STARTING AN ICT CLUB AT MY SCHOOL

Good evening members, my name is Nelson Atuheire from Burema Secondary School- Kanungu, I would love to know how i can start an ICT club at my school. I have heard the good news about what the government is doing in most secondary Schools. Today I received 80 copies of ICT textbooks from Uganda Communications Commission (UCC/UCUSAF), and am grateful. May God bless the Executive director and the whole management. Please help me know how I can start the Club.

Kind regards,

Nelson Atuheire

Burema secondary School-Kanungu District

How to form and Sustain an ICT in a School

Introduction

The world is rapidly going hi-tech in almost every aspect of life. Young people need to be able to think critically and solve problems, both at school, at home, and at work. They need to be creative and innovative in their approach to learning and life.

ICT, therefore, provides all the tools for young people to make a big impact globally once they are guided properly. Through the ICT club, this can be done in a sustainable way. We are grateful to UCC/UCUSAF for funding this idea. Students need to be able to communicate well in all forms, co-operate with others and also work independently. They need to be able to use functional mathematics and ICT effectively.

Objective

The specific objectives as articulated by UCC include:

Ensuring School ICT Labs are sustainable by equipping students with skills that enable them to operate the labs in line with best practices and be able to maintain the ICT equipment in their Labs.
Empowering students to increase their ownership and thus responsibility for the ICT Labs.
Equipping students with practical ICT skills above and beyond the expectations of their ICT curriculum and giving them more ICT exposure.
Providing a platform for students to directly engage with UCC/UCUSAF on ICT matters in their schools and developing the capacity for self-monitoring
Nurturing ICT innovations and ICT skills at Secondary School that will be annually recognised by UCC/UCUSAF.

Guidelines for forming a successful ICT Club in schools.

The teacher introduces the idea of forming the ICT Club to the Headteacher. By the constitution and UCC guidelines, the Headteacher becomes Patron and the teacher may serve as Assistant
Market the idea to all other interested and supportive teachers. This may help in project-based work.
Document clearly the aim and objectives and planned activities of the club.
Share your club idea back with the school administration including the Board of Governors to seek approval.
Develop a work plan/action plan of at least one year and make it available to all members.
Convince more students to join.
Dissolve the steering committee and elect officials to run the club.
Keep club records: minutes, reports, photos, etc.
Develop a club webpage or blog to share your ideas.
Be relevant to your school, community, country, and the world. Align your program to the SDGs.
Have activities running at any one time
Let all members remain active
Keep good record of what you do in the club
Work as a team; be supportive and have respect towards each other.
Have regular meetings
Have clear agenda for your meetings
Be good role models in your ICT Department, school, and community.
Have clear ground rules; aims and objectives; must be well understood by all members; stick to club rules
Strive to excel in ICT and Computer Studies

Possible Club Activities

Participate in ICT lab and equipment maintenance
Hold regular study discussions in ICT and Computer studies
Regularly share your activities with the school at assembly, school notice board, etc.
Identify resourceful websites for studies in all subjects make it available to other students
Create a website, blog or word press on which to share club activities
Initiate and participate in the problem-solving project(s) like coding, games, etc.
Use obsolete computers and accessories by turning them into device identification platforms.
Create a website, blog or a word press for a specific objective like a school news website.
Do pictorial display of school activities on school notice board, website, etc
Have an online conferencing with students, teachers or other resourceful persons.
Invite a resource person to talk to and inspire students on the value of lCT for their career, etc.
Design certificates for clubs etc
Design brochures and pamphlets for your school.
Support other clubs with use of ICT to meet their objectives.
Record school events on video
Project Ideas for Clubs
Creating digital instructional material for learning
Creating a blog, word press or website to share your learning outcomes in geography, history, etc.
Creating a youtube channel for the club
Producing skit videos for learning purposes.
Creating an anthology in literature mm poetry, short stories, fables etc
Creating of apps for solving real life problems
Present a well-researched community issue to your Member of Parliament
Labeling flora in the school with their common and scientific names.
Compile a well-researched study of history of the local community you live in
Make a geographical study of your locality