Dzidzo Inhaka offers ICT Xmas gift

Shepherd Chimururi Cool Lifestyle Correspondent—

The festive season is around the corner. Dzidzo Inhaka Audio Visual Learning a pro-students Communication and Technology (ICT) empowerment organisation is calling students to break tradition and consider ITC skills as trendy Christamas gift with a difference. Normally parents shower their children with gifts like new clothes, plenty food and sight-seeing trips and parties.Dzidzo Inhaka an unwavering advocate of students computer education is conducting festive season ICT hands on short courses for students covering kindergarten, primary and high school levels under the theme Xmas E-skills Gifts. The three week intensive programme will run from the December 12 to January 31. Students have to register in time as they are limited places.

The programme is in support of Government sponsored Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative that seeks to equip learners with industry related skills that can make them compete with global talent. It has two dimensions which are to give ICT career guidance and to equip students with ICT skills.

Frank Johnson Grade 3 pupil, Trish Manongwa, who is also the Dzidzo Inhaka brand ambassador will also grace the occasion to inspire other young students.

High school students will go through an intensive information, career guidance on the available ICT courses and career opportunities so that they make correct decisions early in their academic life. Basic computer operation, making power point presentations, designing fliers, photo editing, video filming, are some ICT short courses that will be offered.

At primary and kindergarten level the programme will seek to address several facets of child development affected by computer education. These include intelligence (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), fluid intelligence and novelty, hand eye coordination, skills development, mathematical abilities, social development, among others.

For kindergarten activities will include computer operation skills like drawing, painting, solving puzzles, solving mathematical problems and playing games with special emphasis on development of mouse and keyboard handling skills. Juniors will be concentrating on challenging projects like typing, designing, using excel, editing power point presentation, video editing, etc

The digital world is exciting to students their knowledge of what it offers is limited. The technological passion that is gripping students across the country is there for everyone to see. Tablets, laptops, android phones, blogs, Whatsapp groups, Facebook pages, these are now everyday routines of most students. Long ago students had to finish the Ordinary Level first before they went for a basic computer literacy course.

Parents have to understand and appreciate that investing in a child’s digital literacy is the way to go. The difference between average student in the developing world child and a child in developed word is technological exposure. A child who starts graphic designing or programming at Grade 7 will never be counted among the unemployed.

Computers should not just be taught for the sake of writing Hexco exams but to empower students. In my view your child should not just be able to use a computer as learning aid but also for skills empowerment. My understanding is that students do not just go to school to pass but to acquire skills that will help us in life after school.

The programme is being offered as a bridge to those students who go to schools that do not teach computers. It is an open secret that all professions now have a foundation in technology. Every profession now needs e-skills like in mechanics they are now doing computerised diagnosis of the engine, in the construction field they are now doing quantity costing using a computer, in crop farming researches are done on the net and in retail trading cash sales and stock are now all computerised.

In the long term children who become skilled in computer operation at tender age will be easy to empower with life surviving skills as computers are now part and parcel of our every days lives. Their economic future will be secured.

Shepherd Chimururi (executive director – Dzidzo Inhaka Audio Visual Learning); Mobile: +263 772 608 276 ; [email protected]; www.dzidzoinhaka.co.zw