into their teaching methods.

Activities that support our Theory of Change:

Local Team: Our locally led team is comprised of educators and technology experts passionate about enhancing digital literacy in rural communities.

Teacher Training Workshops: Conduct workshops and seminars to train teachers on computing, coding, and advanced technologies, tailored to the needs and context of rural Kenyan learners.

Curriculum Integration: Collaborate with education authorities to integrate computing and coding modules into the curriculum, ensuring alignment with national educational standards.

Resource Provision: Provide teachers with access to relevant teaching materials, software, and hardware necessary for effective instruction including accessing AI tools on various platforms like WhatsApp.

Ongoing Support: Offer continuous support and mentorship to teachers, including follow-up sessions, peer learning opportunities, and online resources including AI.

We have been monitoring our effectiveness in providing teacher training in technology. Specifically we are looking at:

1. Enhanced Teacher Capacity: Equipped teachers demonstrate proficiency in computing, coding, and advanced technology concepts.
2. Improved Student Learning: Students develop essential digital literacy skills and are better prepared for future academic and professional pursuits.
3. Community Empowerment: Increased access to digital education fosters community development and economic opportunities in rural areas.
4. Sustainability: Locally led initiatives promote sustainability and scalability, ensuring long-term impact beyond the duration of the program.

Impact: By investing in locally led teacher training programs, Kenya Connect aims to catalyze a transformative shift in rural education, empowering both teachers and students with the skills needed to thrive in the digital age and contribute to the socio-economic development of their communities.

As a Team4Tech strategic partner, we have been required to collect information and metrics on our programs with them. For example, last year our goal was to train students on basic coding. We reported that 120 students participated code clubs and 144 students participated in boot camps and  trained on coding and physical computing. In 2023, we held 2 teacher training workshops and trained 76 teachers in school based TPD and trained 46 teachers on teachers and digital literacy, coding totaling to 122 teachers. Along with tracking numbers, we do school visits to see how the teachers are using the technology, challenges they are facing, and how we can help.

Kenya Connect has developed an interlocking system with physical facilities, devices, training, external software applications like WhatsApp and a dedicated team. Our facilities included our Learning Resource Center computer lab, an EdTech Hub with Robotics and additional computers and 416 chromebooks and laptops which are being used in classrooms through our "Computers in the Classroom" program. In addition, our staff has repaired many of the 2017 government issued tablets and loaded them with SCRATCH so students can learn basic coding. Providing devices and training teachers on how to use them means that when teachers are instructing on computing, they are just not showing pictures in a textbook (which is happening in many rural classrooms). As we have conducted our training workshops, we have formed WhatsApp groups so teachers can share how they are using technology in their classrooms, the questions they have, and to inspire one another. Since it has been effective to use WhatsApp for follow-ups with teachers, we are planning on introducing  on how AI can be utilized via WhatsApp so they have easier access to this resource.

Simply put, in order for Kenyan teachers to benefit from the profound potential of AI and how it can be used to aid in teaching for under-resourced classrooms, there needs to be well designed systemic teacher training program and follow-up support in order to allow true transformation to occur. We have catalyzed change in rural Kenyan classrooms through the training of basic computing and coding and teachers are now comfortable in using technology for instruction and in teaching students directly. We have been effective because of the trusted relationships between our staff and teachers and our willingness to go the extra mile to support them. In a culture that values community and connections, we know that in order for transformational educational change to occur, it must be done in a way that guides and listens to teachers. We also know the challenges of the lack of connectivity and we have been creative in working with teachers by using portable modems, providing content via WhatsApp, and finding materials that can be used offline. Our traditional culture values human connection while also prioritizing education and we have seen teachers wholeheartedly embrace technology when it is delivered in a thoughtful way that is meeting them where they are at. We believe our approach blends our community's culture with innovative and transformational technology which will lead to classroom learning in Kenya that was not even imagined a decade ago. 

Our solution team includes five from our Tech Team, Patrick Munguti, Monicah Kyalo, Brian Mbuvi, Felistus Tom and Maureen Gichoi and Sharon Runge, Executive Director. In addition, our team works closely with partner teachers and Nyagaki Gichia (Director for Africa,Team4Tech).

Our Tech Team has been providing computing programs for the last decade when we opened the first computer lab for students and teachers in the Mwala sub-county. Since then, we created a curriculum and have worked tirelessly to train teachers on computing and coding. In 2018, when the government officially added computing coding into the curriculum, we worked with the teachers to help them understand the content in the syllabus. Since 2022, we have been especially focused on bringing computers and devices into classrooms and now we want to help teachers understand and be able to teach coding and AI. 

Kenya Connect is committed to encouraging gender equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination.The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best.

Our Kenyan team is led by Co-Founder and Executive Director, James Musyoka. His senior team includes Patrick Munguti and Faith Doucette. Kenya Connect has been intentional over the last decade to hiring more women to our staff including to head program areas including the library, makerspace, and teacher professional development. Our staff of 20 includes 12 women and 8 men. In addition, our Executive Director in the U.S. is a woman as is the Board chair. In addition, we have members of different ethnic groups on our staff and we work with teachers, parents and students regardless of ethnic identity or religion. 

Our U.S. Board of 14 includes 10 women and 5 members are people of color (three who grew up in Kenya).

It has been important to have women on our tech team to help inspire girls to become interested in computing, coding and other STEM fields. Currently our Tech Team of five includes three women. 

Kenya Connect is an NGO that provides programs and services to students, teachers and parents at 63 partner public schools in the Mwala sub county of Machakos and 8 schools in Kitui County. Most of our programs are free and are designed to lift students out of extreme poverty through the power of enriched education. Over the last 5 years, students at our partner schools have had among the top testing scores in the county which the Head Teachers attribute to our work. We raise funds in the U.S., the UK, and Canada as well as Kenya to support our programming. Being a registered 501-c3 in the US and a registered NGO in Kenya gives us the ability to raise funds through multiple avenues.

In addition, several of our programs like our rent-to-own solar lights and composting toilets have been developed in a self-sustaining way. Our goal is to increase funding in Kenya and to develop more income-generating programs.

Without Kenya Connect's programs and resources, including our computer lab, EdTech Hub and makerspace, students and teachers would have very limited learning and access to technology. There is no other NGO in our region who is bringing sets of computers into classrooms for students to use, training teachers and providing computers for them to use in their classrooms or offering FREE school break bootcamps to learners on computing, coding and physical computing in response to teachers asking us to help their students.

A non-profit, Kenya Connect has multiple revenue streams that supports our work.  

Based on 223  Income:

Individual Donations: 36%

Event Income: 7%

Foundations: 48%

Schools/Religious Support: 9%

In addition, our staff in Wamunyu has worked to make our programs self-sustaining.  For example, we sell personal solar lights to families so students can study at their homesteads at night.  It's a rent-to-own program.  The funds that are paid back are reinvested into the community.  In addition to raising funds in the U.S., we are also working to raise funds in Kenya to support our work.

Included in the numbers is a grant from the FII Institute who granted us $50,000 for 3 secondary school computer labs, robotic kits and teacher trainers. Within individual giving, we have donors who give between $10k-30K annually for our work because they have seen first hand the work we are doing.

Although it is tough to raise funds in Kenya, our staff is planning to host a Reading Road Rally to support our literacy work and we have grants submitted to Safaricom and the U.S. Embassy Nairobi to support our technology and workforce development programs.