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AnonymousI am Jacob Florian Chawala from Tanzania. I am a tutor working at Butimba Teachers’ College. I am also a national ICT facilitator, facilitating computer literacy and Access Technology for persons with visual impairment. Currently, I am a student pursuing PhD in Education at the University of Dar es Salaam.
I have decided to participate in this course so that I can see how this sustainable development reflects what I am doing. I have been working in teacher education for a long time; so, I want to learn how sustainable development reflects with teacher education, and education as a whole.
I have been working with persons with disabilities and those with visual impairment in particular for so long. As a matter of fact, persons with disabilities are forgotten in various national development plans. So, I want to see how sustainable development course is inclusive, reflecting development issues of persons with disabilities.
I have been working in this ICT arena for so long and found out that access technology concepts are not included in various educational curricula. So, I want to see how this course integrate science and technology in the ICT arena and sustainable development of persons with disabilities.
I and my colleagues are currently implementing the Sustainability Starts with Teachers’ project at the University of Dar es Salaam College of Education in Tanzania. as a change project, we will make sure that access technology is also included in the University curriculum. As a National ICT facilitator for persons with visual impairment, I want to see how I can integrate sustainable development issues to what I am implementing, to what I am teaching, to what I am facilitating! As I facilitate, I use the computer language of persons with visual impairment to ensure that they understand and are liberated. I want to ensure that persons with visual impairment are transformed from using traditional ICT facilities to using modern ICT facilities. So I have enrolled to this course to see how this course can help me to teach ICT with sustainability in mind in a way of transforming ICT development of persons with disabilities.
As a PhD student, I want to see how this course can transform my philosophy, my traditional ways of viewing things.
When I was listening to YouTube videos and powerPoint presentation of this course, I came to realise that institutional Change Project can reflect these qualities of a good Change Project. Sustainable development changes everything for the betterment of the nation. It touches all aspects of life. It is contextual, inclusive, transformative, and diverse. It touches curricula, strategies, and policies of the nation. It aims at solving various challenges facing our nations. Sustainable development reflects sustainable development goals embracing the agenda of quality education. So, sustainable development is both national and international.
I came to realise that sustainable development must start with me, as a tutor and a national ICT facilitator. If I cannot change the way I am doing things, I cannot change students I am teaching in the best way possible.
To conclude, sustainable development starts with you. Integrate sustainable development in your daily activities and various change projects. However, when learning this course, start to be contextual yourself: think globally, but act locally.