Computer Training Outreach has always been the entry level program offered by the Transformational Education Network.  At the request of our partner schools in Africa, we are now updating that curriculum and using it as a foundation for two tertiary degree programs (a two year associate degree and a four year bachelor degree).

Kenneth Klay, TEN3's Chief Technology Officer, also serves on the leadership committee responsible for the Computer Training Outreach (CTO) program.  Ken shared recently about the the work of the committee.

One job of the committee is to revise the curricu­lum and courses for basic computer skills. The committee will also de­velop training for teachers to use the curriculum, and training for ad­ministrators .

The first task is to develop a profile of our incoming students.

What will likely be their background? What previous educational experiences and qualifications will they have? What kind of cultural and religious beliefs will they be coming from? All these things affect the way one writes curriculum. Many of the an­swers to these questions are the rea­sons we are writing our own cur­riculum and not using ones all ready in use.

The second part of the profile deals with what we expect the student to be like upon finishing the course?

This is where the real differences are clear; between what we are aiming for and what other schools do. The main thing we hope to develop is a student who can think about things from a Christian world view. Certainly we desire that our students acquire new skills in computer usage, but how will these skills be used? The amount of new knowledge that computer technology opens up in a majority world country is vastly greater than in a developed country. Our students need to know how to react to the information influx, and to be discerning, or we will do more harm than good.

The CTO leadership committee is comprised of six people in three different countires:

Eurisca Chandler from St. Lucia in the Caribbean
Christie Dasaro and Tunde Jacob in Nigeria
Kenneth Klay, Dr. Anthony Petrillo, and Tracy Taylor in the USA

Ken goes on to share one of the difficulties the CTO leadership committee is facing:

One problem that the committee has experienced is in communications.... Up to now all our committee meetings in TEN3 are done via a Skype conference call... But we are not able to get a good connection from Nigeria, so we are using email to “discuss” issues. This has really slowed our progress.

Please pray, too, for :

1. The completion of CTO curriculum outline
2. The writing of the CTO course materials
3. The development of CTO teacher training materials

If you would like to serve the Lord by helping to write Computer Training Outreach (CTO) course materials or by solving the communications problem with Nigeria, please contact us at the TEN3 personnel office.