Country: United Kingdom

Organization: CawdNet at Fantsuam Foundation

3) Strategy Summary:
Teachers in rural Nigeria are being required to become computer literate and to add ICTs to the curriculum. However many schools do not have computers or electricity. How can rural teachers and their pupils be included in the benefits of the Internet's "connected community"? The "Teachers Talking" training course enlisted the help of volunteers who have easy Internet access. The teachers and volunteers all join the same Internet "yahoo group", which means that they can communicate easily. The volunteers learn about the teachers' information needs, and they work together. The support group enables the teachers to access the Internet (via cyber cafes) in a more cost effective way and to feel genuinely part of the connected community.

4) How the Strategy Works:
1. Assess community needs In Nigeria there is government pressure for teacher to become computer literate. In Oke-Ogun teachers expressed their need to become computer literate during a needs analysis. It was conducted through the Oke-Ogun Community Development Network (OCDN) InfoCentre at Ago-Are. In Kafanchan, teachers who had links with Fantsuam Foundation (FF) were asking to "learn computer". FF and OCDN work together as they are both part of the CawdNet network. 2. Respond Some help was gradually given to teachers through ordinary ICT training courses, but CawdNet wanted to do something better - something designed to suit the teachers' needs. The first Teachers Talking course was the result. The course was planned specifically for rural teachers. It recognizes their situation regarding poor access to computers, lack of resources in schools, no electricity etc. It therefore includes practical work that is computer- free. Much of the training takes place in a typical school, using only blackboard and chalk, pencils and paper, and simulations. Practical sessions teaching children (and observed by fellow course members) are also part of the course. See photo at http://teacherstalking.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/Teache rsTalkingCourse Use of the Internet and an introduction to the Teachers Talking groups was another key part of the course. The organizers wanted the teachers to have hands-on computer experience in a meaningful and relevant way. They also wanted it to be a way that could continue after the course was over. As many teachers have no hope of getting a computer, and as cyber cafes are gradually moving closer to the rural areas, it seemed most realistic to focus on Internet use. However, Internet access is expensive and the connections are slow. Training people to simply "access the Internet" would be insufficient. They would need some kind of ongoing relationship with people who could support them. Such people could use the Internet on behalf of the teachers between their visits to the cyber caf . The supporters could do searches, provide advice, and generally be supportive. Sometimes they might even be online while teachers were online. During the course the teachers would join the Teachers Talking yahoo group and revisit ti several times. They would get an insight into what it means to be "part of the connected community". Some of them might genuinely be inspired to continue accessing the group after the course, with all the potential benefits that could enable. That is the way it was planned for Fantsuam. However teaches can be introduced to the TT group in whatever way suits the local situation. Joining the groups need not be part of a wider course. In Ago-Are there are ideas about doing some individual sessions where teachers are simply helped to join Teachers Talking, then the group will log on to the Internet and explore the Wiki together with the help of a trainer/facilitator. The potential facilitator, Muji Lawal, has been a member of TT since near the start of the group, so she has seen the Wiki develop. It will be part of the session to email new questions to the TT group and to check for answers next time. 3. Prepare the Internet support group The support group was initiated by CAWD (a UK charity, also part of CawdNet). A yahoo group was set up on the Internet, by Pam McLean. CawdNet friends and "virtual colleagues" were invited to join. The support group started to plan the course and collect up resources and Internet links that could be useful. These were put on a Wiki http://teacherstalking.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/WebHom e Other organisations and individual teachers are welcome to join the group. Anyone interested in doing something similar is welcome to contact us to rub brains . The more advance planning that can be done the better. 4. Organise the teachers Kazanka Comfort and John Dada of Fantsuam Foundation made all the arrangement for the course. Teachers were informed and selected through Fantsuam's existing community network, related to its work as a micro-credit bank. Courses can be arranged as best suits local circumstances. For the initial TT course the online work was done at Fantsuam's learning centre. Where there is no local centre connected to the Internet, it might be possible to make an arrangement with the nearest cyber cafe. 5. Introduce the teachers to the Teachers Talking group CawdNet introduced the original teachers as part of a wider course, but any approach is possible depending on local skills and circumstances. Do what suits. Don t worry if you feel uncertain of how things will go. You will have back up from the TT group. Explain to the teachers that you are all in this together to learn, get their agreement that you are working as a team, then enjoy it!

