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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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School Lead Educator

<h2>A Surprise Request</h2><blockquote>As a teacher, I listened carefully.</blockquote><p>At then end of one lesson this week, an eleven year old girl by the name Immaculate, a grade 3 student,&nbsp;decided to see me one on one. She wanted to talk with me in person. As a teacher, I listened to her carefully. She&nbsp;said "<strong>Mr Sule why if we enter in the computer lab we see already the computers are powered on? So my request as student of Mnazi Mmoja, I need to know how to connect the CPU and the Monitor.</strong>"</p><h2>Learning How Things Work</h2><blockquote>I think we have a hacker in the making.</blockquote><p>I was really really excited. I am happy that the kids are now moving from wanting to just know how to use the machines to wanting to understand the connection and what makes them powered on. I think it's time we move from letting them come to class and find the devices already powered on to showing them what really keeps the computer on. I think we have a hacker in the making.</p>

Surprise Request from Grade 3 Student to Learn How Computers Work | Connecting Components and Powering On | Student Curiosity from Digital Literacy Classes

<p>This week, a grade 3 student had a surprise request for me. I listened carefully and was surprised by her curiosity. I think we have a hacker in the making.</p>

A Hacker In The Making at Mnazi Mmoja Primary

Mnazi Mmoja

<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

A Hacker In The Making

<h2>Specialists Graduating</h2><p>ingLast term, our computer programming educator, Evanso, graduated to another role. He was one of our most promising specialists, carefully understanding what students need and always finding new teaching methods. He is now an IT teacher at a public school called Ol-Rongai, which means he has all the benefits of a government job and can work with the same students every day.</p><h2>In Need of An Educator</h2><p>So this week, I decided to take over Evanso’s role as TechLit’s computer programming educator while we choose and train someone to fill his shoes. My week of teaching began at Dreams Hills, a private school 30 minutes from Mogotio. Dreams Hills is a challenging school to start with because they are much busier than many of TechLit’s member schools.</p><h2>A Passion for Coding</h2><p>I have been programming computers for most of my life, and have worked professionally at many companies. In all of that time, I have only become more passionate about code and crafting software. My passion for the creative potential of technology and the leverage it gives people is why I’m building TechLit.</p><h2>Learning The Basics</h2><p>This week I’ve shared my passion with hundreds of students at Dreams Hills, and I think it caught on. Students from class 3, 4, 5 and 6 started their journey with programming this week with me. I explained the potential of computer programming, and how they can learn the basics with Scratch, a block-based programming app built for kids.</p><h2>Unlimited Potential</h2><p>Soon these students will all be creating projects of their own. This week they only had 20 minutes each to practice combining blocks of code, and so they only made a basic animation. But in the next few weeks, they will have enough time to make games and see their visions come to life.</p>

Filling In As Coding Specialist, Teaching Scratch In Primary Schools | Students Learn To Code With Motivated Teacher

<p>This week, I filled in as our coding specialist. Teaching at Dreams Hills primary school, I was reminded of how much I enjoy computer programming. All the students I worked with will soon be able to code on their own.</p>

Teaching Coding in Dreams Hills Primary

<p>Irene Jebungei is our school lead educator in Chepyuan Primary School.</p>

<h2>Learning From Intrinsic Inspiration</h2><p>Titus is a Class 7 student in Chepyuan. He was very excited about Vectors (Graphic Design). In previous classes, he combined different shapes with different colours. Today, he came to class with a goal: to draw a map of Kenya.</p><h2>Mastery Experiences With Peers</h2><p>His map of Kenya turned out pretty good. After applying different colors and labeling the map, everyone came to see his work. His classmates were all amazed, and l was impressed too. He was really focused during class and it showed in his work.</p><h2>Improved Self-Efficacy</h2><p>After finishing the lesson, Titus told me that he wanted to come during his games period to make another design. When he came later on between classes, he told me that he wanted to become an artist when he grows up. The computer classes have really changed his perspective in life.</p>

Class 7 Student in Chepyuan Primary Focuses in Computer Class to Draw a Map of Kenya and Believes He Can Become An Artist

<p>A Class 7 student in my school has been very focused during computer class. This week, he became the star pupil in his class, and began believing that he could be an artist when he grows up.</p>

Improved Self-Efficacy From Digital Skills

Chepyuan Primary

Inkscape

Graphic Design

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

<h2>Internet Skills Specialty</h2><p>Social is one of our specialties at Techlit Africa. In Social, kids are taught on how to create to&nbsp;create their own passwords and also to save their work in the internet <em>(but in a local, offline version of the internet so they are safe)</em>.</p><h2>Creating Anything</h2><p>Marion is a Grade 3 kid in Zawadi. She really likes Inkscape <em>(also a specialty in TechLit Africa)</em>. She likes drawing very much, and inn Inkscape, she can draw anything she wants.</p><h2>Securely Saving Artwork</h2><p>During her free time, Marion comes to draw what she wants and upload her work. She is so happy that social was introduced because she has her own password and all her drawings are kept safe there.</p>

Grade 3 Student Learns Internet Accounts and Security Through Saving Specialty Projects Creative Artwork | Effective Digital Skills Lessons

