“Technology is as destructive or constructive as the people who use it. So, if teachers, educators, and parents use technology with clear purpose, and model constructive behaviours, I believe it can have a positive impact on education.”

Nana Gulic spent a decade of working with government, schools, and teachers to help create a learning environment that supports children’s social-emotional needs as well as their educational needs. Now through SEed (Social and Emotional Education), an ed-tech start-up that empowers non-profits like schools, Nana implements character and leadership development programmes that help learners increase self-confidence, motivation, physical and mental health and build positive relationships with their parents and peers.

According to a report by UNESCO and the International Academy of Education, “Social-emotional learning, or SEL, is sometimes called ‘the missing piece’, because it represents a part of education that links academic knowledge with a specific set of skills important to success in schools, families, communities, workplaces and life in general.”

“By combining my B.A. in Child and Youth Care and M.A. in Social Justice and Equity Studies, I am able to identify innovative ways to empower my students in the classroom, and help them become active participants in their own lives and homes,” says Nana.

Using tech for parent & learner counselling during the pandemic

The critical role that psychosocial support plays in the learning environment was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. A report noted that it would not be enough for schools to simply reopen their doors after COVID-19. Students will need tailored and sustained support to help them readjust and catch-up after the pandemic. Teachers are being encouraged to incorporate remedial education approaches and social-emotional learning into their pedagogy.

This is exactly what Nana is doing in her school. After initiating online social and emotional learning workshops for students and their parents during the pandemic, she continues to host them now that schools have reopened.

“One of the biggest benefits of online counselling is that we can have group discussions, but then we can turn our microphones on mute, and have private internal chats between family members. You can’t do this in an in-person group setting. And there were some amazing things that came out of those private moments. Some major breakthroughs between parents and their kids.”

Technology can create a space for struggling learners to communicate

Teachers and child and youth workers can use digital tools to support the socio-emotional development of learners both inside and outside the classroom. “Technology doesn’t replace a good teacher or counsellor. It just adds an extra layer, it’s an extra tool that we can use to communicate with our learners.”

One of Nana’s roles is to help struggling students develop the skills they need to talk about, and deal with various challenges in their lives, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, “Many students felt lonelier, a vast majority, missed contact with their classmates, many were worried about how the disruption impacted their learning and will affect their future education.”

To help her learners process their experience of the COVID-19 lockdowns, she invited them to build their ‘ideal post-COVID world’ in Minecraft. Four 10-year-old learners from Canada and four from Croatia were tasked with working together to create a digital space that met all of their wants and needs.

“They might not have been able to verbally express how much they missed social interaction, but their Minecraft world clearly showed this,” says Nana. “It included a flying van to travel with family and friends, a portal that allows you to travel wherever you want, an amusement park, and a school cafeteria with lots of space to have fun and spend time with friends.”

Polls, YouTube, and instant messaging to develop ‘social and emotional literacy’

According to a report on social and emotional learning in education systems, the main purpose of ‘emotional literacy’ – a skill that involves being able to name and understand one’s own emotions and the emotions of others – is to improve relationships and facilitate more cooperative functioning between individuals, within communities and throughout society as a whole.

In the classroom, students are often afraid to reveal how they really feel in case they are ridiculed. So Nana uses an app to allow learners to respond to a digital poll anonymously. When the poll shows that “everyone” feels nervous on their first day of school, or over 90% of the respondents have anxiety about exams, it helps learners feel less vulnerable.

Nana has also created a fictional YouTube character called Dolly Ghostsmith who enlists the help of the students to track down four escaped ghosts called "Denialy", "Doubty", "Worry Anne", and "Fearan". The ghosts help Nana’s elementary school learners develop their social and emotional literacy by identifying their unique characteristics.

Research shows that by implementing SEL in schools, students can begin to recognise and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions and handle challenging situations.

When it comes to encouraging learners to share their struggles, Nana has even turned to texting.

“Over the years, I’ve found that some students would rather communicate by typing than by talking. I really struggled to get through to them until I offered the option to text rather than to chat in person. Some of the learners even use a second language to express themselves emotionally.”

Using apps to give students with learning difficulties more independence

There are also several tools which Nana uses to help those with learning difficulties integrate into the classroom. For those with dyslexia, she uses text-to-voice apps and transcription apps which give learners who struggle to read and write more freedom to work independently.

For those with attention difficulties, Nana uses digital cognitive training apps together with in-person therapy sessions. One of her favourite tools is Lumosity which features games that are scientifically designed to help improve memory, processing speed, and problem-solving skills.

