ICT, Robotic Games Brighten the Intellectual Capability of Children — Kolawole
Adebola Kolawole is the Principal,Ojodu Junior Grammar School, Ojodu-Berger,Ikeja, Lagos. She spoke with TONY NWAKAEGHO at the First Lego League competition, held at the University of Lagos on the importance of the competition, Information Communication Technology, and the roboticprogramme in developing the scientific knowledge of students. Excerpts:
What is your relationship with the organisers of this First Lego League programme?
I am the Principal ofOjodu Junior Grammar School, Ojodu-Berger, Ikeja, Lagos and I camewith my team, which is the victorious team of the programmeorganised by SAP and First Lego League at the University of Lagos Campus, after the students were given robots to carry out individual tasks. The main project that was presented by my school was an electronic light, it was on how you can generatelight in a dark environment. It is a pilot scheme, first of its kind. My expectation is that in the next one to two years,many schools will see the importance of this, which is brain tasking andwould encourage the students to do better, even in their basic correct schools, because they have to task their intelligence and develop their brain. Next year, I want to see many schools coming up to compete and showing interest in the First Lego League competition.
Is your school having ICT in its curriculum?
Yes, we have an ICT room. It was given to us by the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology, with 24-hour internet service, with many computers available.
Can you say that your students are computer literate?
They are all computer literate,from Basic Seven to Nine.
How do you maintain the computers and internet facility in your computer room?
By the grace of God, we are managing it and there is an Eko project assistance, a fund that we use for instructional materials and maintenance some of these things.
First Lego League is hit with paucity of fund and sponsorship. What do you think is the way forward?
The organisers of the First Lego League, under the leadership of Mr.OlajideAjayi, have done very well. They gave my school, and others, the expensive robotsto use. I want to appeal to all tiers of government, corporate bodies and NGOs to support them. When we begin to catch them young, this will help the students a lot. My students have embraced the robotic programme, but all of them cannot participate in it. It has to do with tasking the brainand it’s not everybody that is scientifically-oriented, some are commercial based, vocational based and others technical based. It is a new thing in Lagos State, but, overseas, young children do this often, because they have the wherewithal. Now that they have embraced it, I know that it will go places.
What is your assessment, in terms of awareness of this programme and competition?
The government should create awareness in the schools and the country. They should publicise it, and advertise it with prospective sponsors. The media should also publicise the different forms of robotic games on television, as this will encourage and brighten the intellectual capability of the children. They will begin to explore how to do robotic things, while rich parents could get the materials for their children, even at home. They will begin to see things in another perspective, since it will enhance their children’s intelligence.
