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<p>Tyler Cinnamon is a American programmer and entrepreneur. He started TechLit Africa with Nelly Cheboi in 2018 to disrupt poverty with used IT devices.</p>

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Reports and Insights from Rural Africa | How We Teach Computer Classes in Primary Schools to Unlock Global Opportunity in Rural Africa

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<p>Jacqueline is our school lead in Dreams Hills Academy.</p>

School Lead Educator

<h2>Confidence at The Computer</h2><p>Emmanuel, a class 5-Green student, is familiar with the game SuperTux 2. He asked me if he can help me teach other students how to use the arrow keys when playing the game.</p><h2>Teacher Emmanuel</h2><p>I had to let him teach other students in his class since they are free to talk to each other without shying off. Emmanuel ended up being the teacher for the day!</p>

Computer Classes Inspired Confidence in Primary School Student at Dreams Hills | Emmanuel Became Classroom Teacher in Digital Literacy Lessons

<p>This week a student in Dreams Hills school was confident about his skills and wanted to help teach the computer class for the day. I let him teach, and he was really helpful.</p>

Dreams Hills Student Becomes The Teacher

Dreams Hills

<p>Nelly Cheboi is a celebrated social entrepreneur, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/nelly-cheboi/?sh=179de9a85764" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbes 30 under 30</a> honoree, and<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/14/world/education-technology-recycling-kenya-poverty-cnnheroes/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> CNN Hero</a>. After growing up in rural Kenya and lifting her family out of poverty, she focused on her community.</p>

CEO | CNN Hero | Forbes Under 30

<p>Every Thursday, we all gather around on Zoom to share stories from the classroom. Every educator writes a story to share from their week about student achievement.</p>

Classroom Stories | TechLit Africa

Stories From The Classroom

SuperTux 2

<p>Milka is our school lead educator in Saint Mary's Primary in Mogotio, Kenya.</p>

<h2>Introducing Fridah</h2><p>Fridah, a grade 3 student, surprised the class today during an LMMS class. When Dogo was not around, she made the other student enjoy the lesson.</p><h2>First LMMS Class</h2><p>At first, I thought the class would be boring because Dogo was not around where Dogo did introduction and left to Dreams Hills then he handed it over to me. It was their first time, so I did not expect much from them, but it was ironic that the student made my day.</p><h2>Leading Her Class</h2><p>Fridah was the first student that made her own beat then she became the teacher to other students. Everyone was shouting her name "Fridah, Fridah, Fridah! Kuja unionyesha hapa."</p><p>That made the lesson to be amazing, because I did not expect grade three to do LMMS on their own.</p>

Grade 3 Student Surprises Classmates by Making Beat in Audio Production Class with LMMS | Unleashing Creativity In Computer Class

<p>Fridah, a grade 3 student, surprised the class today during an LMMS class. When Dogo was not around, she made the other student enjoy the lesson.</p>

Fridah Leads Class 3 in Computer Class

Saint Mary's

LMMS

Audio Production

Fridah Leads Class 3

<p>Denis is our school lead educator in Mogotio Primary School.</p>

<h2>Graphics Editing in Primary School</h2><blockquote>Before specialists came to our school, students were eager to start design practice.</blockquote><p>As a school lead, my job is to help students practice specialties, but not teach specialties myself. But when TechLit began teaching a graphic design specialty, my students and I were too eager to start practicing to wait.</p><p>So today I showed some classes how to open and use Inkscape, the graphics editor we have in our computer classes. I was happy with the results.</p><h2>Creativity and Self-Teaching</h2><blockquote>Faith and Prince taught themselves new skills, and became even more creative!</blockquote><p>Two kids, Faith Jepkorir and Prince Kimutai, managed to do very well with Inkscape. They made shaped, colored the shapes, wrote the shapes' names and also wrote their full names.</p><p>I'm happy with the lessons because Faith and Prince showed themselves how to do things. They discovered that they can write their name and color their name with different colors.</p>

Two Primary School Students Gain Creativity By Self-Teaching In TechLit Computer Class | Graphic Design Lessons With Inkscape Leads To Digital Skills

<p>Today we started practicing graphics editing early. Two students surprised me with their creativity and ability to discover new skills in Inkscape, our graphics editor.</p>

Creativity and Self-Teaching with Graphics Editing | TechLit Africa

Mogotio Primary

Inkscape

Graphic Design

Creativity and Self-Teaching with Graphics Editing

<p>Irene teaches the introductory lessons to graphic design. She explains how students can use Inkscape to create vector graphics.</p>

