Kim's Journal # 10

JOURNAL # 10
Technology in Ethiopian Schools:
Connecting Children from Various Cultures
By Judit Szente

This article reminds me that we often take the rest of the world for granted when it comes to educational opportunities. Education coupled with technology changes lives. The story of the Ethiopian schools and their partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project in Ethiopia pays homage to this very notion. It created opportunities for earning a living that would not otherwise exist. Children who had very little, if any opportunity of attending school were suddenly being given the tools to make themselves competitive and marketable. Their days transformed from herding animals and working to generating multimedia presentations and creating business essentials.
Once the students were proficient in the use of technology, they challenged themselves with bigger projects. I like the idea of having the students document their lives using multimedia technology and sharing it with others in different parts of the world. I even see its potential use with English Language Learners. The world was an open book for the Ethiopian students for the first time, thanks to the Internet. Cross-cultural collaborations make the world a much smaller place and bring about understanding of other people. I really enjoyed this article.

QUESTION # 1

Most of the Ethiopian children involved in this project were very poor. How do they break the cycle of poverty?

Education with an emphasis on the use of technology would help break the cycle of poverty. It has been well documented that jobs of the future are going to rely heavily on the use of technology. Thanks to this project, the children are off to a head start.

QUESTION # 2

Why should the U.S. care if children in Ethiopia have access to computers?

We have a moral obligation to help the poor improve their quality of life. Ethiopians can make a significant contribution to the lives of others if given the tools, resources, and an opportunity to do so. Together, we can make the world a better place for everyone.