AMD-Powered Computers Making a World of Difference to Students, Teachers and Communities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
7/15/2008
Not long ago, students in South Africa's impoverished Shayamoya Township, in Kokstad were housed in derelict buildings as their farm school had been demolished. Only one of the 1,200 students had ever seen a computer. However, in January, 2007, Oprah's Angel Network teamed up with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education to build a new, state-of-the-art learning facility. Known as The Seven Fountains School, the facility features a 50x15 Learning Lab used to teach computer skills and also serve as a tool to improve general teaching and learning. Through 50x15, AMD has been actively involved in promoting the effective use of information and communications technologies in schools in many African countries for education and awareness of critical health issues.
Almost immediately, the learning lab, which is equipped with five AMD Sempron™ processor-based desktop computers and 20 decTOP Personal Internet Communicators connected on a local area network to an AMD Opteron™ processor-based server, has helped transform the lives of teachers, students, and even unemployed people in the community.
A student at the Seven Fountains School in South Africa learns on one of 20 new computers provided by AMD and Data Evolution Corporation.
"The computers in the (Seven Fountains) school not only provide critical ICT skills, but help build up self worth by providing a sense of importance and responsibility," said Claire Brown, Educational Advisor on the Professional Development of Teachers, Oprah Angel Network.
Brown added, "The computers break the boundaries for teachers to teach in new and exciting ways, which in turn introduces opportunities for students to learn in more ways then they ever have before. I believe that's huge."
The popularity of the computer lab precludes the need for the school to adhere to a strict schedule for rotating classes. Each class in the lower grades (1-3) is introduced to computers during one half-hour session per week while each class in the higher grades (4-7) spends two hours a week in the lab working on computer skills. Since each class typically has 40-45 students and the computer lab houses 20 PCs, each class is divided so half receive lessons by textbook, lectures and other more traditional methods while the other half spends time in the computer lab. Each class then rotates so each student can spend time on the computer without having to share their PC. The power in learning is how the teachers have integrated both learning methods.
Working in the new computer lab is the highlight of the school day for students and teachers at the Oprah Angel Network's Seven Fountains School in South Africa.
"I'm a strong believer in the integration of ICT to the content," said Brown. "One reinforces the other. Particularly in the areas of math, social sciences and geography where the computer can help with content clarification. The students love anything with animation."
An example might be combining a traditional geometry lesson in the classroom with a computer-driven three-dimensional design application in the lab or a history lesson taught in the classroom complemented by computer-enabled research. But the possibilities are endless, especially given the students' newfound passion for learning, which is evidenced by their collective excitement and attendance at school.
"We have great programs that we try to develop with critical input from our teachers," said Brown. "We don't ever just put students in front of a screen, but create learning opportunities that are sometimes missing in developing countries."
Brown added, "The biggest benefit is that learning can be perceived as fun."
Taking It to the Streets: Seven Fountains School Uses Computers to Help the Community
When they aren't improving their computer skills, students play in the courtyard of the Seven Fountains Primary School, Shayamoya Township, Kokstad, South Africa.
In addition to helping improve the lives of teachers and students at The Seven Fountains School, the new computers have been used to help more than 170 unemployed community members learn vital ICT skills. A computer trainer was hired to instruct the teachers on how to use the computers to build worksheets, type reports, and more. The teachers used their newly learned skills to teach unemployed community members, who were then able to provide services to others – such as word processing or simple spreadsheet accounting – for a modest fee.
"There are specific individuals who've obtained jobs because of this training," said Brown. "We even had a woman who worked as a cleaner at the school use the computer skills she learned in this training to help us out in our administrative offices."
The Seven Fountains School has brought new hope to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. And the computers provided by AMD through the 50x15 Initiative have kindled a new passion for learning, enabled teachers, and helped alleviate some of the strain unemployment has on the community.
"AMD really needs to be commended for making a difference," Brown said. "Personally if I feel I've made a difference to 10 people at the school over a year's time than I'm doing well. AMD has made a difference to a huge number of people already. We are extremely fortunate to have AMD as a technology partner."