Sustainable 21st Century Learning Initiative
Every classroom can be a 21st century classroom!
CyberSmart Africa currently works in four regional/rural elementary and middle schools in two administrative regions, plus one after-school, informal education learning environment for girls.
Tech lite: We use equipment than will operate in every school—even those with a physical infrastructure that would never ordinarily support 21st century learning—particularly including those with less security, and where light can be seen through the ceiling. CyberSmart Africa has implemented a highly innovative and cost-effective approach for whole-class instruction utilizing an adapted, low-cost interactive whiteboard configuration. We also use digital 'Smartpens' to facilitate personalized learning interventions and small video cameras to facilitate digital storytelling.
Pedagogy: We encourage an active and engaging learner-centered classroom where students assume the responsibility for learning and the teacher plays the role of facilitator. ICT skills are learned while supporting standards-based instructional strategies that enhance core content classroom learning.
Training and support: After an initial training, teachers participate in ongoing, supportive professional learning communities. They create, adapt, observe, and improve lessons at a local, grassroots level.
Sustainability: The focus is on building a self-supporting 21st century instructional capacity with a minimum fixed ICT infrastructure investment.
Scalability: Our growth model is designed for large-scale implementation. School-based teacher learning communities connect, share knowledge, and benefit from scale as learning materials and experiences are shared among larger quantities of participants. Our minimal and low-cost technology infrastructure allows for rapid growth and ongoing improvement.