You've Got Mail

Today I had the honor of teaching a group of learners to use email. As we have all grown attached to the children at Emfundweni, they have grown attached to us as well. To help relieve the strain we are all feeling about our upcoming departure, we created a school email account that the learners can use to keep it contact with us, and us with them. To keep things simple for these beginner computer users, we created one email account for the school and provided the students with the email and password. We then programed all of our names and corresponding emails so that the learners could choose us from a list of contacts. They were instructed to put their name as the subject for two reasons. One, to insure that they would be sure to attach a name with the email, and second so that they would be able to check for a reply. The learners were receptive to the lesson as they are anxious to learn more about using the computers. As in the US, some learners finished before others. It was nice to see that the learners who finished early, took responsibility for helping those who needed extra help. It is always nice to see the enthusiasm these children have for learning and their willingness to help others. The school was given these computers through the Umbuntu Education Fund. They are a great resource and an asset to the school. Unfortunately, many of the teachers are not comfortable using them. Therefore, they are often not used by the students as the valuable educational resource that they are. In comparison to students in the US, these learners are far behind in technology. This puts them at a great disadvantage in the ever changing career fields of the 21st century. It is a drop in the bucket to teach these students to use email, but a start none the less. One can only hope that these learners can continue to expand on this knowledge and grow to use the computer as a tool for expanding knowledge and growth.