The difficulties of teaching ICT to teachers in a rural Indonesian context can become extremely challenging. These are some of the main obstacles I’ve encountered that I’m in the process of trying to find remedies for:
– Lacks in ICT literacy, computer/internet knowledge
– Distance from the nearest educational resource ‘centre’ in the city, Mataram University, located three hours from the village
– Inability to stay in the village for long enough periods of time to make sure the teachers are grasping the online tools I am showing them
– Teachers often feel too impolite, nervous or shy to tell me whether they actually don’t think a certain internet tool will be useful or effective
– Difficulty in keeping up to date with constantly changing teacher timetables
– Electricity and internet signals constantly dropping out – this is very demotivating for the teachers to continue trying to use Blogs and other internet tools
– Trying to communicate the value of using blogs and other online resources when the internet signal is too weak for the teachers to consistently try these tools for themselves.
– New obstacles pop up every day – Not enough laptop chargers, modems not working, credit running out, electricity going off, internet signals randomly disconnecting, and many others.
– The whole process is just really, really, really confusing and challenging!
And of course, there are other personal challenges. Village life is incredible and fascinating to experience, however, it can also become very exhausting on a day-to-day basis.
Constantly speaking in a different language is tiring – although it provides for many hilarious lost in translation moments. Everything is also on different ‘time’ – things take a lot longer to get done sometimes which can become frustrating. It sounds trivial – but there are also no hot showers here, so I use a cold bucket of water each morning. It’s fine, but after a long day… you want that hot shower.
I’ve also developed a number of very close relationships with families in the village who all want to catch up with me – it’s very hard trying to communicate to every family that I just don’t have enough time or energy to go around and see everyone as much as I’d like to! This often causes confusion and offense.
Trying to establish a balance between having ‘me’ time and working with the teachers when I have such limited time here is very difficult as well. I’ve been very sick this trip again because I’ve been very tired and worn out! But slowly learning to achieve this balance.
This is not all to say that living in Sembalun isn’t an absolutely brilliant experience – because it is, and I really love it. It is just also very challenging for a number of reasons.
Onward!
Connected to Community 
Hi Steph
There are so many challenges out of your control, but impact greatly on what you are trying to achieve!
Your work is demonstrating the challenges in overcoming the “Digital Divide”. The teachers at Lombok have so many hurdles to contend with that our teachers would rarely have to deal with here….I admire their persistence!
Just wondering…Is there a teacher/s who have enough basic computer and internet knowledge that could teach/mentor other teachers to help everyone achieve a certain base level of skills and understanding when you leave? Eg Run an “Early Birds” session once a week at school on a skill or topic or they could work one on one with people. You could then keep in touch/guide these key people so they can mentor the others.
What ways can the Principal support these teachers in their use of ICT?
Sounds like this could be your full time job Steph!
I think a long hot bath is definitely on the To Do list when you get back home…
Kim 🙂
Hi Kim,
That’s the difficult part – that the obstacles are so out of my control! I agree their persistence is incredible, especially given that the internet hardly ever works here.
That’s a really good idea about an Early Birds session, the principal and two other teachers are the only ones really driving this thing at the moment, and I’ve really focused on them to ensure that there are people who can facilitate ongoing ICT training so I don’t have a repeat of last year, where teachers made their blogs but didn’t continue using them after workshops!! I’m also going to make a facebook group that all of the teachers can use to communicate with me and others to help continue support – I’m hoping this will both maintain motivation but also convince the teachers of the value of social networking for professional development.
The principal is amazing, but the problem is he’s really, really busy all of the time and I’m not sure he can provide ongoing support. I’m going to have to think about who specifically can be the ‘go-to’ person after I leave.
Could definitely be my full-time job haha! Definitely, I am absolutely craving a hot shower and an english breakfast tea… counting down the days. Boiled some water and mixed it with the cold last night as a treat though – was amazing!!!
Thanks so much