Emerging technologies on education to bridge the digital gap

Phuti Ragophala, a local online educator responsible for introducing the digital world to learners from high and primary schools in Seshego, believes emerging technologies in education will bridge the digital gap among youth and educators in rural communities.
Ragophala shared this opinion with the more than 300 innovative educators from around the world who met during the recent global Microsoft Education Summit held in Singapore to discuss how emerging technologies can support teaching and skills development and to earn more about how to use Microsoft technology in the classroom.
Ragophala said if schools in the rural areas were equipped with computers and the latest technology they will be able to produce better results. “We are in a digital era and we want to see educators and learners from rural areas on par with those in urban areas with 21st century innovations and knowledge. My wish is to see latest technologies on education in their classrooms because the use of technology can improve teaching and learning. It can make teaching and learning more efficient, fun and faster thus improving the results,” Ragophala said.
Ragophala said while in Singapore with her fellow educators they also shared experiences of using the Skype app in the classroom to transform education.
According to her, the app can be useful to some schools in rural areas. “The core objective is to advocate using technology to enhance teaching and learning. We used technology in the classroom in various ways. For example, we used apps such as OneNote for daily preparation of work, PowerPoint for presentations and the Skype app, which is my favourite. I have a great affinity for Skype as it allows me to bring the world into my classroom.
I want to see these innovations in our rural schools because through Skype we are able to turn learners into global citizens and let them experience different cultures, nationalities and languages. Through Skype we are able to communicate with other educators from other schools in the world and share the latest educational methods,” Ragophala concluded.

Story: Herbert Rachuene
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