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

Founder & COO

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

Specialist Educator

We teach graphic design with a vector editor called Inkscape. Vector editors like Inkscape and Adobe Illustrator have too many features to teach in one class. Now I’m introducing students to the bezier tool. The bezier tool is how you normally make curves, but you can also use it to trace images.I try to teach students new things in a way that’s motivating to them. So when I teach the bezier tool, I first demonstrate how to trace a picture of a teddy bear with the bezier tool. Then I ask the students what they would like to trace.In one of our schools, Zawadi Yetu, there is a 5th grader named Brian Ogutu. Ogutu’s favorite cartoon character is called Ghekko. Ogutu says that Ghekko is his favorite because he’s brave and strong.So in graphics class today, Ogutu found a picture of Ghekko on google. After pasting it into his Inkscape working space, he traced his favorite cartoon character using the bezier tool. By the end of class, he had created a really nice drawing.

Learning Bezier Curves in Zawadi Yetu - Specialist Educator Irene Sheey Teaches Relatable Digital Skills

Zawadi students traced pictures of their favorite cartoon characters this week. They are learning use the bezier tool, which is how vector graphics are created.

Learning Bezier Curves in Zawadi Yetu

Zawadi Yetu

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.

CEO | CNN Hero | Forbes Under 30

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.

Classroom Stories | TechLit Africa

Stories From The Classroom

Inkscape

Graphic Design

Allan is a photographer, journalist and the founder of KE Media. With TechLit he inspires students with his passion for video production. Students learn to use video editing software with Allan.

Graphic design is one of our specialties at Techlit Africa.Kelvin, a 5th grader at Zawadi Yetu Academy, surprised me today when he told me that that day he was going to lead the class.Kelvin took over the class and taught graphic design to grade one kids. I was so surprised that he knew how to deliver the concept well. He demonstrated each step so well.I realized that all the kids taught by kelvin understood and created nice just as they were shown by kelvin.

Student Teacher in Zawadi Yetu | TechLit Africa

5th Grader in Zawadi Yetu teaches his class how to use new computer applications. His instructions clear enough that his class understood him.

Student Teacher in Zawadi Yetu

Lucy is our internet skills and touchtyping specialist.

Word document specialty focuses on introducing students to common text formatting options available in word processing apps.Joy, a fourth grader in Mogotio primary came in with her project written on a piece of paper. The project was a designed birthday invitation card which she had drawn during their previous class.After introducing word documents, she went ahead to do her project. She typed the invitation letter and wrote the subject in bold. Then she used a watermark: ‘birthday.’ She then decorated it and saved her work.Everyone in the class was amazed and they were going to joy to consult.she took over the class to teach word document.

First Digital Letter in Mogotio Primary | TechLit Africa

A fourth grader in Mogotio Primary wrote her first digital letter this week.

Mogotio Primary

LibreOffice Writer

Document Editing

First Digital Letter in Mogotio Primary

School Lead Educator

Zubeda is a 3-year-old student in Mombasa Primary school. Zubeda was so excited to be in computer class that she remembered when all their lessons were scheduled. Zubeda knew that they had a lesson at 11:00 AM on Wednesday.So, on Wednesday this week, Zubeda’s teacher left her class alone for a moment to go and take tea. When she returned, the students were gone!It turns out that Zubeda had come to me to check if they indeed had a lesson at 11:00 AM that day. She returned a few minutes later with her fellow students.After searching the school for the missing class, Zubeda’s teacher found them in the computer lab. She was so relieved!

Zubeda's Class Arrives On Time - Suleiman Primary School Lead Educator Teaches Young Students

A 3-year-old was so excited to have a computer lesson that she led her fellow students to the computer class while their teacher was out. Their teacher was so surprised that they weren't in their class when she returned from a short break!

