Passion is about diligently and doggedly pursuing a course without thinking about the pains or material benefits. That is what a young teacher in Ghana, Richard Akoto, enjoyed. He was using the blackboard to teach kids how to use a computer. He did not have any computer. That was great innovation.
Richard, who teaches at Betenase Municipal Assembly Junior High in the small town of Sekyedomase, used to draw the computer or application on the blackboard in great detail and the kids followed his method, which went viral. The Computer Word-application giant, Microsoft, promptly took note and decided to compensate Richard.
The timing coincided with Microsoft’s bid to hold an Education Exchange program in Singapore. The company invited him and flew him to Singapore. That was Mr. Akoto’s first trip out of Ghana. At the gathering of computer education experts, he graphically described his condition. The experts appreciated his dilemma – the only computers available – one belonging to the school and Akoto’s personal laptop – had gone bad.
Richard told Microsoft, “I have been drawing things on the board every time the lesson I’m teaching demands it. I’ve drawn monitors, system units, keyboards, a mouse, a formatting toolbar, a drawing toolbar, and so on. The students were okay with that. They are used to me doing everything on the board for them.”
It was really a hard way to travel but Richard did not give up under such circumstances. He became an example of a teacher dedicated to his class and subject. There was no doubt in the children’s mind that a little computer literacy can prepare them to face the world.
A satisfied Richard enthused about his pupils, “They have some knowledge about computers, but they don’t know how to actually operate one”. So Microsoft offered to provide device and software support for the school and the diligent teacher is to enroll in Microsoft’s educator certification program. Hard work certainly pays.
