WikiEducator:First Community Council Elections/Vincent Kizza

Welcome to my campaign page!

My name is Vincent Kizza, a secondary school science educator in Kampala Uganda.

Although I am new to WikiEducator, I no doubt see it as a timely, appropriate and wonderful way to bridge the gap that so profoundly exists between the haves and have nots in my part of the world, which, other wise, seems an insurmountable task through minimising the constraints such as limited access to high quality education content.

My big dream is to use WE to erect a platform where people of my country can have an opportunity to study and read science in their local languages, in the context of their African cultures and environment.

Profile statement
I have a profound interest and desire to improve the state of science teaching and learning in my country and Africa in general so that it is much better that what I went through, for this reason and others, I perceive WE as the God given opportunity towards this goal. I am the ICT coordinator for my school responsible for both teacher and student ICT skill development and also ICT curriculum integration where I have spearheaded a lot of ICT initiatives including setting up a local digital library.

In pursuance of the above, I am an ICT Teacher Trainer/Instructor with SchoolNet Uganda,a body under the Ministry of education that deals in nationwide promotion of the use of ICT in education,with a paticular bias towards science,where we have set up a Uganda Digital source Bank

I have also participated as presenter on numerous ICT sensitization and skills building workshops for Education administrators nationwide.

I have also been trained as E-learning Content Developer in our local University of Makerere.

International exposure
I have presented at International conferences, the latest being a paper on Deliberate introduction of education technology planning in educational institutions at the e-Learning Africa conference in Accra, Ghana. (eLA Ghana, May 2008) I also attended eLearning Africa conference 2007, Nairobi,Kenya.

I am also a contributer in the eLA online magazine, my latest article being Towards a different ICT pedagogy for Africa.

Online open content
Together with other educators under the umbrella of SchoolNet Uganda, we have put up pointers to relevant online content and past papers in all subjects that is freely available to all educators and students.

Project based science learning
I have started at my school an initiative, where students do science projects as a way round our largely content based curriculum to a skill based one.

Status: Presently only a small number of the students are involved because of cost constraints as we encourage all stakeholders to join in.

Girl science education through ICT
I am also part of a project as lead trainer in promoting science education for girls under SchoolNet Uganda

Status: On going with a two(2) science holiday camps organised.

Lobby Work
I use every opportunity to popularise WE in my country among the community. The latest being a presentation on behalf of Uganda National Council of Science and Technology(UNCST) where I participate as a science role model to students.

Science Centre project
I am working tirelessly to establish a place, called a science centre where students and the community can go and experience science at work.

Status: I am about to complete writing the business plan.

Publications
I am authoring three booklets, namely:- Parent science guide outlining how parents can help to develop interest in their children in science in their children. ICT pedagogy -teachers guide and an Activity pack for physics teachers.I intend at a later date to have all the three accessible in WE.

International cooperation
I'm working with WikiEducator White Eagle in planning a virtual platform for physics teachers in Africa, called Center for innovative physics teaching in Uganda where locals can have an opportunity of learning in their local languages, African cultural context and environment. In particular, I intend to start with Luganda, a most popular language.

Status: Analysis of needs and constraints of school physics in Uganda.

My motivation
I have personally experienced the pains of going through a poor science education that is not skill- based but content based, out –of- date, work place irrelevant and overloaded. Hence producing scientists without a scientific mind and largely devoid of innovation. .

A few years back, when I had learnt about Internet and now WE I am greatly excited about the new possibilities and Intend to be my country’s ambassador to drive the cause.

Therefore I definitely find it necessary to cooperate in the new WikiEducator council.

If I am honoured by your vote, it will be my duty to speak for the most disadvantaged part of the African continent so please vote for me so as to continue with this noble work.

Vincent Kizza

= Questions and Answers= If you have any questions concerning my work or candidacy, please post them here!


 * In what fields of science education in Uganda do you see a particular need for good materials, that could be provided through WikiEducator?--White Eagle 08:41, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the QN.

Fields in which good materials are particularly needed include:
 * 1) Interactive multimedia content in all the sciences:- To address the issue of effective teaching and learning of complex science concepts and lack of science text books.
 * 2) Simulations for experiments:- This addresses the issue of lack of and high cost of apparatus especially in chemistry.
 * 3) Providing skills to teachers on the process of science inquiry that results in technological innovation.


 * What kind of possibilities for cooperation do you see for SchoolNet Uganda and WikiEducator?--White Eagle 08:41, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks again White eagle for this QN.

Areas of coperation could be:
 * 1) Teachers proffessional development.
 * 2) Setting up a community of practice where the teachers can exchange ideas and experiences.
 * 3) Skills in technology planning.

User:Vkizza

Confirmation of Nomination

 * --White Eagle 09:59, 24 July 2008 (UTC)
 * --FatF 16:09, 24 July 2008 (UTC)