Ghanaian Professor Teaches Computer Science With Chalks
Without resources, but with motivation. Without a computer, but with enough will to teach computer science to his students with chalk, blackboard and lots of energy. The image of this Ghanaian professor designing the Word interface in his class has gone viral, inviting us to reflect on the fact that sometimes, to change the world (or improve it), we just need the right attitude and willpower.
The protagonist of this story is Owura Kwadwo, a Ghanaian professor of information and communication technologies (ICT) who teaches in a small school in Kumasi. A rural setting, with few educational resources and no internet connection. However, and although it is paradoxical, within the school curriculum it is expected that children acquire basic computer skills.
Mission Impossible? Absolutely not. Because even if the conditions are not optimal, with his attitude the human being can overcome any obstacle and above all he can also inspire others so that they do not see the shortcomings, that they are aware only of the possibilities.
That’s what Professor Kwadwo manages to do with his students every day. All of his students feel motivated, because they know that new technologies will serve for the progress of their country and that when the time comes, when they finally have a computer in their hands, they will surely know how to use it thanks to the will of this Ghanaian professor.
The Ghanaian professor who gives computer lessons without a computer
The ease with which images travel around the world in minutes is amazing. A few months ago, we were thrilled with the story of Wang Fuman, an 8-year-old boy from a Chinese region who walks about 4.5km every day from home to school. The temperature in January is around 10 degrees below zero, and one morning Wang came to class with frozen hair and eyebrows and puffy cheeks.
His classmates greeted him laughing, while his teacher decided to take a photo to share a reality that for many of us is distant and unknown. The same happens in this small class in a Ghanaian village. Here the protagonist is not the cold, but the irony, the story of a computer teacher without a computer and some students who have to acquire computer skills because every year they are required to pass an exam to prove their skills in this subject.
We could talk about the already known differences between the first world and the third world; however, before moving on to these reflections on which we are certainly all in agreement, let us dwell on the protagonists of the story. In the little stories that have a proper name. Owura Kwadwo teaches the operation of a program to which he does not have access. However, this does not prevent students from becoming familiar with the image of a basic computer science resource.
Every day, with the help of colored chalk and a blackboard, he draws a sheet of Word with detail and precision. He adores his students and does what is necessary so that they can learn. Every teacher in this school does what they can, and this Ghanaian professor makes all these drawings as soon as possible so that every process, function and command is clear. He knows that of all the subjects children can learn, information technology will make them more competitive and attractive to companies investing in their country.
Attitude and inspiration
Do these students really learn to use Microsoft Word through a blackboard and the explanations of a teacher who is not used to running a computer? Many may think that this is not possible. However, these children’s curiosity and motivation are fueled every day, offering them a visual and imaginative stimulus that puts their minds ahead of any other first world child. They feed on the dream of having a real computer in front of them and knowing how to use it.
We must remember that extraordinary tech figures, such as Bill Gates, grew up without a computer. Their entire academic career took place without this technological resource and despite this, they managed to distinguish themselves from others in this field. This Ghanaian professor manages to capture and keep the attention of children high; the basic elements to stimulate students are motivation and attitude.
Owura Kwadwo educates from the heart and from necessity. He knows that giving computer lessons without a computer is like teaching driving without a car. It is difficult, but not impossible if you put your good will and manage to capture the interest of students through images, colored chalks and commands in which you can visualize each step, outline each function.
Just a few days after the image of this Ghanaian professor went viral, Microsoft got in touch with this school to provide them with a computer. This story has met with great solidarity and it is expected that more machinery and equipment will arrive for this village and other schools in Ghana in the coming weeks. Sometimes the little stories and the attitude of the humblest people manage to change the world and open their eyes.
