Academically, we are encouraged to take an interest in current affairs and innovative ideas that are changing the world. We often hear about pioneering things that members of our community are doing but it is not often that we are part of these movements ourselves.
Since 2017, some of us Sixth Formers have been involved in a life-changing charitable project called the EDCLUB (Encouraging Disadvantaged Children to Learn Using Broadband) Movement where we skype with children in Kenya to improve their learning and make valuable friendships.
An eye opening experience
EDCLUB is extremely eye-opening and allows us to develop relationships with children who come from a completely different culture to our own. It is really fun helping these children and there is nothing quite like hearing that we have played a small part in helping to change someone’s life. For example, one child, Dennis, has been accepted into secondary school making him the first child in his family to do so and is virtually unheard of in his wider community.
As future leaders, it is important that we start changing our perceptions of what teaching and learning involves.
Typical conversations vary from questions about prime numbers and fractions to photosynthesis and the purpose of muscles. We have discussed everything from the pyramids in Egypt to the Tower of London, the Solar System to Donald Trump’s presidency.
They genuinely like any question we give them as they really love learning things. It is incredibly satisfying when they reply with the right answer. We also quiz them and, by sharing our screens, we show them educational videos.
We don’t just talk to them about school based subjects either because it is not our role to replace their teachers so we often spend time asking them about first aid, their rights and internet safety.
What EDCLUB has shown us is that children, irrespective of their backgrounds, are naturally inquisitive and that to encourage this natural instinct is the best way for them to learn.
Technology can change lives
EDCLUB shows us how modern technology can be used to make a difference in people’s lives, even by using things that we take for granted. It has shown how by providing people with just the very basic computing facilities, it is possible to learn almost anything because they have the will and the curiosity.
Perhaps this will be the future of education. Maybe in the future children will learn over the internet and through social media in a way that we cannot fully imagine now. After all 15 years ago there were no iPhones, Skype, Facetime, Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram. What tools will there be another 15 years from now?
There is nothing quite like hearing that we have played a small part in helping to change someone's life.
Technology has the power to change people’s lives for the better and it is wrong to think that it is only the computer geniuses at Apple and Microsoft who can do this. The simple idea of making a computer accessible in a street has started to make a tangible difference to people’s lives.
As future leaders, it is important that we start changing our perceptions of what teaching and learning involves.
