My Quest To Teach
African Tech Conferences Are More Important Now for African Youth Addressing Pandemics
William Jackson, M.Edu WordCamp Organizer, Speaker, Advocate, Blogger Teacher of 32 years in elementary and higher education
teaching STEAM elements, blogging, social media concepts.
The COVID19 Pandemic is changing the way African youth, teens and young adults are learning. Digital infrastructures are seen as valuable and important as people across Africa
are being told to stay indoors and not to gather in groups.
Africans are being forced to change by applying technology and technology is here to stay and grows more integrated in African lives. The haves and have not are drifting apart at a rapid pace when those with access are find educational resources and those without access are falling behind in
knowledge.
African educational initiatives have been in place, but at the magnitude of the COVID19 more is seen to be done during and even after the Pandemic. Project based learning will be part of school curriculum’s because future leaders will need to know how to work with teams, the importance of leadership, project management and understand how to apply critical and higher order thinking, differentiated analysis of problems
and solutions and the strengths of STEAM.
The will be a need for increased technology conferences lead by educational institutions, governmental programs, technology leaders in the form of webinars, Zoom, Teams and Slack. There is an ever forming progressing paradigm shift to teaching online and providing youth, teens and young adults access to continued learning. Africa will need its young people to be knowledgeable, engaged and educated to attack future events like COVID19,
Ebola and other diseases.
Corona Virus
African nations cannot continue to rely on global support to solve its internal challenges, it must grow its own innovators and problem solvers with access to conferences, workshops, seminars, and other avenues of learning where African youth, teens and young adults that have innovative
ideas can contribute.
Tech is in the education business and there are many African youth and young adults that have intelligent and applicable methods to address the issues that Africans face. The future unfortunately maybe that instead of nations embracing each other increasingly they will distance themselves. There may be decisions to stay away, reduce trade of intellectual ideas, solutions and resources. African nations must look inward more to harvest the beautiful minds and creative spirits of their generations that are looking to contribute
and share their knowledge.
Africa the Continent
African children, youth, teens and young adults are being exposed to global issues that allow them to have open communication, collaboration and cooperative learning and engagement. Online conferences are available and should be utilized to encourage new ideas by youth that can be
applied not just today, but in the future.
Integration of technology is preparing African youth to solve complex problems that will challenge an ever shifting and changing world. In order to contribute youth must have the necessary skills
to contribute.
Innovation is available in African youth and young adults, but they must be supported, encouraged and mentored. The future success of Africa is based on children, youth, teen and young adults
that are prepared.
The growth potential is phenomenal that can be seen across the continent of Africa and growth can grow even more as each generation is allowed to grow and embrace their talents skills
and abilities.
The more African youth, teens and young adults are educated, the more they are mentored, the more they will be prepared to meet the threats, challenges, situations and circumstance that will occur in the world. The better able they will be to be of service to their African heritage. The less Africa will have to rely on foreign resource and people to tell Africans what to do
and how to manage their continent.
William is the digital innovator for his brand My Quest To Teach using the hashtag #MyQuestToTeach sharing his journey teaching, mentoring,
community activism and community collaborations.