Sukirti Manandhar – OLE Nepal
E-Paath | E-Pustakalaya

Author: Sukirti Manandhar

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Robot Programming Support in Lalitpur

Lalitpur | November 2022

We launched our robotics program for students in 10 public schools located in Lalitpur Metropolitan City. To assist the teachers in facilitating these workshops, we recruited and trained two interns in robotics. The goal of the program is to encourage students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and to foster a greater interest in computers and innovation. Our Robotics interns are providing support, visiting each school on a periodic basis.

The robotics program that we have consists of six modules. Currently, we’ve completed two modules after the orientation and introduction. The first and second modules taught about light sensors and push buttons, and now we’re preparing to teach the third model, which will oversee line-tracing robots.

The students have shown a lot of enthusiasm and excitement for the robotics program, and have been eager to use the Studuino programming and kits to create their own robots. In the coming quarter, we will continue to offer support to schools, provide teacher training as needed, and supply any necessary materials or kits. We are grateful to our partner KDDI Foundation for their support in making this program possible, as well as to the coordination of Lalitpur Metropolitan City. We believe that this program has the potential to inspire and engage young learners in meaningful ways.

Some photos of the program:

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School Monitoring Visit in Gorkha

Gorkha | October 2022

OLE Nepal and ONGD-FNEL visited two schools in Gorkha that are a part of our laptop program, Baghbhairav Basic School and Dullav Secondary School. The purpose of the visit was to assess the status and effectiveness of the program, as well as its impact on the teaching and learning process.

During the visit, we observed, interacted, and engaged with teachers, students, and parents, and examined the status and use of the devices and digital materials. Based on our observations, it appears that the teachers have successfully integrated digital resources into their daily teaching routines and have adopted a more student-centered approach. The students have also shown improved self-learning skills and reading skills, and seem to be more engaged and motivated by the use of e-learning tools and activities.

Overall, the laptop program and our resources like E-paath have had a positive impact on the teaching and learning process in these schools. The teachers and students have reported significant progress in their abilities and engagement, and we believe that the program has the potential to continue improving education outcomes in the future with updated content.

Some photographs from the visit:

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Teacher Training at Kavre Deaf School

Kavre | May 2022

We completed a five day basic teacher training program on Raspberry Pi (RPi) devices, Nepali Sign Language (NSL) integrated E-Paath and E-Pustakalaya at Shree Kavre Deaf School. Our main objectives were to introduce the teachers to the NSL integrated E-Paath and E-Pustakalaya, and to train them on integrating technology in the classroom. Out of the 13 participating teachers, 3 of them had hearing impairments. 

About the program and the devices

Prior to the teacher training, OLE Nepal’s technical team had set up a computer lab with 15 Raspberry Pi 400 computers and a digital library server. The RPi 400 is a low-cost and low-power computer that is built into a keyboard. It’s the most powerful yet intuitive RPi device so far, and one of the latest technologies that we have deployed. The training was aimed at guiding the teachers on how to use these devices as a part of using technology in their teaching activities.

What we did

During the training, we demonstrated regular and NSL integrated E-Paath and discussed their relationships with the curriculum and textbooks. We conducted a hands-on session that familiarized the teachers with their content. Subsequently, the teachers were asked to present a classroom activity plan using the NSL integrated E-Paath and other digital resources in their everyday routine. Two teachers, including a teacher with hearing impairment, performed a model class each on ICT integrated teaching. The model class was followed by a discussion for improvements in the future.

We had a presentation and discussion on E-Pustakalaya. The teachers explored and got hands-on experience of the content in the digital library. Our training also introduced the teachers to Sanketik Sikai, digital content designed by OLE Nepal to learn Nepali Sign Language. Additionally, we also introduced them to other educational softwares such as TuxMath, My Paint, Gcompris, Scratch and Tux Typing, so they could encourage students to learn math, language and art in interactive and engaging ways. 

Photos of the training:

What we found

As a result of the training, the teachers also gave us some valuable feedback. Many of them suggested that OLE Nepal include other subjects and grades in the NSL E-Paath, along with creating chapters for other grades as well. They also asked us to add more content for Sanketik Sikai as it is very useful for other teachers to learn sign language. Teachers with hearing impairments suggested that these contents could be introduced to other schools for the deaf across the country. 

The training was received well by all of the teachers. We noticed that the teachers with hearing impairments were especially interested in and impressed by the NSL integrated E-Paath as it was their first experience in using NSL integrated content. We believe that the teachers are confident in and committed to implementing the training in their classrooms effectively.

This program was carried out with support from KDDI Foundation, Japan and UNICEF Nepal.