“Technology is such a natural environment for kids. It is a place where their voices can be heard, and where they can meet with other students around the world and engage with them.”

“In the future, I hope that we can all work together to build a teacher-led collaborative and empowering environment that focuses on sustainability, equity and social justice.”

Learn more about the #TeachersTransform campaign as part of the Transforming Education Summit.

Photo credit: Nana Gulic

How do you accommodate 18,900 learners in nine secondary schools with limited resources? This is the dilemma faced by the team managing education in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Their solution? Create two schools in one.

As the education officer for Windle International Kenya, George Nandy oversees secondary education for Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei Settlement. The organisation supports and implements education interventions in Kakuma which serves over 180,000 refugees from South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Their work is supported by the Kenyan government, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and other donors and partners.

Growing up in a family of 18 children, with very few resources, George understands some of the hardships that refugee learners face.

“I’m here because one teacher sacrificed to put me through school, paying for my uniform and learning materials. I’m bound to help,” says George who taught in Kakuma schools for over 6 years before taking on his current role. “By working in the refugee camp, I get to help these learners who are all vulnerable. They have suffered so much trauma, and they face so many challenges. But by transforming their education, we can support them with the skills they need to create a successful future for themselves.”

Making the most of available resources helped transform education in Kakuma

While there are currently 21 primary schools in Kakuma refugee camp, there are only seven secondary schools. Before George and the team took on the task of transforming education in the refugee camp in 2015, thousands of learners were forced to give up their schooling as there simply wasn’t enough space to accommodate them.

“Facing the ever-increasing student population, we sat down with Windle’s then executive director, Dr. Marangu Njogu, who proposed the innovative two-in-one approach to schooling,” says George.

“The system capitalises on ‘time’ as one of the major resources at our disposal. We realised that if we divided the day in half, we could accommodate two schools, and twice as many learners in one building. Each school has its own set of teachers, led by a single ‘chief principal’ who is supported by two deputies. Even the learners’ uniforms are different to make sure they attend their designated school,” says George.

How does two-in-one work?

A conventional school day runs from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM and incorporates short and long health breaks as well as sports, clubs and society meetings. “But in the two-in-one system, the activities are compressed, so only six hours are used up,” explains George.

“The morning school starts early from 6:40 AM to 12:20 PM with two short health breaks in between. Then there’s a ten-minute changeover between schools. The afternoon school starts at 12:30 PM and ends at 6:30 PM,” says George.

“Co-curricular activities, sports, clubs, societies, and meetings are planned for when the particular school is not on session. For instance, the morning school participates in non-class activities in the afternoon. The afternoon school participates in non-class activities during the mid-morning.”

Benefits of the two-in-one school system

“The two-in-one system means we don’t have to find the money to build new buildings,” says George.

“Desks, chairs, lockers, classrooms, laboratories, kitchen, toilets, hand-washing facilities, library, reference books, ICT facilities, playgrounds, sports facilities and assembly grounds are all shared by the two schools," says George.

The innovative system also helps decrease teacher fatigue.

“Some Kenyan schools use the double-shift system where learners attend in two shifts, but the same teachers stay throughout the day. However, this leads to teacher exhaustion. With two-in-one system, teachers are able to give their very best in all of their classes.”

A transformative new curriculum requires extensive resources

While the two-in-one solution is helping more learners access secondary education in the Kakuma refugee camp, the student to teacher ratio is still exceptionally high.

“Currently, the average is 120 learners per teacher. “So we are working with the Kenyan government, donors, and other organisations to try to solve this.”

Decreasing the ratio will be even more important in 2023 when the Kenyan government begins rolling out a new competency-based curriculum. Instead of focusing on grades, the approach focuses on helping learners develop the skills, knowledge & talents they need when they leave school, whether it’s for tertiary education, or the workplace. It is learner-centred instead of teacher-centred and allows each learner to progress and master skills at their own pace.

“With a focus on ICT skills, the new system will help the learners thrive in an everchanging world,” says George.

However, while the new curriculum has many benefits, it requires just 30 learners per class, and relies on the teacher paying more attention to each individual.

“Currently we employ 335 teachers for 18,900 learners, and counting… but the new curriculum will require more teachers, additional classrooms, laboratories, technology, textbooks, and learning materials.

“We rely on generous donors to help us manage these needs. Their support helps us build and develop schools for the Kakuma refugee children, giving them a chance to transform their future through education.”