Specialist Educator

<h2>Introducing Graphic Design</h2><p>As a specialist educator at TechLit, my job is to introduce students to Graphic Design with Inkscape. During my first intro lesson at Barrina Primary, I gave an example of a school logo on one of the kids' sweaters.</p><h2>Exploration and Creativity</h2><p>So today, one of the students came in with an idea that he was going to make one of their own school. Throughout the whole lesson, he was just serious, concentrating, trying to design a logo. He was also the same student that explored stars today and realized that one can get a triangle from a star.</p><h2>Focus and Determination</h2><p>Since he only concentrated on his design he was mean and did not want to show the others, he found it a waste of time. So I had to myself. At least finally he made something. He left saying "<strong>nikirudi next time bado ntaendelea</strong>" <em>(I'll just have to continue when I return.)</em> He saved his work.</p>

Teaching Creative Digital Skills to Students at Barrina Primary | One Student Is Focused and Determined to Create without Sharing

<p>I'm the graphic design specialist at TechLit now, so I'm introducing students to how they can make their own designs with Inkscape. Today, one student was very focused on his own work and didn't want to share. He is very good at completing designs and saving his work.</p>

Learning to Focus with Graphic Design | TechLit Africa

Barina Primary

Learning to Focus with Graphic Design

<p>Irene Pepit is our school lead educator for Zawadi Yetu in Mogotio, Kenya.</p>

<h2>Marsha From Zawadi Yetu</h2><p>Marsha is a grade 3 student in Zawadi Yetu. She liked Inkscape from the first day because she could make shapes with beautiful different colors. She was drawing the coloured shapes and uploading them to share with other students.</p><h2>Learning To Learn</h2><p>She then today asked "<strong>Kwani ni shapes tu peke yake zinaundwa akuna kita ingine?</strong>" <em>(Why is this program only shapes? Can it make something else?)</em> I also had no idea if other things could be made.</p><h2>Trendsetting in Grade 3</h2><p>She then figured out by herself and realized "ooh", I can also draw not only shapes but also a coloured house. She drew very nice coloured house and now she has become the "teacher" in her class teaching others to draw different things in Inkscape.</p>

Zawadi Yetu Student Marsha Learned to Create More Than Shapes with Inkscape And Showed Her Whole Class Creative Computer Skills

<p>This week, a Grade 3 student in Zawadi Yetu called Marsha learned to create more than just shapes in Inkscape. Now her whole class is creating houses and other designs.</p>

Creativity in Grade 3 Design Class

Zawadi Yetu

<p>Lucy is our internet skills and touchtyping specialist.</p>

<p>Esther Wangui, a Grade 3 West student in&nbsp;Mogotio Primary drew a beautiful Christmas tree using various shapes and painted it using different colours in Inkscape.</p><p>She drew a triangle and painted it green, she placed a star on top of the triangle and painted it yellow then used circles of different colours as a decoration.</p><p>She asked for assistance in typing the words in capital letters and I showed her an example. She then wrote her name and the words "Christmas Tree" by herself.</p>

Grade 3 Mogotio Primary Student Esther Wangui Creates Digital Art with Inkscape in TechLit Digital Literacy Classes

<p>A Grade 3 student, Esther Wangui, was very creative this week. She drew a Christmas tree, using all the tools she knew of in Inkscape.</p>

Inkscape in Grade 3 | TechLit Africa

Inkscape in Grade 3

<p>Stanley is a community developer by profession, and a freelance writer on the side. At Techlit Africa, Stanley has been a school lead educator for many schools, including Logiri Primary and Barrina Primary in and around Mogotio, Kenya.</p>

<h2>Self-Efficacy Through Games</h2><p>During a free class, a grade 2 kid was trying to unlock a level in a game, but I realized that she didn't have any idea how to play.</p><p>She kept asking me, "<strong>teacher, hizi kifuli ni za nini?</strong>"<em> (What is this key for?)</em> So I taught her how to play and unlock new levels. I explained in kiswahili that the keys were used to unlock features in the game.</p><h2>Self-Guided Improvement</h2><p>The next day, which was Tuesday, the girl came to me. She wanted to try the game again. Surprisingly, she unlocked all the levels when she was there. She called me, "<strong>teacher, nimefungua kifuli zote!</strong>"</p><p>I was like wow! This is great! Then I requested the rest of the pupils to clap for her so that she can do better than that the next session. The girl was very happy and excited. She was telling other kids that, "<strong>kumbe nitawafunza in the next lesson!</strong>"</p>

This week, a Grade 2 kid learned a new skill and taught her friends. She was motivated to do so because she played games in computer class.

<p>This week, a Grade 2 kid learned a new skill and taught her friends. She was motivated to do so because she played games in computer class.</p>

Self-Efficacy Through Computer Games

Logiri Primary

SuperTux Kart

Self-Efficacy Through Games

<p>During his commencement speech at Augustana, Dick Durban highlight TechLit Africa and its impact in changing the world.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdGVekzVnoY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdGVekzVnoY</a></p>

During his commencement speech at Augustana, Dick Durban highlight TechLit Africa and its impact in changing the world.

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