Projects/Kenya Improving School Attendance and Performance

Project Summary

This is a summary of the project Improving School Attendance Rate and Performance in Kenya For a detailed information check [www.e4nfoundation.blogspot.com]

January 9, 2010 Preparation of teaching lessons completed

January 11,2010 Team participants training on use of XO laptops December 30th 2009

Arrival of XO brand new laptops December 28th, 2009

Preparation of lessons for Teachers and Students

November 21st-23rd,2009 Team Participants meeting to discuss probable problems that might be encountered during project implementation.

November 16,2009

Approval of project proposal

INTRODUCTION

This project will be launched in 3 Districts namely West Pokot District,Trans Nzoia District and North Pokot District. The primary schools in these Districts,have for a long time suffered from poor performance in the national examinations especially in science subjects.The schools have low attendance rates and pupils have no basic computer skills. All named Districts benefit from good road network and electricity connectivity.This project aims at solving the above problems.

Name of Project: (WEB-PUBLISHED) Project Title

Increasing School attendance rates and performance.

Number of Laptops (or other hardware) You Request to Borrow: Loan Length—How Many Months: 10 XOs laptops (donation)

2. Team Participants

Team Leader

John Valent Wanyonyi Phone +254728794515

Email valent518@yahoo.com.

Project Cordinator

Namasaka Isaac +254728503707 Email isanay2008@yahoo.com.

Relations Officer

Mary Oyundi Phone +254710512545

Email moyundi@yuurok.com 

Volunteers Director

Elizabeth Khakasa 

Phone +254713774842 Email elizabethkhakasa@yahoo.com

3. Objectives Project Objectives: (WEB-PUBLISHED) Concrete proposals with defined, measurable outcomes are much more likely to result in a laptop than "it would be cool to play with these and demo them".

1.Equip teachers and pupils with basic computer skills using the XO laptop.

2.Improve understanding and performance of science subjects.

3.Actively engaging children in their learning process.

4.Increase school attendance rate in rural schools.

5.Introducing another medium of learning and communication using XO laptop

4. Plan of Action

The individual members of the clientele group will work in harmony to fulfill the objectives of the project.The project will be implimented in two phases.

Phase 1.

Conduct a tour to the rural schools where the project is to be implimented(already done).The tour included meeting pupils,head masters and local leaders.

The team participants will learn the basics and features of the XO's laptop after receive them and thereafter design lessons and learning materials compatible with the XO's laptops. These lessons will cover Introduction to XOs laptop and Science Lessons based on the primary school curriculum.The lessons with be in form of video clips,recording and charts.

Teachers Training.

Teachers from participating schools will be selected and undergo a vigorous training conducted by the team participants.

The training will cover; -Introduction to XOs laptop -The basics of the XOs laptop and how to prepare lessons and learning materials using them. -How to use XOs laptop as a medium of passing information to pupils .-How to use XOs laptop as a communication tool

.At the end of the training,the teachers will be examined and those who pass will train pupils. This training will last 30 days and takes place during the holidays (school closed)

Pupil Lessons.

These lessons will be integrated in the school timetable and aims children between the age of 6-16 years. In the first lessons,pupils will be organised in groups according to their age and each group will be under the supervision of a team participant/teacher. The introductory lessons will be used to teach children on;

-Introduction to XO laptops. -Different parts of the XOs laptop and how to use them .-Advantages of the XOs laptop compared to other computers. -How to use the different features of the XOs laptop like chat.

At the end of the training pupils will be examined to assess the impact of the introductory training. These training will last 2 weeks and conducted when schools are opened.

The introductory training(phase 1) is aimed at instilling basic XOs/computer skills to teachers and children. The training will be delivered in form of video clips and recordings.

Phase 2

The training on this phase will be included in the timetable and aims at teaching science in an easy-to-understand form. The pupils will be grouped according to their classes and each group will have its own teacher (team participant/teacher). The training will be conducted based on the curriculum

.The training will covr;

-Advantages of getting high grades in science subjects. -Changing the notion that science subjects are hard .-Science lessons conducted based on school's curriculum. -Lessons will be delivered in form of video clips,charts and recordings. -Trainers will freely interact with pupils and allow them to ask questions and state their difficulties. -The XO laptop will be used as a medium and platform to deliver lessons. -After the lesson,pupils will be allowed to chat with fellow peer groups from different countries and share what they have learnt.XO chat will be used here.At the end of every topic,pupils will be examined to assess the impact. -Pupils will be encouraged to share what they have learned with their parents and friends(those not attending school).This is aimed at getting more children attending school.

Phase 2 aims at improving science subject performance,engaging children in their learning and increasing school attendance rate and will be conducted 3 times per week and lasts 3 months.

One lesson per week will be used entirely for chatting to peers using the XOs chat.This will allow pupils to share what they have learnt with peers all over the world thus using the XO laptop as a communication platform.

5. Needs

The project is needed locally inorder to impove performance in primary schools,equip the community with basic computer skills and increasing school attendance rate. In the greater OLPC the project is aimed at aising a team of peer volunteers who is uture will work as contributors to the OLPC mission

This project will be done using the XOs laptop because of its unique feartures(chat),low power consumption and portable.

We are kindly requesting 10 XOs laptops which will be deployed as follows;

-8 XOs laptops to rural schools. -1 XO laptop to teachers used for preparing lessons and teaching materials. -1 XOs laptop to team participants to help designing lessons and learning materials. The laptop for the team will be surrendered to the school at the end of the training. We dont mind taking salvaged or damaged laptops as we shall repair.

6. Sharing Deliverables Project URL—where you'll report specific ongoing progress: Please web-publish this entire completed proposal, removing any sections affecting your personal privacy. Ask if you want help! How will you convey tentative ideas & results back to the OLPC/Sugar community, prior to completion? How will the final fruits of your labor be distributed to children or community members worldwide? Will your work have any possible application or use outside our community? If yes, how will these people be reached? Have you investigated working with nearby XO Lending Libraries or Project Groups? The progress of the project will be published our website http://e4nfoundation.blogspot.com and also through email. The fruits of this project will be distributed worldwide by raising educated children with basic computer skills and better understanding of science subjects. We shall only work with OLPC and we have tried checking for a local XO lending but got none.We are establishing links to work with local project groups

7. Quality/Mentoring .

We shall rely on your and exemplary mentoring in getting the project off, implimenting it and postin final result posted.

An independent auditor will be used to assess the impact of this project and the results send to OLPC and posted on our blog. We shall use local volunteers,leaders,religous groups,media and any other organisasion that share our mission to promote our work.

8. Timeline (Start to Finish)

The project will last 5 months.

After receiving XOs laptop;

Month 1

-Team participants meeting to unveil project. -Designing lessons and learning materials -Understandind and installing the XO laptop.

Month 2-5

-Teaching teachers 

Month 3

-Teaching pupils on the introduction to XOs laptop(2 weeks)

-Teaching science lessons (10 weeks).

The life cycle of the project is 5 months and will resume at the beggining of every term with the aid of teachers. The project is anticipated to start on 1st of December 2009

.I prefer communicating via email

valent518@yahoo.com

and

phone

+254728794515.

Thankyou

John Valent Wanyonyi Team Leader