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Training Teachers on Robot Programming

Lalitpur | April 2022

The robotics program was introduced in and conducted in seven schools throughout 2019. Our plans to expand the program had been delayed due to COVID-19, however, we were able to carry it out again following the reopening of schools. In April 2022, we brought the program to three new schools. 

From each of the participating schools, Shramjeet Kishor Secondary School, Shree Shanti Secondary School, and Shree Mahalaxmi Secondary School, three teachers took part in the training. We handed over two Artec Robotic Kits to each school and covered the basics of robot programming. The teachers learned how to program robot cars, collision detectors, block throwers and line tracing robots. 

Photos of the training:

The program was well received by the schools and the teachers were confident that their students would benefit greatly from the robotics program. Other teachers who were in contact with the participating teachers also expressed interest in having the program in their classrooms too. 

The program was conducted in partnership between KDDI Foundation, Japan, Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) and OLE Nepal, with technical support from the Miyagi University of Education, Japan.

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Refresher Teacher Training in Gorkha

Gorkha | April 2022

OLE Nepal completed a teachers’ training on E-Paath integrated teaching-learning at Shree Bagh Bhairab Basic School in Taple, Gorkha. The training, carried out with support from the Rotary Club of Silkeborg Denmark and the Rotary club of Kathmandu, saw participating teachers from two schools: Shree Bagh Bhairab Basic School and Sagun English Boarding School. Our main objective was to develop the teachers’ skills and confidence to use digital lessons in the classroom.

We allocated three days of training on E-Paati, E-Paath lessons, digital library resources  and its pedagogical aspects. We also provided technical support towards the end by updating the E-Paati content and fixing the E-Pustakalaya server network at the school. In order to make the training effective we focused on what the teachers’ previous understanding was and added topics that were relevant and relatable to them. Majority of the participating teachers from Sagun English Boarding School were new and had not received basic training before. To help them catch up, we introduced ICT tools and digital learning materials from the basics. 

Following that, the teachers also practiced on E-Paath and had conversations about the relationship between curriculum, textbooks and E-Paath activities. E-Pustakalaya was also introduced to the teachers with a demonstration on how to download and read books through its offline server. The final day of the training was mainly given to discussing classroom management methods. Two teachers conducted a practice teaching session and were given feedback through group discussions. 

All participants were actively involved in the training, even if some of them were inexperienced with E-Paati laptops. We believe that the teachers can maintain the learnings of the training and recommend that they review their practices among themselves routinely. OLE Nepal will be engaged in follow-up and support visits so that the program is implemented effectively.

We had also conducted an endline survey at Shree Bagh Bhairab Basic School and Sagun English Boarding School a day prior to the training. The endline survey was done to evaluate the users’ learning achievements. We included sets of questions for Math, Science and English for each grade. 

The training was carried out with support from Rotary Club of Silkeborg, Denmark and Rotary club of Kathmandu 

Photos of the training:

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Monitoring and Technical Support Visit to Adarsha Saula Yubak School

Lalitpur | April 2022

OLE Nepal conducted a monitoring and technical support visit in Adarsha Saula Yubak Primary School, Bungamati. Our main objective was to review the computer integrated classes and provide feedback based on the performance, as a follow up to the training program we had conducted in February.

According to our observations, the Nepali Sign Language (NSL) E-Paath classes were being conducted effectively. The teachers were successfully integrating digital resources in their teaching-learning process, and three teachers were incorporating them on a regular basis. In the two classes used by students with hearing impairments, we also observed them to be reading Baal Paathmala books. We did an inspection of the equipment and found that they were being kept safely and that the staff were taking care of them using the resources they had at hand. 

To aid with the NSL teaching process, the teachers had produced a few methods such as regularly keeping a record book and introducing classroom rules through charts with images. 

They also had a process of logging any issues encountered in the E-Paaths and the NSL teaching process. They found that some signs used in our chapters are different from what they were familiar with.

As an outcome of the visit, we made some suggestions to the teachers to help them more in their teaching-learning process. We encouraged them to use digital resources as much as possible. Additionally, we advised them to teach each class separately when teaching from the computers as the E-Paath levels varied according to the grades and subjects.

Photos from the visit:

Overall, we found that the teachers were very committed to and involved in the process. They shared that our E-Paath and other interactive activities have been especially helpful for them in the teaching-learning process. They added that our content has not only been supportive for the teachers, but it has motivated the students equally too. The students were now more willing to learn through their computers than in a regular classroom setting. They were grasping the materials quicker and doing better in general with interactive content than with just traditional lessons. Now, the teachers believe that they are finally shifting from a teacher-centered method to a child-centered method. 

 

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