Teacher teaches computing without any computers

A teacher in Ghana attempted to explain Microsoft Word to his pupils by hand drawing almost everything on the blackboard with chalk because the school has no computing equipment reported The Independent.

Instead of giving up, 33-year-old Richard Appiah Akoto undertook the labour intensive task of sketching out Microsoft Word for his class of information and communication technology (ICT) students. “Every teacher has a way of presenting his subject to his students. This is my way,” he said.

Akoto - who is nicknamed Owura Kwadwo Hottish online – teaches at Betenase Municipal Assembly Junior High in the small town of Sekyedomase. He was positive about teaching in a rural farming community that lacks basic resources.

He shared the remarkable lengths he went to teach his class in a Facebook post with Microsoft Word window on the chalkboard with labelled features.

Owura Kwadwo Hottish. PHOTO: From his Facebook page

Owura Kwadwo Hottish. PHOTO: From his Facebook page

It is common in Ghana for ICT to be taught on a blackboard, according to Pulse Ghana.

Since the photos went viral, his school has now been inundated with donations of laptops and projectors.

A teacher tries hard to make IT easy for pupils. He draws virtually everything on the board because there are no computers.👏🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/dY0bZFMzn8

— I LOVE GHANA 🇬🇭 (@irepghana) February 19, 2018

A teacher in Ghana teaches his student how to use @Microsoft Word on the board because of the inability to purchase computers
Respect!@Office pic.twitter.com/HQsHptIQ2s

— Ahmed Eljack (@ahmed_eljack) February 22, 2018

A post by a teacher in 🇬🇭 Ghana has gone viral has won the 💜 of many people, thanks to his unusual & improvised method of teaching Info & Comm Tech) without a computer! Now this is a dedicated teacher preparing his students for the world. 👏🏼 #edtech #INSPIRATIONALSUNDAY pic.twitter.com/dodi8CCzMK

— Elaina Rodriguez Stanley (@TechnoBabble14) February 25, 2018

Microsoft helped him go to the Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) programme for professional development and equipped him with a device from a business partner. They also flew Akoto to Singapore to attend the Education Exchange.

The Vice President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft, Anthony Salcito, applauded Akoto for setting an example for teachers across the globe that face several challenges in educating their students.

Owura Kwadwo Hottish in Singapore for Education Exchange. PHOTO: From his Facebook page

After seeing his post, a Saudi benefactor at the University of Leeds sent him a laptop as a "small gift to his students."

Owura Kwadwo Hottish with his students. PHOTO: From his Facebook page

Students with their gift. PHOTO: From Owura Kwadwo Hottish's Facebook page

This gift was just the start. A computer training school based in Accra, Ghana donated five desktop computers to the school, along with books and a laptop for Akoto.

Students with their gift. PHOTO: From Owura Kwadwo Hottish's Facebook page

Akoto is now a part of the Microsoft Certified Educator Program where educators exchange their experiences and learn from one another to develop better ways of teaching and engaging with students.