5) Key Strategy Elements:

i. Mobilizing Citizen Support:
The support group was set up through personal invitations sent out to people know to the course organizers. The invitations were yahoo groups invitations sent out by email. The support group that has been set up is an ongoing group, which is continuing to attract new volunteers. Internet groups know no national boundaries. There would be no need for other teacher training initiatives to set up their own support groups, unless they had a particular desire to do so. They would be welcome to become members of the existing Teachers Talking group.

ii. Generating Financial and Nonfinancial Resources:
It is more a case of adding value through intangibles (access to more information, professional development, teachers self-image, school and community awareness of the potential of ICTs etc) rather than generating financial resources. However resources are being generated in terms of information collected and the increasingly effective ways it is being presented.

iii. Establishing Relationships with Strategic Partnerships:
The group was originally set up in order to support the teachers. Initially people were invited who were know to have some kind of relevant active interest and who were active on other Internet groups. However it has become evident that some people have joined the group to observe and learn from it, rather than to contribute. Informal emails point to the possibility of future strategic partnerships as a result.

iv. Engaging and Managing Volunteers:
The first volunteers were invited individually. Subsequently there were "friends of friends" and people who have "heard" through the Internet "grapevine". The group is not listed on yahoo, but word Is spreading about it. Potential members simply go the homepage http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CawdTeachersTalking/ and ask to join. The moderator accepts or rejects the request, possibly having asked for additional information first. The moderator can easily remove any member from the list should the need arise. There is no specific requirement or level of involvement expected from group members, so no real need to "manage" them. They respond as and when they wish to, and there are sufficient active members for the group to work.

v. Developing Information and Spreading the Message:
Through yahoo there is an archive of the emails exchanged by the group, plus some files and photos. There is also a Wiki, which is a kind of online store cupboard of information and resources - dynamic and increasing. Teachers who have attended the course are enthusiastic and therefore have been asked to share information about it amongst their colleagues and amongst possible sponsors of future courses. (Teachers do pay a course fee, but not sufficient to fully cover the costs.) The course organizers are also beginning to promote the TT course and group through personal contacts and by writing about it.

6) Increasing Self-sufficiency and Social Impact:
Social impact is wide. We work with various Special Interest Groups: Education, Health, Agriculture, Women, Youth, etc. What we learn about human and technical issues by running the teachers support group will be applied to other groups. Regarding self sufficiency there are two elements because this is genuinely an information age project. In a real way "information barter" is our main currency. Many people contribute their knowledge and skills freely in return for various "information" rewards: interest, intellectual challenges, new skills etc. Regarding "normal financial transactions" and self sufficiency, we have complementary projects involving traditional training and we intend to develop related Open and Distance Learning materials.

8) Organization Mission and Vision:
CawdNet enables personal and community development . We see systems evolving which can provide new opportunities for formal and informal education. We want to help widen access to those opportunities, especially amongst underserved groups in Africa

Looking Forward to the Next Three Years:
The citizen base on the Internet is likely to increase because contributing to a group like this is an interesting and satisfying activity. The content areas covered will increase beyond education. (Apologies for not respondng properly to optional questions because of time constraints)

Contact Information:
Pamela  McLean
CawdNet at Fantsuam Foundation
CAWD,PO Box 321, Bromley, BR1 1UB,
United Kingdom
Tel: (+44) 20 8402 6344 Mobile 07930 354186
Fax: By arrangement
Email: pam.mclean@ntlworld.com
Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CawdTeachersTalking/