Zubeda's Class Arrives On Time

Mombasa Primary

NASA interns have held remote classes with students at Zawadi Yetu Mogotio. Often it starts with a brief overview of the NASA's use of a specific technology followed by an activity where the break into rooms each room lead by a NASA intern.Each time, the students have asked their lead NASA intern if they have been to space. On our most recent, they covered what it takes to go to space, who has gone to space and how to go space.Students had a lot of questions<ol><li>Bowen asked Can a kid go to space? </li><li>Sammy asked Can you bring your own food to space?</li><li>Ogutu asked Is there internet in space?</li><li>Toto asked Is there light and darkness in space?</li></ol>The students were so happy have their questions answered. The next day during class they all sketched rockets on inkscape.Kelvin <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d3EEzgYkU_M" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">even said</a><blockquote>When I grow up, I am going to buy a rocket and explore space. Here is my rocket that I have designed</blockquote><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zzjp0Q508gw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sammy said</a><blockquote>I want to thank Nelly, TechLit and NASA for teaching us about space. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't know that space doesn't have gravity.</blockquote>These sessions with NASA have really open our students horizons. Thank you Herb and Team.

NASA interns held an Inkscape activity with Zawadi Yetu Mogotio students. They started the class with explaining the journey to space followed by student drawing their own rockets. The student also asked very intriguing questions about space.

Interns at NASA held an Inkscape activity with Zawadi Yetu Mogotio students. They started the class with explaining the journey to space followed by student drawing their own rockets. The student also asked very intriguing questions about space.

NASA Inkscape Activity | TechLit Africa

NASA Inkscape Activity

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.

Inkscape is one of the specialties in Techlit Africa.This is where artists practice their talent's using various shapes,spirals and different colours to draw and sketch all kinds of shapes.Victor Lokaman, a grade 6B kid since vectors class was introduced to them, he was so cooperative and ready to learn new ideas. Artist being his dream career,he was lucky enough to practice using inkscape techniques.During holiday break he used A6 exercise book to drew a very attractive pictures having a plan to transfer it to practical during his inkscape lesson.Here some of his pictures.I was so impressed to see his progress and passion.I believe next time he will do marvelous and colourful designs.

Aspiring Artist at Barina Primary | Classroom Stories

Victor Lokaman is a 6th grader at Barina primary school. He dreams of one day becoming a professional artist.

Barina Primary

Aspiring Artist at Barina Primary

Mose is the school lead educator in Barrina Primary.

At Logiri&nbsp;primary school, kids are showing a lot of improvement since resuming&nbsp;computer lessons. After a short review, the kids to remember the lessons they had before holiday.Now we're introducing projects, to expand the skills that kids are learning on the computer. An&nbsp;example project is drawing a house and making a budget. Using vector graphics, we start by drawing a house, and then we use spreadsheets to balance and calculate the cost.Purity Kigen, a grade four girl, drew a good plan for a three classroom school block. Her plan even included deputy and headteacher offices. She has hope that before the weekend, she will do everything, including budgeting the cost and drawing the actual block. She's using both vector graphics and spreadsheets!

Student Architects in Logiri Primary | TechLit Africa

Students in Logiri Primar school are doing an architecture project. They create a vector of plan their school layout in Inkscape, then create a construction budget spreadsheet with LibreOffice Calc.

Logiri Primary

LibreOffice Calc

Student Architects in Logiri Primary

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

Schools in Kenya just returned from a short holiday. Over break, we came up with new styles of teaching to help students learn better. I told my students to come up with a simple project. Everyone in class was to come up with their own ideas.Most students drew things they had already drawn before, like trees and houses. Oriana, a 5th grader, drew a beautiful landscape. Because she was the first student to draw something like that, other students really admired her work.The other students were asking her, “how did you do that?” Oriana promised to teach them how to draw landscapes in their next lesson.

Beautiful Landscape from Saint Mary's Student | TechLit Africa

Oriana, a 5th grader in Saint Mary's school, drew a beautiful landscape and inspired the rest of her class to be more creative. Next class, they will be taking notes.

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