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TECHNOLOGY

Information technology underpins much of India's recent economic growth. Accordingly, equipping students of rural India with basic IT skills is paramount for the ability to participate in the new economy. Furthermore, computer classes in rural Indian schools which do have computer labs are often overcrowded with 2-4 students sharing one computer, one hour a week.

Nanubhai has had the joy of watching many students sit in front of and interact with a computer for the first time. Our innovative technology program includes the following:

 

  • Facility Building: In 2004, Nanubhai built and equipped two large, 30-unit computer labs at our pilot site, Kadod High School. With our 2009 expansion to three additional schools, we look forward to providing them additional computers and the addition of internet access in all of our schools computer labs. Our goal is for every student to be able to use a computer for at least one hour a day.
  • Free Before and After School Computer classes: Technology is not a panacea on its own and requires comprehensive and integrated curriculum to truly impact students. With that in mind, Nanubhai has developed an innovative new project-based English-Technology curriculum which integrates learning English along with basic computer skills. Projects done in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel and basic HTML coding require students not only to improve their English writing and speaking skills, but to actually learn the meanings of the computer's English interface. Participating students spend five hours a week working alone on their own computer and our preliminary survey showed that as a result, students' confidence in their ability to use the computer and solve computer problems increased 80% as compared to their non-participating peers.
  • Teacher Training: Nanubhai has sponsored the attendance of two computer teachers from our pilot site, Kadod High School, at Microsoft IT Academy in Jaipur where they learned the latest instructional techniques to approach the governmentally regulated curriculum. We look forward to providing more such opportunities for teachers at all of our partner schools in the 2009-2010 school year.