The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) has embarked on an initiative to empower senior school teachers in Tana River County with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the quality of education in the digital age.
The training focuses on AI powered lesson planning, digital literacy and using tools like ChatGPT to improve learning outcomes.
According to CEMASTEA, Artificial Intelligence is transforming education globally and they are out to ensure Kenya is not left behind.
Stakeholders contend that teachers and educators who understand how to use AI tools effectively are gaining a strong advantage in today’s digital classroom.
From lesson planning and content creation AI is redefining how education is delivered to empowered learners.
Michael Terer Principal ICT officer with CEMASTEA says the countrywide training seeks to bridge the digital and pedagogical gaps besides supporting the implementation of the new Curriculum Based Education (CBE).
The trainings align with the CBE which identifies education and digital technology as key pillars for socio-economic development.
Terer says CEMASTEA is going around the 47 counties to train senior secondary school teachers on AI and digital pedagogy to improve classroom learning and align education with the CBE and the global tech trends.
He says CEMASTEA has started training 41 senior school teachers drawn from across Tana River County at Hola Boys senior school.
He says CEMASTEA is advancing efforts to integrate technology into classroom teaching and that the selected teachers are being trained on improving teaching outcomes through technology-driven methods.
The senior ICT official told the press that CEMASTEA is supporting and strengthening the Ministry of Education’s capacity for an AI-enabled education system.
‘The teachers are logging into cemestea.ac.ke portal and exposed to several AI-powered teaching tools aligned with CBE,’ he said.
Terer says AI is reshaping the education system across the world but whether it strengthens learning or undermines it all depends on how it is embraced and used.
He also said training the teachers on AI pedagogy is important because students are already using AI tools and by empowering the tutors they would be able to help the learners navigate the risks inherent in digital tools.
‘A supervised environment that encourages students to interact productively with AI tools can be the key to unlocking their potential for learning in the 21st century’ he said.
Terer said the integration of AI into teaching has become necessary in response to the rapidly changing technological landscape.
By Hussein Abdullahi
