Here's Why This Teacher Is Using A Blackboard To Teach Kids About Computers
While quite ingenious, the photos offer a peek at reality.
By Sadho Ram — 04 Mar 2018, 06:23 PM
Back in mid-February, a Ghanaian teacher had shared photos of himself teaching Microsoft Word using a blackboard to his students
In his Facebook post, the teacher, Owura Kwadwo, had written:
"I love my students so have to do what will make them understand what [I] am teaching."
The teacher's story for his ingenious approach to teach his kids how computers work — without computers, made international headlines
News organisations from BBC and NPR to CNN and Quartz Africa, all covered the teacher and his ingenious idea of using a blackboard to draw Microsoft Word.
While it is mandatory for the students to pass an information and communications technology (ICT) exam as part of their progression to high school, the school had not had any computers since 2011
So he does what he needs to do to ensure that his students understand the material in the curriculum: he drew computer features and software on his blackboard.
"I wanted them to know or see how the window will appear if they were to be behind a computer," the teacher was quoted as saying CNN. "Always wanted them to have interest in the subject so I always do my possible best for them."
According to NPR, it takes him about 30 minutes to draw a version of the computer screen onto the blackboard before every class.
"Every subject is taught on the blackboard here," NPR quoted him as saying.
Now that him and his method have become an online sensation, Microsoft has promised to send him new computer equipment
The intervention from Microsoft comes after entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong tweeted to Microsoft Africa, highlighting how he was teaching the use of their product without actually having access to it.
In an interview with NPR, when asked if he could give his students anything, what would it be?, the teacher had replied, saying, "Computers! So they can have a feel for it."
And now that Microsoft has promised to provide them with a computer, the students no longer need to learn about computing without computers. :)