<p>We have a student called Marion in Grade 3 at Zawadi Academy. She really likes to create art in Inkscape, and now that she has her own account and password on our local, offline internet  program called Social, she can securely save her artwork.</p>

Internet Security With Specialty Projects

Zawadi Yetu

Internet Security

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

<h2>Kevin Recalls Early TechLit</h2><p>This week my story comes from the kid by the name Kevin. Kevin, one of my grade 5 students, shocked me by keeping memories from the day he started to attend the lab. He remembers those days when we had fewer programs at the computers.</p><p>In Kiswahili, he reminded me “<strong>unakumbuka tukiwa tunafanya touch typing kila wakati?</strong> <em>(do you remember when we were doing the touch typing all the time?)</em>" Students used to learn computer basics, then immediately started with Touch-Typing.</p><h2>Games, Basics and Touch-Typing</h2><p>Kevin then compared those days with our new curriculum. "<strong>Siku iyo si kama sai hatuboeki, saa hii kuna programme nyingi sana</strong> <em>(those days are not like nowadays we were boring but nowadays we are lucky to have more program)</em>”. He continued to remind me of the time he could see many teachers, three or four teachers teaching them only SuperTux and Touch-Typing.</p><h2>Learning To Learn with Specialties</h2><p>We had conversations with Kevin for about 5 minutes comparing those days to now. He told me how to now students improve by learning a lot of programs. He explained the benefits of learning video production, music production, graphic design and coding. I was so impressed to hear that even the students notice our improvement.</p>

A Grade 5 Student from Mogotio Primary Recalls Computer Lessons Before TechLit Africa's Specialty Educators - Video Production, Audio Production, Graphic Design and Coding vs. Games, Basics and Touch-Typing

<p>Today Kevin, one of my Grade 5 students, reminded me of computer classes before we taught specialties. “<strong>Unakumbuka tukiwa tunafanya touch typing kila wakati?</strong> <em>(do you remember when we were doing the touch typing all the time?)</em>"</p>

Grade 5 Student Recalls TechLit Before Specialties

Mogotio Primary

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

Specialist Educator

<h2>The Magic of Specialty Projects</h2><p>We teach specialty subjects in TechLit classes to inspire students to create with computers and discover their passions. The specialty that I teach is Graphic Design, where students use Inkscape vector editor to create different designs from their own ideas.</p><h2>Jepkemoi Leads Her Class</h2><p>Jepkemoi, a fourth grader showed great interest during design classes. She's been the best throughout from the very first time I did introduction. She's been guiding her fellow students.</p><h2>Expressing Self-Efficacy</h2><p>On her previous lesson she designed a car. She said that she will buy her mother and herself one when she finishes school.</p>

Designing a Car and Sharing a Vision of the Future | Grade 4 Student Shaping Her Worldview Through Computer Classes

<p>A Grade 4 student, Jepkemoi, has been leading her class every time I come to teach Graphic Design. This week, she designed a car and explained how she will buy one for her mother and herelf when she finished school.</p>

Self-Efficacy through Graphic Design | TechLit Africa

Saint Mary's

Self-Efficacy through Graphic Design

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

<h2>Learning Internet Skills</h2><p>Internet skills is one of the specialties we teach in TechLit Africa. Social accounts being one of the skills whereby I create accounts for the students using their names as usernames and passwords. They are able to save and upload their work.</p><h2>Sharing With Friends</h2><p>Having taught grade five north in the morning on how to open their&nbsp;accounts and the importance of remembering their passwords, Lameck, a fifth grader, then showed his classmate Luck on how to open his account since he had missed the first lesson.</p>

We Teach Internet Skills in Computer Classes Now. A Grade 5 Student - Lameck - Taught His Friend How  To Use Internet Accounts To Save Projects

<p>We've started teaching Internet Skills in TechLit computer classes. Social is the program students use to save their work on the local internet. This week, a Grade 5 student taught his friend how to use his account, because his friend missed class.</p>

Learning Internet Skills ~ TechLit Africa

Social

Learning Internet Skills

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

<h2>Oriana Loves Videos</h2><p>Oriana, a Grade 5, Group B student, in Saint Mary's seems to love video production so much. Every time she entered the lab, she opened OpenShot, our video editing application, by herself. I have been seed her do this several classes in a raw, which is a record for video production.</p><h2>Becoming Well-Rounded</h2><p>I wanted her to gain in all lessons, so I told her the importance of the other lessons like Audio Production, Coding and Graphic Design. I did not want her to be left behind in other lesson that could also be useful.</p><p>After I told her the importance of other subjects, she promised to become more well-rounded, which is perfect. The next class I will be coaching and observing to make sure she has not been left behind and she balances all&nbsp;the lessons.</p>

A 5th grader in Saint Mary's really likes video production. Every time she comes to computer class, she immediately opens OpenShot, our video editing application. I'm advising her to become well-rounded, because I'm worried she'll be left behind in other subjects.

<p>A 5th grader in Saint Mary's really likes video production. Every time she comes to computer class, she immediately opens OpenShot, our video editing application. I'm advising her to become well-rounded, because I'm worried she'll be left behind in other subjects.</p>

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