NTC Kaliro embarks on empowering lecturers with ICT skills
- Posted by Martin Okoed
- Posted in NTC News
Lecturers doing practical work
National Teachers’ College, Kaliro is embarking on equipping lecturers with ICT skills so that they remain competitive in the 21st century, the Principal has said.
“This workshop is one of those in a series organized by our ICT section to empower you with ICT skills relevant for this information age,” said Principal, Mr. Iraalya Bakamya, while opening a Microsoft Excel workshop recently.
Mr. Francis Otai (Dean of Students) represented Mr. Iraalya who was unable to make it to the workshop because he was out of station on official duty.
“We cannot provide quality teacher education responsive to local, national and international needs without honing our ICT skills,” he added.
He further said that trainings in ICT are crucial in the modern world because ICT skills are almost mandatory.
“Mr. Iraalya, our substantive Principal, has always told us ‘send… [the report] to my email…’ It is not for nothing. He’s encouraging us to be competitive in the 21st century,’” he said.
“Soon the Registrar’s office will say ‘we want things…coursework marks…in softcopy; send by email,’” he warned, “So if you are not abreast with these skills, you will be [not only] at a loss [but between a hard surface and the rock]!”
He strongly urged participants to seek assistance from the facilitator as much as possible; without shame. “Shame only belongs to the ignorant,” he said, “Make the best use of Martin who is cascading knowledge and skills he has gained from our development partners– Enabel and UNESCO.”
Meanwhile, Martin Okoed, lecturer in-charge of ICT said that the workshop was a response to a survey conducted last year on staff priority areas for ICT training.
“According to the survey, pedagogy staff urgently need immediate training in this order: Microsoft Excel (38%),” he said, “followed by Microsoft PowerPoint and Effective Use of the Internet (23%), Microsoft Word (12%) and Microsoft Access (4%).”
He further made it clear to participants that the training could not be conducted immediately after the survey because he had to prepare and test the training materials ahead of the workshops.
The purpose of the Microsoft Excel workshop was to impart knowledge and skills to participants on how to: convert students’ marks rapidly using formulas and functions, present data in charts, sort and filter data. More than half of the teaching staff attended the workshop.