Despite the challenges ahead, George believes that the competency-based approach will equip the learners with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue careers in the 21st century.

The peacemakers of the future

For George, making sure learners have access to a solid education is not just about helping them build more secure livelihoods. It’s also about ensuring they have the skills to make a positive impact on society.

“Education plays a major role in obtaining peace in our world,” says George. “A good education empowers the learners to return to their countries one day, to take part in conflict resolution, and peace-keeping, and become the leaders of the future.”

Learn more about the #TeachersTransform campaign as part of the Transforming Education Summit.

Photo credit: John Cummings

A portable solar suitcase with a battery and solar panel, eco bricks, electricity from seawater, and 3D printed coral reefs… these are just a few of the innovative solutions imagined and implemented by teachers and learners through the Climate Action Project.

Belgian IT teacher, Koen Timmers, created the Climate Action Project in 2017. He envisioned it as a useful resource to help teachers incorporate climate change into their lesson plans. He didn’t expect it to become a global movement in just five years.

The project is helping to transform education and support teachers by creating a space for climate change and sustainable lifestyles in the curriculum. It also promotes a global outlook by encouraging dialogue and collaboration between learners in different countries.

Today, over 10 million learners from 107 countries have taken part in the six-week online course which has been endorsed by world-renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Amnesty International, Microsoft, WWF, NASA, UNESCO, the UN Environment Programme, and ministries of education across 16 countries.

Transformative teaching encourages learners to take action

“Climate change is something that’s affecting everyone, everywhere. I created the project so that students and teachers from all over the world could talk about this issue, learn from each other, and take action,” says Koen. And that, he believes, is the key to the project’s success.

“You can learn by reading a textbook, you can learn from a teacher, you can learn from a newspaper. But in all of those cases, you really only have one side of the story,” says Koen. “But when you are able to speak to someone living on another continent, and you realise you share passions (like football and sustainability), you build a relationship with them.”

Using technology to transform and expand teaching platforms

Koen’s passion has always been to help transform the field of education. “I wanted to work with people. I really love explaining stuff, and I wanted to do something that was relevant in society, so I became a teacher.”

Since 2016, Koen has been involved in helping to set up and equip a learning centre in the Kakuma refugee camp.  Through the facility, over 420 teachers from 75 countries around the world offer online lessons to the learners in the refugee camp. 

“Through these classes, learners from different countries are able to have meaningful conversations with the learners at Kakuma,” says Koen. “It helps all of the learners develop a global outlook and break down stereotypes.”  

It is this online interaction between learners from around the world that inspired Koen’s Climate Action Project.

Supporting the SDGs through the Climate Action Project

As well as being a useful teaching resource, Koen’s vision for the Climate Action Project was to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by giving teachers and learners a platform to help create positive change in the world.

“I wanted to make a way for students from all across the world to connect with each other, to share how climate change is affecting them, and to be empowered to create solutions.”

“I think what surprised me the most about the Climate Action Project is how different the stories are,” says Koen.

Participants in Ireland convinced the government to create a new logo for recyclable plastics while learners in India built a solar-powered car. In Malawi, students planted 60 million trees, in the US they built a portable solar-powered battery pack in a suitcase, and in Indonesia they developed their own ecobricks.

Koen and his partners also developed the EarthProject app which allows users to track their climate-friendly behaviour, such as avoiding red meat, buying a refurbished phone, and ride-sharing. It adds up the amount of carbon saved through these actions.

The app proves that incorporating something like the Climate Action Project into lessons is one of the ways we can transform education and achieve the SDGs.

“Students are not only learning about climate change. They are taking action, and coming up with sustainable solutions.”

Prioritising teachers and learners is key to transforming education

While Koen supports the use of technology as a teaching resource, he believes that nothing is more effective than a passionate, skilled teacher.

“We need to increase teacher salaries so that we can get the very best teachers back into the classroom. To be a successful person you have to know how to solve problems, filter fake news, and build relationships with people who are different to you. That’s how teachers can help their students build a global outlook. And that, in my opinion, is the future of education.”

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●       To join the Climate Action Project for free, register here: https://www.climate-action.info/user/register

●       The Kakuma Project, as well as several other educational facilities in the refugee camp are supported through donations to the Kakuma NPO. Partners include Maggie, UNHCR and TAG. 

●       The Climate Action Project is supported through Koen’s non-profit organisation, Take Action Global.

Learn more about the #TeachersTransform campaign as part of the Transforming Education Summit.

Photo credit: Koen Timmers