2021 and the year before have been a rough time for many teachers including us who teach ICT. The fact that you are reading this article is testimony that despite all the trials and tribulations of the lock down, we are are in a new year. I also want to assume that we are battle hardened and now come out of this stronger, better and more resilient. Happy New Year comrade in the profession.
A moment of silence to our fallen comrades
This year, we lost 2 of our colleagues. Wanda Solomon a young and energetic teacher at Masaba SS passed away on 30th September 2021 and was buried on 2nd October. A few months before that, Yateesa David a teacher at Kiira College Butiki was pronounced dead on the 28th of March at Nsambya Hospital. You can find a tribute I wrote to Yateesa in this article, Yateesa David – Gone Too Soon!
What next in 2022?
Comrade, the finest brick is the one that went through the hottest furnace. In one way or another, the covid pandemic must have made us better teachers. We now know better how to protect ourselves from the virus and are supposed to be ambassadors at our schools and the communities that we serve.
If there is one skill that I have gained during the pandemic, it is the proficiency to teach remotely. I learnt that our influence as teachers can go far beyond the four walls without breaking the bank or moving out of the standard classroom. Edify -Uganda, an NGO and ITAU EdTech partner was the most influential in grooming hundreds of teachers in education technologies and seeing schools take the leap from analog to digital approaches to Education. In fact, it is because of our experience in Edify projects that I, together with Ogwal Isaac and Nangoma Druscilla rose up to the occasion and birthed senior1.org.
We look forward to our physical workshops as ITAU. Preparations to have our CDW at Trinity College Nabbingo were halted when schools were inevitably closed. When there was some relief, we chanced to attend one in Muntuyera High School. It is my hope that this year is kind on us so that we can continue with our projects, workshops and get togethers.
It is upon us to reflect back on the last 2 years, pick lessons and use them to better ourselves and the schools we serve. The skills we acquired in digital pedagogy, EdTech, elearning, name it are supposed to propel us to the next level as teachers and also make us resourceful in the schools we teach.
We should by now have learnt not to 100% rely on our bosses for our livelihood and future. We should use our skills as teachers of ICT to build side hustles that can take care of us during eventualities that we have no control over. While many of us stayed loyal to our schools, directors are now sending out calls for applications. In this, many of our colleagues are back on the streets looking for jobs.
Like all social groups, the last year had many of us exchange demeaning words and tempers flaring which even made some people leave the groups. This is a new year and we should put the past behind us, reconcile and remember why we came together as ITAU.
Together Against Computer Illiteracy – Happy New Year ITAU!
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Stephen Dumba is the National Coordinator of the ICT Teachers’ Association of Uganda. Besides teaching ICT, he repairs computers and builds websites. Steve is a speaker and facilitator at tech events and and CEO of senior1.org and a consultant on education technology.
Tel: +256 772 111 223 | +256 752 111 223 | Email: [email protected]
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