39 teachers in Wikipedia digital training receive certificates in Anambra

Wikimedia Foundation, a free online encyclopaedia, on Saturday issued certificates to 39 successful teachers in Anambra who participated in the one month training on the use of Wikipedia website for digital education.

The one month training took place at Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS) Onitsha.

Presenting the certificates, the free online encyclopaedia lead facilitator, Mrs Obiageli Ezeilo, said that the training focused mostly on reading Wikipedia in the classroom for junior and senior secondary school teachers and students.

The facilitator said that 50 teachers participated in the training but 39 were successful adding that teachers who were not successful still have the opportunity to reapply for training.

Ezeilo attributed their failure to so many factors that included, absence from classes, lateness, lack of seriousness to learning, among others.

She said that the aim was geared towards teaching teachers on how to access and improve their media and information literary skills in the classroom.

She explained that the programme was a free online training designed for teachers to learn how to integrate Wikipedia as a learning tool in the classroom.

The facilitator stressed the need for them to master Wikipedia website to improve their Information and Communications’ Technology (ICT) skills.

“Wikipedia is a reliable tool for teaching, as it assists in research ability, ICT compliance, digital compliance, assists in this 21st century teachers,” she said.

Earlier, Dr Perpetua Osuchukwu, a resource person in Wikipedia, explained that the training at DMGS was a pilot project.

She said that it would soon be spread to other zones with a view to making the teachers to be Wikipedia digital friendly for easy access on website information.

Osuchukwu noted that those teachers who did not make it still have opportunity to reapply and commence training in the various zones of Wikipedia centers.

Also, a computer science teacher at Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Mr Ayo Abiodun, commended the organisers of the programme, adding that he would put all the knowledge and skills acquired during the training to use.